Cloud Cult

Left Hip writer Kristen Cudmore speaks with Craig Minowa of Minnesota's Cloud Cult about the bands' new album, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus, the band's environmentally-friendly record label Earthology, and their unique politically-conscious live shows.

The Name:

How did you decide on the name Cloud Cult?

It's based on some ancient Hopi prophecies that have predicted everything from colonization of North America, to violation of treaties, to the crumbling of the technology empire built on their land.

The Album:

The album title, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus is based on a recurring dream you had of a hippopotamus coming to you with advice. I did a dream translation that explains that a hippopotamus symbolizes that you have hidden strengths, and you are more influential than you realize. Do you think that this translation is accurate?

I don't know why it's a hippopotamus and not something more romantic, like a mountain lion or a snake, but it's always the same hippo. The dream dictionary's translation is interesting and new to me, but I'd have to say I probably have more hidden weaknesses than strengths.

What advice did the hippopotamus offer you?

It's a variety of things dealing with everything from my personal relationships, to philosophies, to respect for the environment. The hippo doesn't actually talk to me; it just sort of plants the thoughts. The advice fills my personal journals, but you can get tidbits of it in the lyrics on the new album.

The album is a collection of songs about death, loss and grieving. Has making this album helped you come to amends with the loss of your son?

I don't think I'll ever totally come to terms with that loss, because it still makes no sense to me. But the philosophical process I was going through while making this album helped me to see that despite whether or not I understand why and where he went to, the point is that I'm still here, and so I'd better take advantage of the opportunity and live this life as full as I can. I don't know what comes at the end, but I know what's here right now, and I've decided to suck the marrow out of it.

Did Scott West compose the artwork for the album or did you chose the images?

Scott West did all of the artwork while listening to rough draft versions of the songs that would ultimately end up on the CD. He created the images as a visual storyline of the lyrical content within the album.

Can you explain: the buffalo with wings, the young girl and boy, and the bubble on the boys' head?

All of the imagery comes from lyrics in the album. In traditional art around the world, halos or lights around a character's head have been used to suggest divinity. The boy and girl carry that light from panel to panel and scene-to-scene to suggest their divinity, as they transform through various interpretations of life and death. The suggestion is simply that life is divine, in every form.

You're on tour now, promoting the Happy Hippopotamus. What areas do you plan to target and what will be your message throughout the tour?

We're hitting the U.S. pretty hard-core right now. We have plans to focus on Europe in the fall. I don't really have a set message, as I like to stay away from being preachy. Besides, I can't claim to know someone else's truth, all I can do is empathize and respect it.

Beyond messaging, there are our efforts to simply demonstrate and live a good life by doing the tour as environmentally friendly as possible and performing songs that force listeners to take a close look at that fine line between life and death, and in so doing, hopefully, gain a better appreciation for the beauty in their present lives.

Have you played the game Hungry Hungry Hippos?

I had that game briefly as a kid. It's a funny thing to teach kids: Consume as much as you can in as little time as possible and have fun doing it! Yahooooo!

What songs on this 23-track album are closest to you? If I were to guess, Transistor Radio would be one of them.

There were a ton of songs written and recorded for the album, but I had to thin the fat and kick out a bunch in order to keep it from getting ridiculously long. As it currently stands, there are over 20 tracks, so some would say I should have thinned it out even more.But there are a number of songs that I knew I would regret cutting, because they were important to me.

Transistor Radio is about my Grandpa and about realizing that the real beauty in life isn't the end goal, it's the journey. I am also close to Man Jumped Out the Window, because it's a sort of calling back to life and sharing some messaging from the other side. "Clip Clop" is also important to me, because I wrote it and "Can't Stop the Journey Now" on Fathers Day 2004, which is a rather tough holiday for me, since it's a day of realizing I'm not a dad anymore.

Are you really "moving to Canada"? It is pretty awesome here!

I love Canada and it's borderline socialist tendencies. I already live in Northern Minnesota, so the cold weather is something I'm used to. I think the U.S. can be a great country at times, but it's pissing away all of its potential on greed and lack of respect for life. At the moment, half of everything we pay in our taxes goes to buying bullets and bombs for war. Think of what we could do if we used that money in positive ways. I wouldn't mind moving to Canada, can you get me a visa?

Some of these track titles seem to explain events, a few titles that spark an interest are: Car Crash, Washed Your Car (this reference to cars is strong) and That Man Who Jumped out of the Window. Can you explain what these songs are about?

