Dylan Seid Interview

Interview with Dylan Seid

By Eric Cullen

Dylan Seid is one of those rare musical talents that seems to turn anything he touches into pure joy. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Dylan about fifteen years, dating back to the time when he recorded his album Clown Alley with Glen. In those days, as part of the Mermaid family of recording stars, he would join Glen and me and a handful of other acoustic musicians on little mini tours of the Sonoma County coffee houses. Dylan, more than any of us, had the gift of drawing audiences toward him. We would be playing to a half-filled house, but then as soon as Dylan hit the stage, the place would suddenly fill up, people rushing in to hear this wonderful voice emanating from the speakers. His songs truly captured the pulse of the times, the mid 90's when we were young and hopeful.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Dylan for Anywheresville, and catch up on the past, ask him a bit about his new band, Dylan’s Dharma, and find out what he’s up to these days....

EC: Tell me how you got started playing music. How old were you? Did you take lessons, or did you have a friend or relative who taught you to play?

DS:I started playing music when I was fifteen. No one knew but a few friends. I kept it a secret from the world. I got a lesson from my dad’s friend John Lapado, he taught me "Peggy Sue" and "Wild Thing."

 

EC: How did you come into songwriting? What is the first song you wrote?

DS: I wrote songs right when I started playing guitar. I always had trouble remembering other people’s songs so I would just play mine. The first set of songs I wrote was actually a group of them. They were about girls I never knew and about a guy that wanted to be a rockstar. 

EC: Tell me about your new band, Dylan's Dharma. How long have you been playing together? How did you meet? Are you playing out regularly? 
DS: I love the band that I'm in now. It consists of friends and family and our producer King Hopeton. We play on a regular basis and are building momentum for a small tour. The album that we are making right now is going to be an epic album. Me and the band our finally feeling comfortable in the studio and the songs are showing the strength we have been dreaming of. 

EC: Clown Alley, was one of my favorite albums Glen and I released on Mermaid Records in the '90's. It has such a perfect combination of interesting folk and that particular 90's anger. Bob Dylan meets Pearl Jam?!?!? Anyway, do you still perform any of those songs? How do you like the new CD version (thanks to Glen)? Can you teach me to play "Velvet Cat"?
DS: I still play some of my old songs at shows. Mystery is one that was on Clown Alley. I am still hoping to have my producer bring back some of my old songs and give them some new light. I still have to come up with three rock songs for the new album. I'm going to show him "Velvet Cat" see if it makes the cut. I miss that song, meow. Eric, come to Chico and we can meow that song together. I loved being with you guys on Mermaid Records. The fun was when we went on tour to all those coffee shops. I only regret one thing. The time Glen gave me backstage passes to Sublime that was playing across the street at the Phoenix Theater. You guys gave me tickets and a girl from France but I had to run home to my girlfriend. That ended up being the last Sublime show. [note: true story, but how were we to know Brad would die the next day? P.S., Dylan, I remember Glen offering you the tickets, but not the girl from France!]

EC: How's the music scene in Chico these days? It used to be pretty wide open, meaning lots of places to play, lots of parties, and always a ready audience of college students willing to listen to a wide range of music.

DS: The music scene in Chico is nice. It consists of a group of people that love dancing and loving one another. We just got a gig to play at the Butte environmental committee benefit. I love this town. We’re still trying to bring Babylon down in peaceful ways.

EC: What bands or artists are you listening to? Do you get out to see live music much?

DS: I love Mother Hips, Arcade Fire, and of course Bob Marley. Bob Marley always brings me up and makes me feel safe. I just saw Mother Hips do their 20th anniversary gig, it was so amazing to see that band perform for a packed house. It seems like yesterday I was running down the road following some music that ended up being Mother Hips, ran around the party saying these guys are going to be rock stars and almost got kicked out for being too manic

EC: How's married life? I see by your facebook page that you're a daddy now. How's that going for you?

DS: Married life is good. My wife and my twin boys Hendrix and Halen are the true love of my life. I can’t get enough of my boys. I just want to squeeze them all day. The only thing that occupies me other than family and music is gardening. I love to garden, get my hands in the dirt and watch things grow. I love to eat and smoke what mother earth gives us.

EC: Do you have any long term vision for your music? 
What do you see yourself doing musically five years from now?

DS: I am really happy having a producer help me like King Hopeton. He is helping our band get the songs out the way we dream of.. The new material is really making music fun. I am getting a voice that I’m proud of.. I have been linked up to some people in the music industry that liked our first album. I feel like the next album will be epic. I’m just going to keep making music with my friends. It’s what we are. I love my little life. Thanks Glenn and Eric for keeping the music alive keep. Blazin the fire and much love from your brother Dylan.

