Ryan Peoples
Oryx and Crake
Name and age of your kids:
Sebastian, age 7. Izzy, age 2.
How does having children and being a father change the way you approach your career?
It has changed everything. When I had Sebastian, I was a dishwasher-musician and thought I could remain so until one of my music projects allowed me to become solely a musician. Since I had him, I have had to have real jobs that require real thought and real effort. It’s tough not being able to put music as first priority, but I can’t complain. I’ve watched a lot of my dish-pit compatriots completely trade in music for procreation. So I feel quite lucky that I have been able to keep it going and still get to be a daddy.
What’s the best part about being both a musician and a dad?
I get to be the cool dad at all the school functions watching all the other dads writhe from jealousy of my musician’s life style. (That’s what I keep telling myself… it’s very possible the writhing comes from pity)
What’s the most difficult part about being both a musician and a dad?
Watching the other dad’s live easier lifestyles and have a much easier time at paying bills. The touring thing is also problematic. Sometimes think of taking them with me and living like gypsies, but even I get tired of the car… not sure I want to do that to a two-year old.
What do your kids think of your music?
They’re amazing! Just today Izzy was repeatedly asking to view our new videos (“again”, “again”, “again”) and Sebastian was singing the melody from a demo I wrote a couple of days ago. It’s funny what that does to me… even if I have doubts about what I’m writing, if my kids approve a song, it becomes much better in my mind.
What kind of music do your kids currently enjoy? Do you approve of their current tastes?
The youngest is a rocker. If we try to play anything without drums, you can forget about it. The newest Fleet Foxes has been on constant rotation for me since it came out, but Izzy doesn’t have the patience for it. She screams and tells me, “I want song!” or “I want dance,” which means to turn this old folk music off and raise the tempo a bit. One of her favorites is “Flower Gardens” by Chad Vangaalen, which happens to be a personal favorite of mine as well so that works. But anything by Train (or some such crap) is just as likely to make her happy as well. It’ll be interesting to see what she asks for when she can express more specific preferences than “I want song”.
Sebastian has two stations on Pandora. One plays classical music and the other plays pop music. He really likes Mozart on the classical side. The pop station plays High School Musical, The Beatles, Beastie Boys, Queen, Run DMC, whatever… I’m pretty sure he just gives a thumbs-up to everything that comes on there. He typically has great taste though. That same Fleet Foxes album mentioned above—he knows all the melodies and a lot of the lyrics.
Have you attempted to immerse your kids in music? How have they responded?
Yes, but we haven’t had to try too hard. They both love music. It may have just happened by default… when Sebastian was a toddler he slept in a loft bed with a kick drum no more than three feet above his head on the next floor. And, my wife, who also plays in Oryx and Crake, has ended up holding Izzy through an uncountable number of rehearsals and a couple of shows as well.
If yes, what instruments do they play? And what do their early musical attempts sound like?
Izzy’s only two, but she keeps good time and loves to bang on stuff… pretty sure she’s a drummer in the making. Lately, I think she might want to be a singer; she keeps coming up to the microphone in the studio and kissing it. Every once in awhile, she actually sings.
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