Born in Wisconsin, I now live on the frozen tundra of northwestern Minnesota where I enjoy life with my faithful wife, Jane, my children Janna & Roy, and my precious granddaughter, Olivia. My musician son, Brian, is enrolled in the Civil Engineering program at the University of Wisconsin--Plateville. Oh, yes, I'm also proud keeper of Sophie & Lola, our Scottish Terriers.
Yes, I know I have an unusual last name. "Unbehaun" is German and means "roughcut." My ancestors were probably stone or wood cutters who made the basic cut, then sold the medium to craftsmen for the finish work. There are approximately 70 families in the U.S. with this name, most of them in Wisconsin. If you want to pronounce it like a German, which is fine with me, it's "oon'-buh-hown." But I usually say "un'-bee-hown." Either is fine with me.
I stay busy playing guitar, writing songs, reading, watching movies & my favorite TV shows, as well as managing a couple websites. I stay in touch with my best Wisconsin friends, Don, Bruce & "Fishin' Rod" and my Minnesota friends, Taco Dave, Ben, Bird & Lam, not to mention my brothers Bill & Joe. And my musical buddy, Matt Gustafson whose love of music is second to none! Oh, yes, then there's "Carl's Angels," Lana, Karen & Tracy!
Life is good, and there's lots to write about whether it's drinking a Spotted Cow and eating thin-crust sausage pizza, or painting musical pictures of all the dysfunction in the world; but performing is the ultimate high. To stand in front of my peers and deliver a sound and interesting performance--I live for that.
People climb mountains "because they're there;" I write music "because they're not there." Yeah, I've heard those theories that God gives you the idea, then you sweat through the process. Who knows?
Simply put, I write strange music. That means either the subject matter or the musical angles are a little out of plumb. Sure, I write straight-forward songs too, but even they have a twisted chord pattern, a convoluted bridge or something else that qualifies them as a "strange song." But, then, perhaps only another writer would notice!
Sometimes I write from experience; sometimes vicariously. Writers feel the joy & the pain of others and turn the emotions into scultures, paintings and, in my case, music. Songs are often an amalgamation of one's experience & the experiences of others. And often the gaps are fabricated. This doesn't make the final product disingenuous but more of a creative patchwork. Writing a song is like jumping on a wild horse--you never know where you'll end up! More than anything, a writer should never, ever apologize for what s/he writes.
I've written hundreds of songs. They're all special to me, but some are more special than others--probably because they catapult me back in time, or writing them was a catharsis, a way of getting past a boulder that's been blocking the road. It's very important to say that reflecting on the past doesn't mean you want to retrieve the past--it usually means you simply want to smell old roses, then move on. And, sometimes you write a song simply because you know that, if you don't write it, nobody will.
Anyway, there's nothing unwholesome here--just odd little ditties that pack entertainment punch. I only play non-smoking or outdoor venues but don't mind if there is alcohol served. In fact, the more you drink, the better I sound!
By the way, lyrics are not poetry. To quote music historian, William Zinsser, "Most lyrics sound banal when they are spoken, and they look inept on the page." So don't look for anything Shakespearean here-- just upfront and honest lyrics.
I'm not afraid to perform and don't believe in taking long breaks. In fact, on July 14, 2006, Bruce Bjork & I played six hours and 45 minutes WITHOUT A BREAK. I dare you youngsters to do that!
Oh, yeah . . . what happened to the major 7th chord into American popular music? I endeavor to bring it back!
Give me a shout!
