Ep 21 Steve Sinclair Interview Pt. 2

Listen:

The second part of our epic interview with Warframe creative director, Gargun song/frontman, and friend of the podcast: Steve Sinclair. This episode features clips of his music so listen close!

Sarah Holstein April 26, 2018 / 2:39 am

Man, where to even begin– thanks for this interview, guys! Please do more– you have access to such a wealth of incredible creative talent and interesting people, after all!

So although I relate to the three regular voices in different ways/on different subjects, it surprised me to realize just how much I have in common with Steve (well, except for our major skillsets being entirely different’…). I identified with his creative process strongly when I’d watch his Sunday Streams, and it’s comforting to know that someone with a lot of the same struggles/interests/skills/flaws can still be an effective leader/visionary for a project like Warframe.

I’m also preeeeettttttyyyyyy gratified to know I correctly identified the major themes of Warframe being a focus on the human experience and questioning what that means through the vignettes of narrative and lore without trying to answer those questions or reach a conclusion– it’s definitely one of my favorite aspects of the game.

I generally try to avoid the topic of Warframe when commenting on the podcast if possible (just because there are other venues for that stuff), but I think it’s relevant to remark upon the experience of engaging with Warframe as a fan-artist/creator, because it’s absolutely driven by the same sentiment as Steve mentioned– wanting to see something that isn’t currently there. Sometimes it’s something clever like a fan concept/design, but admittedly for myself, my driving motivation is usually to create things that are uniquely relevant to (probably only) me and the stories I want to tell. I’m incredibly humbled and validated when Devs recognize or appreciate these works, but I’d be making them even if nobody ‘official’ noticed.

That said, it’s a weird spot to be in sometimes when I step back and realize so much of my creative energy is spent on someone else’s property (my career pursuits notwithstanding) when I have a wealth of my own stories, art, and other ‘dabbling’ projects I could pursue, but haven’t really felt invested in. It’s a particular creative struggle I’d love to hear your takes on (if that’s ever something any of you have experienced) sometime– what do you do when you have all the options, skills, and time to create something original (and, well, potentially profitable) but all you really want to do is follow your muse who happens to be preoccupied with a video game or TV show or something?

Then again, maybe it’s uniquely frustrating because I’m transitioning careers and still in that ‘I need to build my career/portfolio’ phase, so any pursuit that doesn’t directly net me either financial stability or bring me closer to my career goals seems like a poor use of my (limited) free time.

BUT ANYWAY.

Steve, if you read these comments, I’m happy you’re going back to something that meant so much to you from long ago. It honestly gives me hope about the loves I walked away from (music, singing and theater– and singing musical theater) to focus on art/marketing because there’s only so much time in the day. I thought your music and singing from decades ago was great, and I definitely dig it!

But– and this is super presumptuous to say as a stranger– I also hope you won’t get caught in the loop of comparing who you are now to who you were then in a paralyzing way, because that way lies madness and never-released albums 😉 But as you said, you’re a different person now, and trying to recreate a feeling from decades ago probably detracts from the authenticity of who you are now. You can re-learn and re-train the technical skills for singing, but you’ll sound different– in a good way, though, I believe.

Think of the passage of time and inevitable change as your ‘negative space’, and make better music for it. The album’s a lasting testament to your life and mark on the world, not a rehashing of your earlier years!

Anyway, I hope the guys will bring you back on later this year to see how things have progressed! It’s like soft accountability. I’m legitimately interested to follow your process and your results.

Thanks for all your time and effort, guys!

-Shad

LikeLiked by 1 person