Craig Cummings

Artist Information

Biography

During the past several years, Craig's accomplishments have placed him among Maryland's most well-known Americana/Country/Folk musicians. His 2009 CD, Road Trips and Relationships, was well-received locally, nationally, and internationally. Reviews of the CD can be found in Rootstime, an internet music magazine originating in Belgium, and Country Home Magazine, another internet music publication from Germany. Craig's most recent release, Whispering Low, is a summer road trip soundtrack. The vocal duets with fellow Baltimore musician Saffhi, channel the vibe present in many of Gram Parsons' recordings with Emmylou Harris.

Craig regularly performs in and around the mid-Atlantic area. As a member of the Baltimore Songwriter's Association (BSA), the Songwriter's Association of Washington (SAW), and The Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise (FAME), Craig is a featured performer at many songwriters' showcases and is known for his ability to pen songs with literate lyrics and catchy melodies that linger in the listener's memory long after the last note is sung.

Highway to Love, a song from Road Trips and Relationships, won honorable mention in the 17th annual Billboard World Song Contest. Highway To Love was also included on the BSA's annual compilation CD, Songs From Our Circle 5.

Craig's songwriting is honest and straightforward. With influences ranging from Gram Parsons, Lucinda Williams, and Justin Townes Earle to Neil Young, George Jones, Elvis Costello, and Graham Parker, his songs are often first-person accounts of life's twists and turns, and spot-on depictions of contemporary characters including beautiful women and down-on-their-luck adolescents and adults. While casual listeners might remark about his powerful voice or his rhythmic guitar playing, those more familiar with his work are drawn in by his lyrics - his ability to make the words as important (or more) than any other facet of his performances.

Craig’s music allows listeners to share the experiences of a Baltimore-born singer-songwriter who has never cared to forsake his mid-Atlantic roots for the opportunities that might have been provided by other venues in other places. Nashville and Austin call his name in the night, but Baltimore owns his heart.

Instrumentation

Craig Cummings - Guitar and Vocals

Craig accepts bookings for solo appearances and for gigs with a backing band as on his new CD. There are music files in this EPK that represent both solo and ensemble performances.
Craig's most recent backing band, the Wildcards include Doug Workman on drums, Edward Graham on bass, and Kurt Hammond on guitar.

Discography

Road Trips And Relationships - released 2009

"Sweet Summer Daydreams" on Oasis Country Sampler, Vol. IX #2, 2009.

"Highway To Love" on Songs From Our Circle 5, Baltimore Songwriter's Association compilation CD, 2010.

Whispering Low - release date May 10, 2011

"Whispering Low" on Singer-Songwriter Cape May 2013 Compilation CD

Official Website

http://craigcummingsmusic.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Craig's Web Page
• Craig's Music Blog

Audio

• Whispering Low
  Listen  
• Country Style
  Listen  
• Natural Disaster-Solo Acoustic
  Listen  
• Leaving Lafayette
  Listen  
• Old Santa Fe-Solo Acoustic
  Listen  
• Life Without Fear
  Listen  
• Hotel Bed
  Listen  
• Highway To Love
  Listen  
• Tallahassee
  Listen  
• Tallahassee - Solo Acoustic
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Whispering Low
• Country Style
• Leaving Lafayette
• Life Without Fear
• Summertime Love
• Hotel Bed
• Tallahassee
• Highway To Love
• Natural Disaster
• Santa Fe

Video

Hotel Bed

Country Style

Photo Gallery

Press

• Road Trips and Relationships [+ Show ]
  

  "...His melodies are not only reminiscent of The Beatles, but there are strains of The Byrds, Buffal..."...His melodies are not only reminiscent of The Beatles, but there are strains of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Poco, a generous representation of the Southern California sounds of the era. What makes this a 5-star deal to me is that Cummings is also a melodic and lyrical brother to the late-Byrd and powerful, but underrated, singer/songwriter, Gene Clark...Despite the fact that Cummings' sound conjures the memories of a rich musical past, the record is an original creation of a tasteful singer/songwriter keeping the spirit alive."

