Musicians and parents of two children, Craig and Connie Minowa of the band, Cloud Cult are currently on tour with their band. We caught up with them recently to get their thoughts on parenting.
Your music appeals to all ages. Is this something you work toward when you compose and play, or is it just a happy accident?
Craig: I’m very conscious about making the albums’ lyrics family-friendly. Having a one-year-old and three-year-old of our own, we want people to feel comfortable playing our music anywhere and at anytime. I also write lyrics with my own kids in mind, thinking, “When I pass on, what message do I want to leave behind for my kids?”
The incorporation of art creation during your live performances is really lovely. Connie, can you speak to our readers about that?
Connie: Every show can feel like I don’t want it to end. I am so in the moment…feeling the energy; I wish it could keep going. I have also had those shows where my mind and heart are stuck and I struggle through the set. Often times I am with the kids up until show time, and then I have to make a relatively quick shift into show mode. I am still learning how to do that effectively. Many of my paintings have dealt with family/parenthood issues. [My children] are always with me (in my heart and mind) when I am creating.
Craig, I remember that you had a medical crisis. How did this affect your relationships?
Craig: Connie and I met when we were pretty young, so over the course of being together for nearly 20 years, we’ve had a lot of odd reminders of the preciousness of life. Our two-year-old son unexpectedly passed away a few years back, and that has made us acutely alert of how short and special our time here is. It also gave us a pretty deep connection to the Grand Mystery of Life, love, and the hereafter, and everyone’s calling to do something positive with their every day. Connie was good about reminding me of those important truths when I had unexpected heart problems. Despite all of the mysterious challenges life tends to throw our way, I am thankful our relationship is stronger for it.
Talk about touring with your children, please.
Craig: We try to have touring be a full family adventure, although it doesn’t work out for every show. If one of the kids is sick, Connie stays back, or if there are shows requiring flights, it can be too expensive for the whole family to go. But we really try to set up our tours to have reasonable driving schedules and be something the whole family can do. It’s a lot of hard work and very difficult to juggle parenting, managing a band, and performing, along with the rigors of travel, but we bring a friend who nannies for us when we’re both on stage, and the joy of sharing the memories of touring adventures together is very precious.
I’ve read that you were going to pack it all in and not make music anymore. Has that thought passed, especially now with the release of your very beautiful album, Love?
Craig: I think there was a misquote in the press a while back. I had told a journalist that due to having kids, we would only tour as long as it was healthy for the family. But there’s always more music to be made, despite whether it’s done live or not. For now, we are full steam ahead on both fronts.
For more on their touring schedule and music, go to cloudcult.com.
