About That Song: Eli Gardiner
About That Song #2
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
In our second installment, I talk to Twin Cities singer-songwriter Eli Gardiner. He just released his new album Live in Minneapolis, which was recorded at the Aster Cafe.
Eli Gardiner. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Sarah: Hi Eli! Congratulations on the release of Live in Minneapolis! What an accomplishment. I know we’ve gotten to speak a bit about music and community in the past, but now I want to learn more about Eli the songwriter! Do you remember the song that you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Eli: It's really hard to pinpoint just one song, but one that stands out to me is “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel. I remember hearing it when I was a young kid and just being mesmerized by the sounds. Even today it's completely captivating when I hear it. The scenes that this song paints and the huge chorus has stuck with me through the years.
Sarah: Oh yes, that song is perfect. Mesmerizing sounds, absolutely, and even stripped to the bones, it’s a stunner. So once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song of yours that gave you that “a-HA! I am a songwriter” moment?
Eli: No, not at all. I don't feel like a writer unless I’m writing, really. I think that's when I feel it, when I can recognize inspiration and follow it to a song. The songs that make me feel like a writer are the ones where I have no idea how I wrote them, the ones that seem to stick around and other people find meaning in them. My song “The Long Goodbye” is one of those songs that I had some positive feedback on and it seemed to stick. Maybe I need to start playing it again.
Sarah: Where can we hear you sing that song (or any other song for that matter) in the near future?
Eli: My next show is one I’m very excited about: My band will be traveling down to Clear Lake, Iowa to play at The Surf Ballroom on July 19. We’ll be back in town July 28 at the Aster Cafe.
Sarah: On the live album, is there a song that you feel particularly inclined to at the moment? A song that maybe gives you that “HECK YES I WROTE THAT” sort of feeling?
Eli: “Black Crow” is a favorite of mine. Playing it live is always an adventure, it's very open and loose, and different things happen each time we play it. I wrote it when I was up in the North Shore. I was sitting on the porch of a cabin and that melody came out through the humid smoke-filled air.
Live in Minneapolis Credits
Released June 2, 2023
Recorded live at Aster Cafe in Minneapolis February 3, 2023 by Alchemy Audio
Produced, mixed and mastered by Eli Gardiner
Greg Schutte - Drums
Kevin Gamble - Keys
Dan Schwartz - Lap steel, electric guitar
Nick Salisbury - Bass
Eli Gardiner - Vocals, guitar
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