 

DS:I started playing music when I was fifteen. No one knew but a few friends. I kept it a secret from the world. I got a lesson from my dad’s friend John Lapado, he taught me "Peggy Sue" and "Wild Thing."

Tim Ellison and Eric Cullen Interview

Tim Ellison : Father Of The Nephews

:

Eric Shaggy Cullen: The Piano Man

          TWIN INFINITIVES

       

        

    Eric and Tim Talk Music

 

 

EC: Tim, first off, I just want to tell you that you are my first real songwriting influence. Although I only played with you in The Nephews for eight months, that short amount of time learning your songs gave me a lifetime of tools with which to write my own songs. Your chord progressions and melodic phrases taught me more about constructing a tight and interesting rock song than I ever learned in four years of music school. Tell me, how did you begin to write songs? What was the first song you wrote? How old were you? What instrument did you first learn to play? What are your early musical influences?

 

TE: I would say my early influences were very songwriting-oriented. I wanted to do it as early as middle school, which for me was late-'70s/early '80s. I had gotten interested in '60s rock as a child, but it was also that a lot of these guys - the ex-Beatles, Dylan, Pete Townshend - were still active. I think I saw that as viable creative work and something that was also viable as a profession, really. I guess I was fairly serious about it from an early age. (Really started writing genuinely when I was 16.)

Have had different inspirations as far as style goes through the years, but that facet of it remains for me and I'm still interested in people that have made a career of it. I still like McCartney, Dylan, John Cale, Jonathan Richman, etc. My favorite twenty-something songwriter is Joanna Newsom.

TE: You had a different take-off point from me in that you were a piano player. Who were your early influences?

 

EC: My dad listened to a lot of music when I was growing up. He was into jazz, folk and, later, classical. Bob Dylan made the biggest impact on me. Funny thing is, my dad only had one of his records, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, but it had the biggest and most longlasting effect on my musical growth, and so much of Dylan remains in me to this day. My dad never listened to rock, though, so I ended up discovering it on my own through the radio. The first stuff I bought on my own was Elton John and Electric Light Orchestra, when I was 10 years old, so like 1977-78. When I turned 13, I had a friend who turned me on and opened doors into the wide world of music. I became a record hound, and pretty much devoured anything that came along. I enjoyed progressive rock, like Yes, Pink Floyd, and Rush. Hard rock such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Pop music like the Police and the Cars. But through all the various styles, the main elements of rhythm, harmony and melody remain the same, so as long there was some appeal for me, I didn't much care what style it was cloaked in. I remember a guy at my high school remarking to me one time, "You like Yes and Motorhead??? How can that be?"

Even though I play piano, I'm really more influenced by guitar players. Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Eddie Van Halen. I love their fluidity, their phrasing, especially during solos. I love the way that the music seems to pour out of them effortlessly. In rock, there weren't (and still aren't) a whole lot of piano players or keyboardists I wanted to emulate. I mean, I like Rick Wright but his mostly atmospheric style was not something I wanted to do. Elton John is great but not rock enough. Rick Wakeman (of Yes) is too flourishy. So for my piano player heros, I generally look to jazz: Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner are my two biggest inspirations.

 

TE: OK, yes, jazz! That actually gives me a really cool angle for listening to your songs - one that I hadn't considered before.

And "record hound" is key for me, too. I can talk about the kind of songwriter I've always wanted to be in general, and role models, but lots of things make an impact. Like the middle part of "Every Green Knoll" wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been listening to Todd Rundgren around the time that I wrote that song (not that it sounds like him necessarily, but just the fact that I was listening to him was affecting how I was thinking about things).

That song came out of buying a guitar I'm currently using, actually, and I've got three other pieces I've done with it since, which are all up here:

http://soundcloud.com/timellison2

At this point, I am definitely thinking that I'd like to build on these pieces and ultimately do something like an "album."

I think "Lifeboat" is one of my favorites of your new songs. What can you tell me about that one? I'm interested in your method.

 

EC: Yeah, influences are a funny thing. I mentioned Black Sabbath and Rush, and other bands, but my music doesn't sound at all like them. But those are the bands that bombarded my brain when I was young so their impact on me is undeniable. I think that as record collectors, we listen to a lot of different music for pleasure, but as songwriters, we hone in on very particular artists, or else we take things here and there from random artists. Like you taking from Todd Rundgren. On one old song of mine, I very consciously lifted a riff from Eddie Money, but I don't listen to Eddie Money.

