Translated by Giuliano Latina

James Byron Schoen: Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
Matt Cozin: drums
T.D. Towers: bass
Michael Drucker: violin
Eve Harrison: flute (1, 2, 4, 6)
Rachel Kiel: flute (3, 5, 7, 8)
Arthur Sugden: piano, organ

Other Edensong's articles on A&B:
- The Fruit Fallen - 2008

- A&B -
Hello, James! Welcome to Artists and Bands!
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
Thank you! Thanks for setting up this interview.

- A&B -
Your first album has immediately appeared interesting and much variegated, without negative peaks. Could you tell us about its genesis?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
From the very beginning, I set out to make an album that was both experimental and challenging for me as a songwriter. I wanted to play around with all sorts of instrumentation and timbres that one would not generally hear on a rock album by incorporating some classical orchestration and also experimenting with percussion alternatives to the drumset. I wrote the majority of the material while I was at college and I really tried to take advantage of the musical variety available to me at the time. Where else, outside of an academic setting, would I have had such immediate access to classical players, Indian and African Percussion, Church Organ and more? I think that this availability really helped to shape the overall sound of the album.

- A&B -
In my review I have written about a sound melting-pot ranging from Kansas to Simon & Garfunkel, brushing both metal and folk territories. Your inspiration sources are numerous: could you tell about them ?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
Most musicians I meet tend to have very broad musical taste. So, in this way, I guess that I’m no different. I grew up listening to classic bands like the Beatles and eventually moved more toward alternative rock in the early nineties, and then on to classic metal bands like Metallica and Megadeth in middle school, which eventually led me to more progressive bands like Rush and Dream Theater. It was also around this time that I began to dig through my dad’s old record collection and discovered progressive rock staples like Yes and Jethro Tull, whose music captivated me like nothing else. By high school, my musical taste was firmly rooted in progressive rock and metal, and I had formed a progressive metal band called Echoes of Eden. Our release “Beneath the Tide” definitely showcases our influences from the time. After the band broke up, I struggled to find a solo mode of musical expression. That’s around the time I started listening to a lot of the acoustic folky music of Cat Stevens and Simon and Garfunkel. I began to adapt a lot of my already prog-influenced songwriting to this more intimate style. I think that this marriage of acoustic and electric instrumentation, coupled with my interest in classical and other world music, is central to the songwriting on “The Fruit Fallen.”

- A&B -
Two curiosities come to my mind: “To See but not to Believe” seems like “The Reunion” tail-end; besides, in the booklet there are no texts. Could you explain these choices?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
I actually get this question a lot. In fact, I just explained this to somebody yesterday. “To See But Not Believe” was originally intended as another track on “The Fruit Fallen”. However, after reviewing the final master (with a slightly different track order, I recall), I didn’t think that the song really matched the overall tone of the album. I also knew that a lot of Edensong fans really liked the song, so I didn’t want to remove it from the album altogether. As a compromise, I came to the decision to include it as a secret track. Musically and conceptually, the song is unrelated to “The Reunion.” In the end, the whole thing caused a lot of confusion, and I almost regret my decision.

- A&B -
Can we consider “The Fruit Fallen” as a concept album? What kind of message should arrive listening this album?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
I never intended “The Fruit Fallen” to be a true concept album. However, I tend to think of everything I work on in very conceptual terms. I wanted to establish an overall vibe for the album, which is reflected in the band’s visual image and album packaging. Also, while there is no overarching lyric concept to “The Fruit Fallen”, there are certain general subjects that I address across the album. There are multiple songs that deal with the subject of death. There are also frequent biblical references, mostly as metaphors for other aspects of life, so many, in fact, that some have mistakenly regarded Edensong as a Christian rock band; I find this a bit ironic, because the lyrics tend to take a pretty critical view of organized religion.

- A&B -
In Italy a great problem for the bands (non only for the ones playing a “particular” style) is to find some places where they can propose their own live music. Many pub managers prefer to be sure, engaging some cover bands. What are your thoughts about this situation? Is there the same situation in the USA? Have you much chances to make yourself known through concerts and festivals? Is there a particular range of people more enjoying your proposal?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
Yes, the same is certainly true in the States. Most bars seem to prefer cover bands, as they might appeal more to the average person coming in to drink and socialize. New York City has a ton of clubs for original music, but a lot of these are pretty “sketchy” venues with bad location, small stages, poor sound etc. These clubs rarely have their own regular customers and instead rely completely upon the band to bring in their own fans. This makes it very difficult to expand a fanbase simply by playing live. For Edensong, it seems like a better bet to produce and promote our own shows, perhaps with some other progressive bands in the area, rather than simply taking an available slot from a New York club. This year, we were invited to play the Three Rivers Progressive Rock Festival in Pittsburgh with King’s X, Glass Hammer, Phideaux, IQ etc. (www.3rprogfest.com), which should be a great experience to get our music onstage in front of the right audience. Live shows are a relatively new concept for Edensong, especially for this new lineup of the band. However, we would love to take on some more festival shows, in the US and abroad, playing more locally, and even do some touring in the near future. We have a lot to figure out!

- A&B -
Nowadays the Internet is a fundamental instrument to reach a greater number of people. How is your and Edensong relation towards the Internet?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
The Internet has played a huge role in the promotion of Edensong’s music. In 2006, while “The Fruit Fallen” was still in production, I started a Myspace page for Edensong, posted a few of our finished songs, and immediately connected with fans of our music from all over the world. At the time, we were playing live pretty frequently, so it was also a means of spreading the word about our performances. In 2007, while finishing work on “The Fruit Fallen,” I was a bit more reclusive, updating our page and blogging very infrequently. Now that the album has been released and there is a brand new lineup and always a lot of news to report, Edensong has been much more active on the internet. The internet has helped me to connect with reviewers, promoters, distributors, fans and other artists very effectively. We’re always looking for new means of internet promotion as well. We’re constantly updating our website: www.edensongtheband.com, and just launched a new Edensong blog.

- A&B -
Are you already thinking to “The Fruit Fallen” successor? Could you disclose anything?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
Back in August, right before we were invited to play 3RP, we started thinking a bit about the next album. We composed a few new themes and discussed some general concepts. When we accepted the festival offer, our focus shifted more toward bringing the music from “The Fruit Fallen” to the stage. We have a couple different recording projects that we’ve been discussing, so I’m not sure which one we’ll start working on first, but I’m sure we’ll be back in the studio before too long! I’m really excited to get back to work on some new music. Given the band’s new lineup, the new album is bound to be a more collaborative project and might end up going in a slightly different direction. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.

- A&B -
Do you know italian music, for example both the present and the past progressive scene, the seventies one, just thanks to the Net?
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
I’ve been told by a few people that Edensong is a bit reminsicent of some Italian progressive rock, but I’m a bit ashamed to say that my knowledge of this music is quite limited. My first real introduction to Italian prog was when my friend let me borrow a classic PFM album a few months ago. I loved it from the first listen! I’m looking forward to hearing some more. Any recommendations?

- A&B -
I would thank you very much for the time you have spent for us; see you soon with Edensong music! I ask you a salute for Artists and Bands readers.
- James Byron Schoen [Edensong] -
Thanks so much for your support of Edensong. Artists and Bands is wonderful website. I look forward to sharing more news and music with you in the future!