Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper, clockwise from bottom right: Eric Earley, Michael Elson, Brian Adrian Koch, Nathan Vanderpool. Photo by Jason Quigley.
Does the mind of Eric Earley from Blitzen Trapper ever rest? I think not. After all, he liked to solve math problems in college while he was making breakfast. Earley is a voracious reader who just finished his self-proclaimed "Time of the Tomes," in which he read nothing but, well, tomes. (The longer, the better. Infinite Jest? Please. Kid's stuff).
Earley has a family and his other occupation involves working with the homeless population in Portland, so he's not as active as he used to be. But that's only because he doesn't have as much time, although now he's quite invested in meditation and dream journals. And songwriting, of course.
This is the second time I've interviewed Earley; the first was in 2018, when he told me that he'd written five unpublished novels "just for fun." Earley is also responsible for turning me on to the great short story writer Breece D'J Pancake.
Blitzen Trapper's latest album 100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions is out now on Yep Roc Records.