As far as my writing method, the overwhelming majority of my songs are a result of improvisation. I sit at the piano and let my fingers and ears wander. I always try to find new and interesting sounds. I trust to the well of the unconscious to draw out some new facet of expression. Eventually, patterns form, then the patterns become raw ideas for verse and chorus. Bridges usually take more work. Lastly, the overall arrangement takes shape. This process can take anywhere from one day to many months. Sometimes a song seems to fall out of the sky, fully formed. Or I'll have a riff or chord progression that I keep coming back to and hammering on. "Lifeboat" is of the latter category. I'd been playing the main verse riff for a couple years. Finally one day the rest came together.

I've always been primarily interested in the music, you know, the instrumental parts of songwriting. So the lyrics are always an afterthought. Only rarely do I have a lyric that I set to music. My process for writing the lyrics is very similar to that of writing the musical parts: I usually record a finished song, and then improvise some singing over it. Melodies suggest a phrase or line. Because music is communication, I want the lyrics to have some meaning of course, but usually the meaning doesn't reveal itself until after the fact. In the case of "Lifeboat", the line "in a lifeboat shiny and new" was probably one of the first things that emerged, and from there the song developed into being a song about faith. Also the idea that lifeboats (real lifeboats on a ship) are always new, until the unfortunate event of a sinking. But the last line, "Everyone knows it's the time of your life to be free," suggests that if we have been lucky enough to get on a lifeboat and avoid death, we have the opportunity to re-create life anyway we want. When I look back at the real events that were going on in my life, I wrote it a couple years after a break-up with a long-term girlfriend, and even though I was devastated at the time of the break-up, I was able to start over and turn my life truly into the life I have always wanted. If I had sat down to write lyrics about that breakup, it would have been a completely different song.

Tell me about your methods. Have they changed over the years? How have your lyrics changed?

 

TE: For a long time, lyric writing was mostly just inspiration for me. Now, I think it's more about process.

At a certain point, I didn't know what my aesthetic was anymore. I wasn't coming up with anything that seemed to define some direction. It's only recently that I realized that I can just rely on myself and my own experiences to determine direction. And if I devote myself to just writing and seeing where it goes, the old paramaters of what I like and what I don't like still end up shaping the result. I may not know where I'm going and I may not be basing things around little poetic hooks that just come to me, but maybe the hooks will emerge out of the process.

I didn't write for seven years. The Nephews ended in 1997 and I was still writing and playing for a couple of years after that, but nothing from 2000-2007. Did you say that you went through a period of not being very active also?

EC: Oh yeah, I was inactive for about 5 years there, from around 2001 to 2005. In '05 I wrote about a half dozens songs but I didn't start performing again until like 2009. My life energy had been directed elsewhere: family, career, other interests like photography. In 2009, I recorded the album Way Out West , which includes the song "Lifeboat", and that kind of kickstarted me back into the music world again. From there I joined a band for the first time since Freeloaders ended back in 1998. It was a smooth jazz band called, appropriately enough, Still Smooth. Not exactly my kind of music, but very challenging and it opened up a lot of new opportunities. We played wineries, parties, and my most high-profile gig up to that point, the Cotati Jazz Festival. I quit playing with them in August of 2010 so that I could devote my time to finding something more in line with my musical passions, but the experience of playing jazz again got my improv and group-playing skills back up to snuff. I'm currently playing in Joe Chaplin Band. Joe is a singer-songwriter about 10 years older than me, so his influences are more classic rock oriented. He likes Bowie, Neil Young, Dylan, of course. We do about 60% originals, the rest covers. Most of the covers are somewhat obscure. For example, we do Captain Beefheart's "My Head is My Only House." When I told the guys we used to do "Kandy Korn" in the Nephews we became instant buddies!

I'm still not writing much these days, but I have a lot of closet-clearing to do. My current project is an anthology of my 4-track work dating from 1989 to 2000. I have the analog to digital transfer done, all I have left to do is create the cover art. The CD contains 24 songs, what I feel are my strongest solo recordings. I feel the need to preserve all that stuff because it's just been sitting in a box all these years on cassette tape. I think once I get this project behind me, I'll be ready to start a new spurt of songwriting. I can feel it simmering. And then I need to get a band together where I can be one of the main songwriters. Joe Chaplin is very open to my material, in fact we started playing one of my originals recently and the guys really do a good job with it. But I need to create my own thing, you know?

So do you think you'll ever play in bands again? In our current environment of virtual music, how do you feel about the whole idea of producing records and making artifacts?

 

TE: At this point, playing in a band would require investing in some gear, for one thing. My guitar playing style requires some softness and I think with a live drummer I have a tendency to overplay. It would be an interesting challenge for me now.

Funny, I've been listening to the Beach Boys over the last couple of weeks and that certainly drives home the appeal of having a variety of voices on songs (which is, of course, one of the potentially great things about bands).

