The Race

“Walls”
from the album Ice Station
2007
iTunes

MP3 – “Walls” [right-click/save-as]

Craig Klein of the Race doesn’t mind being alone.

The band’s latest album on the Flameshovel Records label, Ice Station, takes inspiration from the solitary lands of Siberia.

“Writing music is something I do in an isolated space where it’s me by myself and I plug in instruments and record stuff,” said Klein, 33. “A lot of times, when you’re working with other people, you might be judging each other’s ideas before they’re even formed. I think there are a lot of positive things in working in that isolated way.”

Although Klein writes music by himself, the Chicago resident plays with other musicians live and on his records.

“I think that anyone who writes songs really wants a group that they’re always gonna be playing with, who are invested in it, but it doesn’t always work out that way,” he said. “People’s desire to participate [in a band] kinda waxes and wanes and I don’t really want to stop doing [music], whether it’s writing or playing. I’ve been in Chicago for so long that I know of a lot of musicians who are willing to jump in.”

Though his friends are willing to help out, Klein won’t let go of his solitary ways: “Since the record was made, I’ve been working on new stuff, stripping down the ideas I have so that it takes less people to do it in a way.”