Secular Pains on Clean Air, Sanford and Son, Mothers, and Hair

We thought that Secular Pains was a band, but it turns out that Secular Pains is a guy. His song “Cut My Hair” was featured on our #36 podcast, which is interesting in light of the thoughts he shares below on the subject of hair and mothers. He lives outside of Toronto, Canada, evidently not nearby any cities.

My favorite thing to wear onstage:

clothing

Why

I don’t like my parents seeing me naked.

Fully-clothed is the only way to be.

The last musical instrument or musical-performance-related item that I bought and loved was:

Not sure I love any of my instruments. Although I have a fond attachment to my first guitar. It’s an acoustic black Takamine. I love it because it has conditioned itself to me and vice versa. Only I can play it, tune it, manipulate it…with everyone else it simply doesn’t work. I inserted some lame metaphors here but removed them. It’s also been through hell: soaked in the rain, frozen by many winters, cracked in more places than the logic of a politician…and it weighs less than when I bought it…due to the shavings lost from every performance.

[Editor’s note: Many of our artists share their editing process on these interviews (‘I inserted some lame metaphors here but removed them’). Editing itself is art. Editing art is art. Art is art. Editing is. Is.]

The artist who has influenced me most is:

Elvis. I guess because he was my childhood “hero” if I can put a label on him.

still interesting, after all these years

Something I wish I’d known before joining/starting a band:

Post 1999 girls aren’t interested in rockers and guitar players any more…they want guys who ride dirtbikes.

I live in this city:

Never. Will never live in any city. I like clean air and I generally don’t like people. And why do I write music? To share what I’ve found love to be in its most intense form…ultimately to make people happier…because I love them…but I guess I don’t like them.

I collect:

Records – like any other musician does. I acquired a factory sealed copy of the Lost and Found album. I opened and listened to it. That was cool.

my favorite thing to watch on tv is:

Sanford and Son

why

Why. That’s a stupid question.

In my fridge you’ll always find:

a countless number of condiments. You can always eat more when your food is covered in something. Like maple syrup. Maple syrup is wonderful. I’m going to eat some right now.

how they do it in Canada

if you’re going to buy me a gift, say in the under-$50 range, I would like:

A Spanish horror film from the 70s on DVD.

The last music I downloaded was:

My friend sent me some demos…and Teenager in Love.

In my heart I wish I was:

like Joan of Arc

because

of her level of devotion.

 

Beauty staple that I am never without:

I suppose my long hair is my one vanity. I cut off my hair twice in my life. Once in high school I took a razor and removed all 24 inches of my thick Portuguese beauty staple. The second time I was coerced…or rather bribed. Let’s just say my mother offered my money to cut it off. Now, not selling out for money is an easy pride…but I needed the money. I was torn. It’s never just hair. Why is there such an obsession? I mean…we’ve all seen Tom Jones, Chuck Norris…or Robin Williams shirtless…I mean these men represent something…something virtuous…symbolic. It’s that conflict of pride and morals…image but not for image-sake. Anyway, I was torn. I spoke with my friend about it. Of course I alluded to the words of Brewer & Shipley, David Crosby, and one of my favourite lines in a song ever: “Mary loved her son, why don’t my mother love me,” resulting in my final argument, “what would Jesus do?” My friend gave me her answer: “He would probably listen to his mother.”

What would Jesus do?

My personal analysis of the current state of the music industry is:

I don’t really care too much about it any more. I found it’s best for an artist to not waste much effort on the industry. It’s a musician’s job to make music.

when people come to visit me, particularly if those people are cooler than I am, I take them to:

the country and light a fire.

favorite seasonal beverage:

water is my favourite thing to consume.

Give me a super-brief summary of your current musical status, in a bio kind of way:

I’ve given up on focusing on things beyond my control. I’m here to create. That’s in my control. I’ve wasted too much time and effort on bullshit marketing and “getting heard.” And no…I’m not talking about the bullshit of making music just for me either. That’s all bullshit too. Sure, think of it like a message in a bottle. It’s part of the world now.