I definitely like the streaming model (like Spotify) for music consumption. Still like the concept of "albums," even if a set of songs is only unified through that little thumbnail bit of artwork. (Would be nice to see a service like Spotify allow for more artwork from a given album to be seen somehow.)

Recently bought a little midi keyboard, but I haven't used it yet. Wanted to use it for Garageband to play preset sounds in the program (processed, probably - been using a little early '80s Casio keyboard and processing the sounds in Garageband, but it's monophonic). What are you thinking you want to do with your music sonically at this point? I noticed some of the overdubbed keyboard parts using different sounds on your CD - something I don't remember you doing in the past.

EC: I know what you mean about playing with a drummer. As a piano player, not only do I adjust my sound to the drums, but more importantly to the bass. I have the ability to play in the low register so I have to be careful not to get in the bass player's way and muddy up the sound. Over the years I've found that the most challenging part about being in a full band is creating a good sound, where all the parts are separated and distinctive and yet there is a unity in sound. It's easy to do in the studio, but live it's very tricky. Even though I enjoy recording my solo albums, I find real satisfaction in the band environment, simply because everyone brings something to the table. The results usually end up being greater than what I could have come up with on my own. I hope that we may hear you in a band again someday!

I guess growing up in the album age of popular music, I tend to cling to that modality. I just naturally think in terms of "albums." Individual songs are great, of course. They are the currency of people's experience of music: songs are played on the radio, songs constitute a band's live show, people download songs, songs become hits. But albums provide a timeframe to create an overall artistic statement. Naturally, the album art is a big part of that. An album can be very unified thematically, pasted together sloppily, homemade, slick and fashionable, philosophical, gothic, and so on. There are infinite possibilities of expression available with an album. I read somewhere recently that our current state of music consumption is based on the 1950's model, when albums were rare and hit singles were the basic unit of music product.

As far as what I want to do sonically, I haven't changed much since my early days of writing. Basically I try to find the sounds that help the song come to life. Overdubbing sounds, like on my latest album, is actually not new for me. I've been doing it since my earliest recordings. It's just that on Way Out West I used some different sounds like fiddle and strings. Also, these days I've allowed country style and country instruments to assume a role in my sound. Overall, though, I've always tried to create a sound that is both accessible and inventive. I want people to like it, but I want it to be interesting and challenging to play. At heart I'm still a rocker and I still dig the interplay between two guitarists, or a guitarist and keyboardist. I still love the energy produced by a bassist and drummer.

Right now there are two trends in music which I'm not particularly crazy about: overt pop, which shows up in everything from rock to country and even modern jazz, and the soft sounds of much "alt rock" or "alt country" that seems to be what the hip folks are listening to today. I feel like the landscape needs a fresh shot of powerful music. I mean powerful both sonically and emotionally, challenging and engaging.

I really enjoyed reading your short-lived series, "Rock Mag", back in the mid '90's. You think and write deeply about music. Some of the articles I had to read several times before I really got the gist of what you were saying. (That's a compliment, by the way!) Are you still writing about music? Are there any writers working today who have that deep love and critical capacity for rock, in the vein of Joe Carducci or Lester Bangs? Is rock journalism even relevant today?

 

TE: Thanks! Yeah, actually, I've been doing a blog called This I Heard for about two years (http://thisiheard.blogspot.com). It's musicology-based but still criticism, too. Did some freelance writing in '04-'07, but haven't been doing any straight criticism for the last few years,

There are definitely a lot of good writers around. I like the online forum "I Love Music" a lot; a lot of music writers participate there. At its best, it can be really good real-time interactive music writing and a nice online community. It's been going for over ten years now.

 

EC: Cool, I'll check your blog. Tim, it's always a pleasure to share ideas with you. I wish you the best in your future prusuits.

TE: Yes, a pleasure for me as well. Thanks for doing this.

 

 

 

Papa Legbo Interview

The Five Amigos Rocking The House

 
Like Greg Abramson's infamous keg parties in Sabre Springs, Papa Legbo were a Poway, California institution. The band may have even played one or two of those keg parties back in the day. Papa Legbo could and would jam for hours in their rocking, bluesy demeanor. They always showed up to play. Well, flash forward to 2011 and it was time to sit down with band leader Derek Heap. He is a good friend and musical comrade.

Interview by Greno Murrell

How long was Papa Legbo together? 

About 10 years

What was the original line-up of the band? 

