‘The Artist Next Door’
Arron Shiver is the premiere guest in David Garver’s new series
IT IS A RARE and wonderful thing when a multitalented actor and musician of David Garver’s caliber chooses to use his time and resources to turn the spotlight on others. “I’m a huge fan of so many people in Taos. People that I’ve wanted to sit down and pick their brain, ask them how they chose this color in their painting, why they chose this word in a song,” Garver said. “I want to sit down with them and share their talent with the community. ‘The Artist Next Door’ is the exploration and conversation with the talented artists of Taos, with me as your host.”
“The Artist Next Door” premieres next Thursday evening, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. at Aurafitness (1337 Gusdorf Road). The first artist to be hosted in the series is actor and singer-songwriter Arron Shiver.
Multitudes are familiar with Shiver the actor, from his Taos performances to an impressive roster of movies and television shows – “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Missing,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “The Book of Eli,” “Longmire” and more, plus his own award-winning 2017 project “Cortez,” cowritten with (and co-starring) his real-life partner Cheryl Nichols.
What fewer people are familiar with is Shiver the singer and songwriter. This is at least in part due to his reticence about showcasing this aspect of his creativity, though he has been honing it
‘THE ARTIST NEXT DOOR’
Thursday, Aug. 19
7 p.m.
An evening of exploration, conversation and original music with Arron Shiver. Hosted by David Garver. Aurafitness, 1337 Gusdorf Road $10. Limited seating.
Call 575-779-3453 to reserve a ticket.
for more than 10 years.
“When I play music out, I go by a different name,” said Shiver. “I’ll publish music under Earl Buck. The reasoning behind it for me is, especially in Taos, and Los Angeles as well, people associate my name with acting and I just wanted it separate, it feels different from what I do. The other reason why Earl Buck, my dad’s father is Jack Earl, the Louisiana side of my family. By going by a different name it gives me a little more license in my mind to tap into those Louisiana roots that I have. I was born in Baton Rouge. And Buck is my mother’s maiden name.
“We actually moved back to Taos in March. We’ve been here in Seco, we’re really enjoying it. My partner is working on a documentary series, and we’re finishing production on another film we shot. The music is something that has come to me slowly. I started writing songs about 10 years ago. David Garver and I go way back, so when I wondered if there’s anything to these songs, I sent them to him and he was like, ‘These are great, you need to keep doing that!’”
“Arron’s been sending me music now for close to a decade,” said Garver. “I think he sent me his first song. And honestly, Arron hasn’t sent me one song that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy, and feel impressed by, moved by. So I encouraged him to keep at it. I feel like he’s quite the singer-songwriter and I’m a huge fan. He’s become quite a talented musician. His music has just developed over the past decade into a place where I think he could have a career as a singer-songwriter. He’s like John Prine meets Jason Isbell meets Steve Goodman, really smart songs. He has a great sense of humor, and he has a very unique singing voice. I’m trying to encourage him to perform more. He’s been hiding in his room.”
“There’s a reluctance to me to get my toe in,” acknowledged Shiver. “But I have a lot of joy in communicating the song, and in the writing of the song, the craft. I write screenplays and poetry, there aren’t rules there, but sort of templates. With a song there’s a few more restrictions, you’ve got to get your point across in a few minutes, and it ought to rhyme. I find songwriting challenging, there’s something very satisfactory about it for me. Songwriting just feels like you can sit down and write a song in a couple of hours. There’s something deeply satisfactory about it. I’m not writing songs to be something else or do something else, I’m just writing because it’s creatively fulfilling. That’s why I do it. Certain songs come out as country, and then others the melody comes first and I’ll put words to it, those are a little folkier. I’m not sure where it’s taking me but I’m enjoying the ride.
“We were actually doing a music series in Los Angeles for a year called Virgin Ears, in the back of a wine bar, playing two songs that had never been played in public before. My girlfriend talked me into getting out there with music. Then I did a show here at Salto, and I did a little house concert where I got to play in front of a couple of musicians I really respect. I’m hoping to do more, so hire me!” he laughed.
“For this show, the first of the Artist Next Door series, I think David will interview me, he’ll have me play five or six original tunes and one cover, we’ll talk about life and the creative process. We play baseball together every Sunday, and we’ve been talking throughout quarantine about doing a show. I’m super excited to do it. I might try and talk him into singing a couple of songs, if he happens to have a guitar there tuned up — I love musicals where people just break into song, if you have a guitar on the wall, or they happen to be in a cabaret. Really we just have to connect this idea that music is around us. We just have to connect with something in the world to suspend disbelief.”
“I’m not playing,” said Garver. “People have seen me perform a thousand times. I’m going to introduce Arron to the audience, then he will play songs and we will have a chat between each one. He’s a great writer, he’s written some excellent scripts, and he still has connection to his Southern roots in Louisiana. He’s a brilliant actor, and I think his music and songwriting are equal to that. I’m just going to hang out with him, make him play songs and ask him some questions. There’s an immense pool of talent here that really doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. The yoga room turns into a very intimate space, the setting is casual but very elegant, acoustically it’s great. I’m looking forward to the series continuing with musicians, painters and writers. I’m doing this as a passionate fan.”