• Interview With Country Home Magazine-Germany [+ Show ]
  

  Feb 5, 2010 1:19 AM Interview with Craig Cummings Ch.L.: Country Music has many new fans in Euro...Feb 5, 2010 1:19 AM
  Interview with Craig Cummings
  
  Ch.L.: Country Music has many new fans in Europe, who may be hearing about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you play to someone who has never seen or heard you before.
  
  C.C.: I call my music “east coast Americana.” In the same way that Gram Parsons tried to blend musical styles to create his cosmic American music, my experiences playing rock, soul, country, and the blues have resulted in a hybrid of Americana sounds unique to the east coast.
  
  Ch.L.: How was the last year for you? What were the highlights?
  
  C.C.: The highlight of last year was releasing my CD and playing the shows that I booked just after it’s release. I also had a terrifically productive summer. I wrote a lot of new music and I am planning to released another CD in the spring of 2010.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s your latest CD and how’s it doing?
  
  C.C.: My latest CD is Road Trips and Relationships. It is selling well considering that I am an indie DIY artist.
  
  Ch.L.: How did you choose the title for the CD, is there a story behind it?
  
  C.C.: When I was trying to think about a title for the CD, I was walking through the woods one day when the title just popped into my head. Many of the songs on the CD describe road trips through different part of the country and all of them comment on the importance of relationships and how our relationships with others define who we are.
  
  Ch.L.: Do you write the songs yourself and if not, how do you go about finding the songs for the your CD?
  
  C.C.: I write all of the songs that I record.
  
  Ch.L.: Please tell us about the songs on your album.
  
  C.C.: Most of the songs were written between 2007 and the end of 2008. They explore the important relationships in my life and how these relationships help me to navigate the challenges in my life. The road trip songs cast the relationship dynamic against the back drop of the American experience and examine how relationships sustain us as we move from place to place – and as we alternate between feeling apart from, and a part of something special.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s the difference between your last CD and the current one?
  
  C.C.: This is my debut CD.
  
  Ch.L.: What kind of songs do you like to record the most?
  
  C.C.: I like to record all kinds of songs.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s your favorite song among all the songs you’ve recorded and what’s the story behind it?
  
  C.C.: I think the best song on the CD is Tallahassee. I visited Tallahassee and fell in love with the place. I loved the weather, the flowers and trees, and the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a piece of the old south with the beach nearby… The best of all worlds.
  
  Ch.L.: How much creative control do you have over your music?
  
  C.C.: As an indie DIY artist, I have full creative control over my music.
  
  Ch.L.: Do you have any interesting stories about how fans have been affected by your music?
  
  C.C.: I have a song that I wrote after the CD was released called “Barcelona.” It’s a song about being fed up with your life as it is and wanting to go elsewhere and start over. People always tell me that they can relate to that feeling and it is a song that is always requested when I play live.
  
  Ch.L.: Who do you look up to musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
  
  C.C.: I have a deep affection for the music of Gram Parsons. He was an artist who took chances with country music. He refused to allow the traditionalists to limit him. He recorded traditional sounding songs like “She Once Lived Here,” but he also played and recorded R&B songs such as “Do Right Woman” which was popularized by Aretha Franklin. I love Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. The write country songs with intelligent, clever lyrics and they ignore the contemporary country nonsense. This is what I try to do.
  
  Ch.L.: What do you think about today’s Country Music versus its roots and where do you see it going in the future?
  
  C.C.: Listening to a lot of today’s country music is no different than listening to top 40 radio – it just has more twang. I find it hard to listen to most contemporary country stations for very long. If I’m listening to country radio, I want to hear Roseanne Cash, George Jones, Lucinda Williams, and the Texas songwriters like Hayes Carll, Slaid Cleaves, and Robert Earl Keen.
  
  Ch.L.: In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between „traditional“ and „new“country music?
  