There were some early line-ups before taking the name Papa Legbo which consisted of Scott, myself, Chris and various drummers. When we were playing a party one night, our drummer (Ben) decided he would rather party than play and turned his sticks over to our long-time friend Mark Cleveland and from the first beat, we knew we had a new drummer. Mark came up with the name Papa Legbo, which is a variation on a voodoo figure who is the intermediary between the spirits and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits. From that point on it was myself, Scott Parker, Chris Vargas and Mark Cleveland at the root of things. We added and subtracted at times with players like Glen Murrell, Sean Dorchester (percussion), Junior Torres (Harmonica – and a regular member of the band from about ’93 to ’98), and others.

What musicians inspired you to begin playing music? 

Of course the great guitarists like Jerry Garcia, Clapton, Santana, etc., but mostly I was influenced by the great bands I listened to as a youth like: Grateful Dead, D.I., Husker Du, Ramones, Allman Brothers, The Police, (early) Social Distortion, Adolescents, Agent Orange, Oingo Boingo, Outrage (yes, they are a big influence on me), Phish, Miles Davis, The Clash, Harry Belafonte, and of course, Justin Bieber.

When did you write your first song and what was it called? 

I wrote my first song, Arizona, in the late 80’s. I was in a small town in Northern Arizona near the White Mountains, sitting in a park with a wicked thunder storm rolling in. The music just flowed and the words came as if I had been singing it all my life. It is still one of my favorite songs today. 

What was the first record you bought?  

Synchronicity, 1983 and I still have it today.
Describe your first experience in the studio. 

Actually, my first studio experience was not with Legbo. My brother dared me to make a rap album and I took the challenge. Legbo was never one for serious studio work (one release in 10 years), but in the early 90’s I released the album “Colored Man” under the name Hippie Bass. It is still one of the best projects I have ever done. It was totally out of my comfort zone, in a genre largely unfamiliar to me, so we just went with it and did it how we thought it should be done. The results were awesome. Had I been more serious about it and really ran with it, it probably would have had some commercial success, but it just wasn’t my thing, so it stayed a small release. I still listen to it today !

Where did the song "Sugar Coated Mango" come from?  

I wrote Mango on the advice of my brother that I should write a song with more “symbolism”. Later that night, we were watching Three Amigos (one of the best movies ever) and El Guapo was telling Hefe , in regards to their captive woman, that he would “open her pedals like a flower”. The context was so funny and perfect for the movie and for some reason I thought of referencing her as his Sugar Coated Mango (almost too sweet). Voila! There it was, my symbolism. From there it was simply “okay, who is my sugar Coated Mango and how do I feel about her”. I figured out who she was and wrote a song about our relationship – which is accurate to a tee. Again, the music just jumped right in place. One interesting thing about the music for this song is that when we played it live, the arrangement on the break was totally different. When we went in to the studio to record it, I said, hey let’s change this up so it’s different from our live version, and it was done.

What are you and other former members doing these days?  

Scott is retired and still living in Ramona, riding dirt bikes and having a great time. Chris is still in Ramona too, with his wife and three children, working somewhere in Carlsbad (I think). Chris and Scott still get together and play with area musicians from time to time. I moved to Tennessee (the Nashville area) in 2000 and still play and record as a hobby. I lost track of Junior, I am scared to even think where he may be now. Mark died several years ago as a result of a fall from a balcony in Northern California – he was a great friend and an awesome drummer. A creative force like none other, Rest In Peace Brother.

Can rock and roll change the world? 

It already has and will continue to do so far into the future.
What kind of things inspire you to write songs?  

Women.

What was it like to have a bass player like Scott "Groove" Parker?  

Scott is a master of all things bass. His classical training gave him more of a lead guitar style of playing rather than a background-time-keeping-low-noter. If you listen closely to his work, he often plays stretches of Mozart, Chopin or Bach pieces inside of a Legbo jam. It was awesome.

3-5 words that best describe your music.  

Be in by Curfew.    (I think there’s a song in that)    so punk rock-ed.

Tell us more about Papa Legbo's album Ruff-N-Tumble.  

It was a fun experiment in recording. We were a live band that just didn’t feel comfortable in the studio and I think the album captures that quite well. We had a great time putting it together (probably too much fun) and when it was done, we were happy with it. It was great having guest musicians sit in and contribute and collaborate. There is a good mix of the different genres we tried to incorporate and the different influences that helped to shape our sound. Those were good days, never to be forgotten.

Any current artists that you really like?  

Does the New Kids on the Block reunion count?    Absolutely not - Ed.

Are you currently working on any new material?  

I am always messing around with new things, but since I am not currently playing with a band, it stays in my studio for me and the mice.

Best venue you have ever played?   

