Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Sturak.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The Cedar Shakers formed in 2017 in San Diego. Calen was coming out of a prior music project while Mike, Michael and I were playing together with other original members of the band. We had a different name, but that band became The Cedar Shakers shortly after Calen joined. Initially, we focused on writing original songs and exploring roots music – from country and bluegrass to indie folk and blues – over months of jam sessions and rehearsals. About a year in, we had a batch of original songs and started playing bars and yards – pretty much whatever shows we could line up. We pooled about a year’s worth of earnings from bar gigs to record an EP, Live From Capricorn Studios, that came out last year. We were building some momentum and playing more established venues when COVID hit, which sidelined live shows. During the lockdown, we worked on songwriting and recorded a batch of songs over a couple of sessions when things opened up. We’re getting ready to release those now.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t think anyone who’s played a local music scene in any city would say it’s a smooth road. You’re one of many trying to get the attention of bookers and venue owners, who we know are operating on tight margins. Competition is fierce! You’ve got to be ready for some letdowns. As an unsigned band, you assume all roles in the operation – finding shows, promoting your band, getting your music out there, making contacts. The creative part of writing and playing music is just one piece of the puzzle, and it’s mostly a labor of love. So there’s the balance of working to pay the bills and making time to prioritize music.
I’m sure every artist or band has stories of shows that went haywire. With hindsight, some of it’s pretty funny. The first time we played the county fair in San Diego, the stage backdrop was a bunch of brightly colored ice cream cones because the theme had to do with desserts. Telling you right now, it’s hard to look cool standing in front of ice cream cones, no matter what music you’re playing. Another time, we were thrilled to land a gig at a more established San Diego music venue, only to find out when we arrived that our sound guy had to miss the company party to work our show. Literally, everyone on the staff who wasn’t working that show loaded onto a party bus and took off as we were setting up. He was not happy. We seriously tiptoed around him during soundcheck. We tried to make it as easy as possible. It ended on a good note – he liked our show and worked the sound with us on another night we were there.
One of our original members left, and that’s tough because the dynamic changes. But it’s led to the chance to play with other musicians who bring their own talents and personalities to the music, which is exciting. If it hasn’t been done, someone could make a movie about local band scenes the way Spinal Tap and Almost Famous focused on fictional famous bands. The well of material is deep.
Bottom line, though, is that there is nothing like the experience of seeing people connect with songs you’ve written or you’ve had a part in developing as a band member. It’s tough to put into words, but those experiences are magical, and they help put the challenges into context. It definitely keeps you looking ahead to the next show or recording session.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Cedar Shakers are an Indie Folk band from San Diego. The members are Calen Lucas (lead vocals, bass, guitar), Mike Cendejas (mandolin, bass, vocals) Michael Freed (fiddle) and Craig Sturak (guitar, bass). We’re most proud of our new recordings that we are releasing starting in Summer 2021. They are all original songs and are more developed in terms of overall sound and production from our first release. We were joined by our good friend Kevin Weiss from the band Thunderbeast on drums, which brought a whole new dimension rhythmically to the music. We had two banjo players, Clinton Ross Davis and Ron DePuy, play on the recordings, and they both had great ideas for the songs they were on. So we’re excited to release these and looking forward to playing shows again.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
We all come from different backgrounds, but a love of music is a common thread between us. Whether it was playing in church or school as kids or being raised in homes where music was always being played, music is an essential part of who we are as individuals.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: thecedarshakers.com
- Instagram: @thecedarshakers
- Facebook: Facebook.com/thecedarshakers
- Twitter: Twitter.com/thecedarshakers
- SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/thecedarshakers
Image Credits:
Photos of Michael Freed, Calen Lucas and Craig Sturak 2 should be credited to Lael Corbin. The remainder are courtesy of The Cedar Shakers.
