He’s toured the country on-and-off for almost two decades in his critically-acclaimed, charting Americana acts Robinella and the CC String Band and The Black Lilies, but Friday night at the new Yee-Haw Brewing complex in Happy Holler, Cruz Contreras finally makes his recording debut under his own name, with the new album “Cosmico,” which is also the inaugural release, Contreras says, of his new record label of the same name.
“It’s a terribly exciting time,” Contreras says, on the phone returning from eight weeks out West. He’s been playing with a new crack squad since New Year’s and he’s particularly stoked to have them all to showcase the sound at the album release: Sam Quinn on the bass, Ben McLaughlin on drums, Jake Smith on lead guitar.
“Do I need to ‘shop’ this?” Contreras remembers asking himself of label ambitions as he was building and planning the release for “Cosmico.” After all, Robinella and the CC String Band were signed to Sony at one point.
“By the time I’d asked myself for the hundredth time, we’d built it,” Cruz says of his burgeoning team and promotional and touring campaigns. “It’s the ‘Cosmico’ record, it’s me, it’s my family. The toughest record to get out is the first one,” he beams with pride. “I’ve got projects just waiting to be made…producing…that’s what I’m excited about.”
One immediate comfort on “Cosmico” is Contreras’ familiar warm, laid-back croon. He’s extremely curious as a writer, arranger and performer, experimenting with all kinds of unique layers of instrumentation from song to song. But Contreras’ tunes are always rooted in his rich, relaxed vocal with contemplative lyrics that bely a deep apparent decency and likeability that serves as the core of Contreras’ appeal.
Contreras’ virtuosic instrumental abilities and preternatural sense for finding, organizing and helming organic, relational collaborations with some of the finest musicians in modern indie and roots music–Grammy-nominated cellist Dave Eggar and electric guitar virtuoso Megan McCormick, to name a few— is a nice cherry on top.
For the last few years Contreras and his wife Molly have done the business of running Cruz Contreras music together. “She works really hard…it’s definitely a team effort,” he says of running the music, raising two kids and a new pup together, visiting his eldest, Cash, and trying to spend time together as family on the road when possible.
“It’s like a potato sack race,” Contreras says. “Whatever we are doing…it’s wonderful insanity.”
Contreras comes by it honestly as has been documented in-depth in our coverage over the years, coming up in a richly musical and social family. Over years in the local, regional and national roots scene, Contreras has formed a large network of longtime pals he came up with–like Jill Andrews, who has created a diverse niche in Nashville solo, with her band Hush Kids, and songwriting with other pros while having more time for kids–and Contreras treasures keeping up with all of his friends’ musical journeys and evolutions through the years.
“Absolutely…I think that’s really common with my peers, we love music,” Contreras says. “We’ve chosen it as a career and now we have families and we creating viable income streams.”
So what does that look like in 2023? How does a small, independent artist make the bread?
“Writing is at the core of that,” he begins, continuing “producing, performing live…I think everybody’s been learning from everybody…it’s finding the right fit for what your options are.”
Many aspects of the music industry can feel predatory to the new guy, to which Contreras humbly refers to himself as in his new iteration, but other aspects make an independent artist and label more nimble: creative control, direct business control, and control of how the artists presents themselves and adapt their schedule to allow for family and rest.
Having co-parented and raised one child while living often on the road, Contreras began embarking on that journey again with Molly and their kids over the last few years, and doesn’t regret a thing, saying he’s never felt that traveling music man and family man had to be mutually exclusive.
“What a novel, man,” he says, as if he could talk about parenting forever. “There’s been a big shift (over time)…it’s priorities and values and sitting in quiet spaces thinking about values. As an older man, what do I want to look forward to? How do I create a healthy lifestyle so I can be a partner and dad and husband?”
As for the numerous future Cosmico label releases planned from Contreras himself and other artists he plans to produce: “The creative well does not dry up…just be open and honest and don’t become a cover version of yourself,” Contreras advises musicians over time. “Keep exploring.”
Tickets to the Yee-Haw Album release show can be found here.
”Cosmico” can be downloaded here.
Great album.