So many venues, so little memory. It seems like there was a great place in the gaslamp, downtown SD, maybe on 4^th street that had a great sound to it, but I can’t remember the name of the place. Who could forget the classics like Winston’s or the Casbah? One of my all-time favorites was the little place we (Butt Flutes) played in Santa Rosa with you and Sublime – it wasn’t so much the venue, as the great time we all had together. Which makes me understand that while there have been some great venues over the years, some small, some huge, it’s not so much where we played, but how we played that made the venue great. I remember once playing somewhere in West LA at a great theater, but we were not on our game and had an awful night. But we always had a great time at the little downtown clubs that dot the map. It’s all about the people.

Best jam session ever

Great North Pacific Pot Bellies, Santa Rosa, CA – I still have the tape and listen to it from time to time.

Favorite thing to do besides playing music? 

Listen to music.

Favorite song of all-time and why? 

“Take Away Everything”  Yes, it’s one of mine, but it sums up the best relationship I never had. It’s a scathing blues jam that takes the band and listener on a journey to a different place every time. Get your passport ready and get on board.

Favorite sports teams?  

Padres, Charges. Oh yeah, RIP San Diego Clippers.

 

THANKS TO DEREK AND FAMILY

Katie Ketchum Interview

Step aside young divas, Katie's been bringing it for years!

Plain and simple, the world needs more people like Katie Ketchum. She lives and breathes music. She teaches it. She writes and performs. And most importantly, she understands and harnesses the true power of music. She gets it. For three years, I had the pleasure of joining Katie in the KATIE KETCHUM BAND. I learned a lot from playing with a brilliant musician such as Katie. In KKB, we expanded all of our musical horizons by learning and playing the rather complicated and intricate Brazilian bossa nova music.

Interview conducted by Greno.


How long have you been playing piano? 
Almost 50 years....yikes!
 
What musicians inspired you to begin playing music? 
My grandfather and my Sunday school teacher.  My grandfather had one of the bands in California called “depression bands”.  He played guitar and fiddle and he had a radio show in the valley.  At family reunions my dad and him would play music all the time.  Bluegrass or what I would call now Country Swing.  My Sunday school teacher played piano by notes and that fascinated me and compelled me to learn piano. To compose musicals was Leonard Bernstein who wrote West Side Story and had a t.v. Show.  Later Artur Rubenstein the concert pianist was my main inspiration for classical piano.

When did you write your first song and what was it called? 
14 years old.  “All Mankind”. It was a protest song against war during the 60’s.
 
What was the first record you bought?  
Joan Baez and Sound of Music with Mary Martin the original Broadway cast.
 
Describe your first experience in the studio.   
I fell in love with my singing voice for the first time, because I could really hear it through the head phones.  I loved the studio experience because no one was watching me except the sound man.  I’ve had to work hard to get used to people watching me when I perform.
 
Where did you get the idea to perform your one-person shows? 
My mother did a project in college in which she did a film of the writer Dickens being interviewed on the tonight show.  She brought history alive.  I did the music for the commercials.  I loved that idea of bringing history to life.
 
How many one-person  concept shows have you written?  
I’ve written five one person plays with music and two plays with more characters.  “Impressions of Mary Cassatt: American Painter”, The Mary Magdalene Story, Clara Schumann; 19th Century pianist, and I wrote two I haven’t performed about Jenny Lind the Swedish singer and Teresa Careno the South American pianist and singer.  I received the National Endowment for this play.  The Magdalene was performed at the Sacramento Theatre Company 28 times and the Clara Schumann I toured in Massachusetts and performed in San Francisco and the bay area.
 
Where did the song "Let's Dance" come from? 
Magdalene
 
What is Katie Ketchum doing these days? 
I am rewriting and rehearsing the Mary Cassatt show and am getting ready to perform it at Boston University and Cranberry Coast Concerts this summer. I also take gigs...playing for a children’s choir and singing Joan Baez songs at concerts in June.  Teaching piano and voice as well.
 
Can rock and roll change the world? 
Yes, and so can other genres.  If there were musicians playing on every street corners there wouldn’t be wars.  I find I can’t sing if I’m angry.
 
What kind of things inspire you to write songs?  
Usually it’s the personal feelings of a character in my play.  Another type of song I tend to write is satirical, expressing an injustice the character feels in a humorous way.  And now days I’ve been composing choral pieces for a church in San Francisco.  These pieces I call feminine gospel/chants.  Because they start out like a chant and then when sung upbeat they sound gospel.  But the words are usually based on the divine feminine which that church is exploring.
 
Is there a particular style you enjoy playing the most?  
There is not one style but a few: my original songs, classical and these gospel/chants.

3-5 words that best describe your music. Passionate, exhilarating, tender.