  C.C.: Much of the difference is in the lyrics. The story in a song like George Jones’ “She Thinks I Still Care” is a whole different thing from much of the shallow ideas found in the lyrics of contemporary country. I don’t want to criticize any specific artist or songwriter but if you listen to contemporary country lyrics it is not hard to see what I am saying. Generally, the lyrics in these songs lack maturity and a sense of worldliness.
  
  Ch.L.: If you had the chance to change something about the music industry, what would it be?
  
  C.C.: I’d like radio stations to be more interested in playing a variety of artists rather than the same ones over and over. Radio airplay is incredibly important for musicians trying to market their songs, and most of us can’t get on the powerful stations.
  
  Ch.L.: As an artist you have to do so many different things such as recording, touring, doing interviews etc. What do you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
  
  C.C.: I’m never happier than when I am writing a song that I think is going to be a hit or when I am playing in front of an appreciative crowd regardless of the size.
  
  Ch.L.: Are you doing anything to take country music beyond it’s current borders or are you happy where it is?
  
  C.C.: As I’ve said, I am trying to write country songs with intelligent lyrics that tell stories that most of us can relate to.
  
  Ch.L.: What was your big break that got you into the music business?
  
  C.C.: My big break was realizing, after a 2 year hiatus from performing, that I needed to get back to writing and performing – that I needed it to be a complete person.
  
  Ch.L.: What inspired you to become an artist?
  
  C.C.: I’ve always loved music and I’ve always wanted to play and perform music.
  
  Ch.L.: What inspired you to become a songwriter?
  
  C.C.: I love to write and I love to sing so the two just go together.
  
  Ch.L.: What drives you?
  
  C.C.: The pure joy of playing my guitar and singing songs.
  
  Ch.L.: What does it take to be a country star?
  
  C.C.: I’ll let you know when I find out.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s unique about you that differentiates you from other artists?
  
  C.C.: Well, at this point in my life I’m not some young guy with boyish good looks. I’m a seasoned artist that is just beginning to get noticed after many years of writing and performing. I don’t think I am the only one who can claim this, but many people who started when I did stopped writing and performing long ago.
  
  Ch.L.: What has been your greatest challenge in music business?
  
  C.C.: I don’t like the business end of it. It is a necessary evil.
  
  Ch.L.: What moments in your career stand out in your memory as highlights and achievements which you’re proud of?
  
  C.C.: Certainly, releasing my CD last year is a highlight. I also got a kick out of a review I received on Rootstime. Rootstime is a Belgian internet site that reviews Americana and roots music. They found me somehow and wrote a really nice review of my CD. I thought it was really cool that people in Europe were listening and appreciating what I do.
  
  Ch.L.: Any thoughts of retirement ahead?
  
  C.C.:I don’t think I’ll ever stop playing.
  
  Ch.L.: Who’s your biggest critic, yourself or others?
  
  C.C.: I think most of us are our own harshest critics. Although I also think with technological advances being what they are, anyone can be a critic, and some people who fancy themselves music critics are not very well informed – or very nice.
  
  Ch.L.: When you get time off, how do you like to relax?
  
  C.C.: Go to the beach, sit and watch the sun go down over the water, and ponder ideas for new songs
  
  Ch.L.: Is there anything in your life that you would change if you could?
  
  C.C.: I’d be taller, more handsome, and have a Texas accent (smile).
  
  Ch.L.: What Private hopes and desires do you have?
  
  C.C.: Well, they’re private… so I’ll keep them to myself.
  
  Ch.L.: What has been the biggest disappointment in your life?
  
  C.C.: Not being successful enough as a musician and songwriter so that I don’t need a day job.
  
  Ch.L.: Many European fans travel to Nashville for CMA Music Festival (Fan Fair), because of the opportunity to see so many of their favorite stars at the same time. Will you be participating and how will the fans be able to find you?
  
  C.C.: I don’t think I’ll be there – but I might change my mind.
  
  Ch.L.: Is there anyplace you haven’t played that you would like to?
  
