Meet Caleb Christopher Edwards | Folk Musician & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caleb Christopher Edwards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caleb Christopher, how does your business help the community?
At the crux of my career, I am a faith-based, folk musician. These two things, faith and folk, are both community-centered experiences. More so than they are genres or even industries. The most ironic thing to me are the terms, “Folk music genre” or “Christian music industry”. It implies that there has been a certain amount of distance that has developed over time from when faith and folk were experiences curated for, in, and by one’s community rather than a label, a radio station, or an associational award. I believe that my work is to shorten that distance and to make these “genres’ experiences again. Not only that, but to develop communities around them. I have played three house concerts in the middle Tennessee area in the last year and while some artists would be afraid of the optics of playing a house concert instead of an actual venue, I did it for the community of it. Hosts bring their friends while I bring fans and the two meet and mingle and before you know it, we are all friends. I have seen people meet at these events and now they’re roommates or they’re working together or they are simply hanging out. It is what a community does. I believe my work as a faith-based, folk musician celebrates that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up playing bluegrass mandolin and it is what I moved to Nashville to do. I am a singer and a songwriter as well but that identity always felt separated from my work as a freelance mandolinist. I thought that shedding my bluegrass identity and proving that I could do other things might help and it did to an extent. I played in a world music band that focused on traditional Irish music and I recorded some music that was more in line with pop and acoustic R n B than bluegrass. It was not until I completely surrendered to the fact that it does not really matter what genre or even instrument I play but what I choose to play. I decided to resign from my position in a touring bluegrass band to focus solely on playing and recording my own music, writing stories, and building communities through these things. It has not been easy by any means but making that choice has been one of the best decisions I have ever made for my mental, spiritual, and creative health.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I already mentioned Homegrown Taproom & Kitchen in Donelson but right next door is my favorite Irish Pub in the city: McNamara’s. It has the best Irish beers and some of the most authentic Irish fare I have eaten outside of Ireland as well as great, live music!
I am a pipe smoker and another place I frequent often is Smoker’s Abbey in East Nashville. I love the atmosphere there and the guys who work there are the friendliest. You can walk through the place and hear a conversation about a football game in one corner or a theological debate in the other corner. I love that. The patrons and employees are diverse and everyone is there for the same thing: the love of community.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife is my hero. Anna is a powerhouse woman and the strongest person I have ever met. She has supported me in every sense of the word for as long as we have known each other. Anna shows me the love and grace of Jesus on a daily basis and I have grown into the man I am today because of that.
My friend and producer, Eric J. Valentine is another great example. He and I have worked together a dozens of projects now but my favorite time with Eric is grabbing a pint at our favorite Nashville watering hole (shoutout to Homegrown Taproom in Donelson!) and just talking about life, theology, philosophy, or dreams.

Website: https://www.calebchristopheredwards.com/

Instagram: @calebchristopheredwards

Other: https://substack.com/@calebchristopheredwards?r=2vrzi&utm_medium=ios

Image Credits
Sammi Accola, Shelby M’Lynn Mick, Garrett Keafer