You write songs in so many different genres, is this a conscious thing? Since a lot of my songs are written in a show, the emotion dictates the style for me.  Like in Magdalene, as the prostitute, she sings a satirical song which turned out to be a Tango.  In the moment of conception I would say it is not a conscious decision, it just flows out that way as I place my hands on the keys and sing out the emotion.  When I was a student I played in fancy restaurants in Toronto.  As much as I disliked playing for people while they were eating I realize now I sight read a lot of different styles that they requested.  That has probably influenced the different genres.

Any current artists that you really like? 
I guess due to the economy I just see the same faces on the media-I find the music boring with no innovation. I liked the compilation Glen sent me a few years ago...not sure his sources of those artists. Part of my job as a piano and voice teacher is to go to performances of students.  I have one student who has composed 25 piano pieces in the last year and a half and recorded an album.  Her work is what I would call minimalism ala Phillip Glass or George Winston, although I like her work better than Phillip Glass or George Winston. Alea Andreson...her album is on I tunes.  I find her work very moving.  As far as vocally I have a student named Pearl Wright...she’s made an album but not for sale.  And then Friday I saw a student performer that blew me away as far as charisma on stage and vocal potential....Danny Waters....watch for him in about five years.  The regional artists are also more important to our culture than Americans realize.  And live music is very important to our bodies and souls.
 
Are you currently working on any new material? 
Re-working old material in the Mary Cassatt.  But it’s becoming new material!
 
Any new projects on the horizon? 
It’s hard for me to think past the project at hand. I’ll keep you posted!
 
Best venue you have ever played?  
Sacramento Theatre Company.
 
Favorite thing to do besides playing music?  
Walking in nature
 
Favorite song of all-time and why? 
This is going to sound very egotistical but one of my own songs: Hold Me.  It’s really fun to sing the vocal lines and when I sing it people get very emotional. They cry, which I think is healing. 
 
One thing that would make the world a better place? 
Music on every street corner all over the world.

 

Ik Ben Interview

Brother Rockers Ik Ben

Here is the interview with one of my favorite bands.....Ik Ben.
Ik Ben's "Instead" kicks off the Anywheresville compilation like a soaring comet.

Thanks to Scott and Brian for taking the time to do this exclusive interview.
If you have not heard Ik Ben's excellent new record Ocean Wayfare,  
buy it here http://ikben.bandcamp.com/

Questions conducted by the Anonymous Collective.

When did Ik Ben form?

Brian : 1978, in the wake of Holland's unfortunate (rigged) loss to Argentina (in World Cup football) Scott adds: In all seriousness, the second part of the ik ben puzzle was conceived in Moscow or Tehran sometime late '77 but it wasn't until 2002, when we recorded "Kathleen" in Los Angeles with The Mother Hips producer Gideon Zaretsky, that we gave the project wings.

Was the original line-up just the Hylbert brothers?

Brian: jah. Scott: we used a drummer named Matt Muckle in Pittsburgh for a few shows. Can't recall who played bass.  We were recording all the tracks ourselves so we didn't have a proper band lineup.

What were the first songs you wrote/recorded as Ik Ben? 
Brian: Kathleen, a crap recording of Pageant Queen, still unreleased Graceland (not Paul Simon(on)). Scott: I had some ideas left over from my Buckeye records; songs and pieces of songs that didn't quite fit the country-rock format of Buckeye.  Meanwhile Brian was in Portland cooking up some very interesting sounds on his four track recorder.  Pageant Queen, Mid-Wyoming...lyrically rich, intellectually honest products of a university English degree and a somewhat isolated and sheltered suburban upbringing (Nick Drake anyone?)  I think it inspired me to want to create music that had more intimacy and dynamics.  Buckeye was a really fun mid-tempo Byrdsy act with a New Riders type formula.  But now I was thinking more about sprawling album statements like Music from Big Pink and Exile.  With that I suggested he come out to Pittsburgh where we could woodshed the concept and record in the studio-converted basement of a large, stately home where I was house-sitting for two years with my wife and two young kids.  I fixed him up with a little rental cottage on the grounds of a major auto dealer family just down the street.  It was a fairy tale set-up actually.  We set up shop with an Aardvark 8 channel i/o going into an under-powered pc workstation using basic Cakewalk recording software; real rudimentary stuff, not protools or expensive outboard gear.  A software programmer pal had given me all kinds of fancy software that we never ended up using.  We got comfortable with Cakewalk and liked its simplicity.  Sort of reminiscent of using a four track cassette.  Pretty soon we were tripping over cables jumping from the record button to the drum stool.  I don't think either of us have a clear idea of who did what on the songs that became the Red ep.  

Who played on the Red Ep ?