  C.C.: I’d love to lay the Ryman in Nashville and I’d like to spend a couple of months playing through the clubs in Austin, TX.
  
  Ch.L.: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
  
  C.C.: An interactive show. I like to talk with and tell stories to the audience between songs. I’m just a regular person and I like to treat each gig like people are sitting around my basement listening.
  
  Ch.L.: Many music fans today get their information about artists via the internet. Do you have your own website and what will fans find there?
  
  C.C.: Yes, I have my own website www.craigcummingsmusic.com. I have songs streaming, photographs from my shows and the recording studio, lyrics, and other kinds of general information that I think people enjoy. I also have a myspace music page.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s the best compliment a fan has ever given you?
  
  C.C.: Many people have said that they own my CD and they listen to it all the time. There is no better compliment than that.
  
  Ch.L.: What’s your favorite song that you wish you could have recorded?
  
  C.C.: “Lake Charles” by Lucinda Williams. I actually play that song in many of my live shows. It feels like it’s mine because I can relate so much to the story behind the song.
  
  Ch.L.. What message would you like to send your European fans?
  
  C.C.: I’d like them to keep listening and to get in touch with me through my website and tell me what they like and why.
  
  Ch.L.: Fans are always hungry for good road stories. Do you have one you can tell?
  
  C.C.: A long time ago I was playing this roadhouse biker bar with my band. We played for 4 hours and at the end of the night the crowd was pumped up and not ready for us to leave. I announced our last song. At the end of the song, this huge guy came up and pressed a big wad of bills into my hand and said, “Keep on playing.” I declined and tried to give back the money. He looked me directly in the eye with a stare that would melt steel and said, “You’re not done, because we said so.” He nodded to his biker friends standing nearby and pushed the money back to me. We played for another 30 minutes. Then they invited us to play a field party the next weekend. I asked how much they were willing to pay. He said, “We’ll give you $400 and you can have anything or anyone you want.” And he winked at me…
  
  Ch.L.: Describe what a perfect day is like for you.
  
  C.C.: Wake up, drink my coffee and read the paper, spend a few hours songwriting, and then go to the beach for the afternoon. Come home, make some dinner, have a few drinks, hang out, maybe play more music or watch a baseball game on TV. Go to sleep. Wake up and try it again.
  
  Ch.L.: Most careers don’t last as long as yours, what’s given your career the staying power?
  
  C.C.: Finding the joy in the music and not doing it for the money.

• Road Trips and Relationships [+ Show ]
  

  "...Folk and country songs with pedal steel and acoustic guitar sounds constitute the bulk of the so..."...Folk and country songs with pedal steel and acoustic guitar sounds constitute the bulk of the songs on "Road Trips And Relationships". With a healthy focus on the melodic content of the songs, Craig's songs sound very fresh and contemporary, even though many songs probably have their roots somewhere in the "sweet sixties." The songs are about the everyday relationships of everyday people.
  One of the strongest songs on the CD, "No Strings Attached," is full of emotion and feelings. The listener has the impression that the song washes over him. In the ballads, Craig's voice is at its best such as on the tracks "Whiskey Girl", "Tallahassee", "Sweet Summer Daydreams" and "I Know You're Leaving Me." All these songs feature a grieving pedal steel guitar that adds to the emotion of the song. But the uptempo songs are also worth the effort: "I Just Want to Be Loved By You", "Letters From Your Past" and even a good old rocker like "Smother Me" sound fresh and immediate.
  Road Trips And Relationships is a very entertaining disc that will provide enjoyment to Americana-lovers who also have a soft spot for good lyrics.
  (Note: This article was translated into English for inclusion in this press kit.)
  

Setlist

Craig performs his original music. He occasionally mixes in songs by other artists such as:
Lucinda Williams
Gram Parsons
Ryan Adams
Bob Dylan
Emmylou Harris
John Hiatt
Elvis Costello
George Jones

Basic Requirements

Calendar