"Car Crash" was a really weird experience. I had the melody of a song written and I was spending an evening in this small southern Minnesota town, just sitting outside under the stars and waiting for the lyrics to come to me. Suddenly, I got this really vivid imagery of this young teenage couple in a car crash.

The whole song is a storyline snapshot of those 5 seconds between the time the couple realizes they are in entering into a deadly accident and the actual ends of their lives. In those five seconds there's this sort of slow motion mental conversation between them about how much they love each other, how much they wanted to do with their lives and how much they hope they can come back and be together again.

The next day, after writing that song, the big news in this little town was that this teenage couple had been in a car accident on a gravel road just a few miles from where I wrote the song that same evening. Unfortunately, neither of them made it. I don't know if it's coincidence or synchronicity, but whatever it is, it's odd.

"Man Jumped Out the Window" is literally advice from the hippo. The lyrics share messaging that comes from someone who basically saw the other side and was given the opportunity to come back to the living world and share some thoughts.

What is the "near death experience shared by Alexa" that the song, Light at the End of the Tunnel is based on?

It's a true near death experience shared by the woman who actually had it. She died in a hospital while giving childbirth and went through some pretty interesting events in the few minutes before doctors were able to bring her back.

Track 9, What It Feels Like To Be Alive, was performed on the top of Spirit Mountain- what was the experience like for you personally?

It was incredible. That mountain is sacred Ojibwa burial land. When I lived in that area, the City of Duluth planned to level that forest and turn it into a golf course. We fought against it for several years and were able to save the forest. My son and I spent a lot of time walking through that forest, as well, since we lived at the base of Spirit Mountain.

There was an outdoor show in summer 2004 that we performed at, and I recorded the crowd screaming to show they were happy to be alive. They screamed so loud, it clipped all of my recording gear. The whole thing gave me the chills; it was so beautiful.

The Artist Craig Minowa of Cloud Cult and Earthology Records:

What inspired Cloud Cult to start? How did you make it happen?

Cloud Cult started as a solo project with just me in a recording studio. When the albums started receiving unexpectedly high levels of radio play, I decided I should get a band of live musicians together to perform the work. Since then, we've gradually grown in numbers.

You are a multi-talented musician (guitar, piano/keys, percussion, digital drums, fx. and vocals), how did you become comfortable with so many instruments? What is your background with these instruments?

I was classically trained on piano, violin and orchestral bass. I've just taught myself all of the other instruments.

Earthology Records, which I understand, is your own independent label, is focused on making an environmentally friendly product. Would you ever sign to a major record deal if you knew that you might not have control over the type of packaging of your albums?

If we could get a major label to operate in a manner that meets or beats our environmental criteria, I would likely sign, as I think they could then use that model to do the same thing with their other bands, and then, perhaps, other major labels would join the eco- band wagon. It would really have to be on our terms, because I'm pretty happy with the way things are already, and we're doing it on our own.

Are you going to focus more energy on building your label up, to sign more environmentally friendly bands?

Earthology is growing quickly, as an artistic and environmental collective. As long as the energy of this movement continues to be positive, I will stick with it.

It is very admirable that you have non-profit organizations set up booths at your shows. What are some of the organizations that are featured at your shows?

Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education, Organic Consumers Association, Sierra Club, Great Lakes United, etc.

Other than the booths, what else makes the Cloud Cult live experience more memorable, or different from other bands?

We have live painters, a back screen video display and sometimes performance artists. I'm always welcoming artists of different types to be a part of our shows. I love having a variety of creativity going on along with the music.

Craig Minowa of Cloud Cult

What is your greatest personal accomplishment so far?

Being a dad.

How is your life now? How are you feeling, now that the album is complete?

My life is very good, and I am incredibly thankful and appreciative for everything in it. I have way more than I need or deserve. It's nice to finally be on the road doing shows for this album, because I'm really happy with the music, and I love the band like family.

Have you been able to turn some of those "stupid questions marks into simple candy canes?"

It's an ongoing process, but, yes, I have had some success at it.

What is next for Cloud Cult and Craig Minowa?

I have no goals or expectations. Life dishes out an odd assortment of curves and loops, and all I can do is be a flexible part of that journey and try to appreciate and learn from it. I write every album, as if it would be my last, because you never know how much time you have on this planet.

http://www.cloudcult.com/

Kristen Cudmore