Brian: the ik ben.  Scott: yep, we both played every instrument from guitars to drums and egg shaker.  Not by design as much as by necessity.  We didn't have anyone else around to contribute.  

What kind of recording equipment was used for the first EP?

Brian: Vintage Fender amps & Gibson guitars, Rode/Shure/AKG mics, Oaxacan tweed. Scott: 1963 Ludwig drum kit I bought from a local drum store.  It was kept off the sales floor, down in the storage cellar.  Our friend Matt who taught lessons there tipped me off to it.  Great score.  Still have it in all it's glory.

How did a song like "Cezanne" come about?

Brian: being sequestered in a downtown Portland efficiency w/ only a turntable & a Tascam 4-track tends to make one sing about Impressionist Tupperware.

Are your songs mostly written before you go into the studio?

Brian: mostly. Scott:  we tend to have the basic melody, lyric and structure figured out and then allow the studio atmosphere to take care of the rest.  This usually means someone will suggest some changes to the start or ending and occasionally add a bridge or something to shape the dramatic arc of the song. Kathleen is a rare example of structural and lyrical collaboration for ik ben.  I wrote the song initially but Brian re-worked it with additional lyrics and a revamped chorus.  But even this was all done by the time we started tracking.

Do you often write about real-life experiences?

Brian: yes, often - and occasionally faked-death experiences. Scott: yes, but lately I am trying to incorporate new ways to frame the narrative, experiment with points of view, lay bear the devices.  I am not convinced a stream of consciousness approach will characterize my next batch of album-worthy material.  Basically just trying to become more pretentious!

With the new record, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted
going into the studio?

Brian: in a vague sense, we clearly wanted it to sound like ik ben messing about in a multi-million dollar studio because nowhere better was available.

What was it like recording at a legendary studio like Ocean Way?

Brian: posh. Scott: Boring. At brief times exhilarating, usually during takes.  Russ Long brought us in as subjects for his recording class at Belmont University's Mike Curb School of Music Business.  We spent hours raiding the kitchen and playing cutthroat in the billiards room.  Did you see The Last Waltz?  The opening scene.  That was us 80% of the time at Ocean Way; lounging around, tuning guitars, nicking from the deli tray, behaving like smart alecs.  But it sounded great during tracking and playback.  Typically we would be quite rushed during actual recording just trying to get a good take before the session ended.  It's great having a team of engineers pampering to your every whim, but it also takes you further away from the recording process, thus you have less control.  Our next project will take us back towards the Red ep format I suspect.

"Pageant Queen" could have been written 100 years ago, do you agree?

Brian: seems like it was... i believe i was 18 at the time. Scott: I think so...timeless, old west, Brian with a six shooter, galloping away from the parade as the Music Man sings "Seventy-six trombones.."

Did you come at this record from a different place than you had on the first two?

Brian: different set of circumstances, but the ethos remains the same.  Scott: yes and not really.  The songwriting approach wasn't any different at all.  We selected songs we felt fit the vision for a full-length LP.  A few made the cutting room floor by virtue of not playing well with others.  This was the first Nashville record for ik ben as far as it was tracked, mixed, pressed here.  But musically or lyrically I don't think it strays too far from what came before.  I almost feel like this caps the red-orange-green trilogy.  What comes next I imagine will reflect more of a...departure, for lack of a better term.  And by that I mean it will truly reflect us coming from a different place.

What were some of your favorite records to listen to while writing/recording Ocean Wayfare?

Brian: Basement Tapes, Camper Van Beethoven (eponymous) , Land & Sea Chanteys (Tim Bluhm, of Motherhips), Mars Hotel (The Dead), ... Scott: you forgot The Clientele...(Brian harbors a softness for Scottish wuss-rock)

Favorite track from the new album and why.

Brian: Signal - crushed it in-studio, 1st take... goosebumps and whatnot. Scott: Instead, not because I sing it, but because of all the interplay...everything in it is very vital and visceral...the two Vs.  Of all the songs I feel like that one achieved its highest degree of potential.  

What songs do you enjoy playing the most live?

Brian: Instead & Sailing,  from this record. Scott: Cezanne...pure rock, baby!

What is the current live configuration?

Brian: five-piece instrument swap. 

What is next on the horizon for the band?

Brian: who knows... Johnny Carson? Scott: Finishing up our rehearsal studio, assemble a band for some late summer/early fall shows.  Start considering what and how to record next batch of songs...Blue?

Some sibling bands are notorious for on-stage fights, are
the Ik Ben brothers better behaved? 

Brian: we're so passive-aggressive, our on-stage brawls go largely unnoticed.

Other "brother" rock bands you dig?

Kinks, Stones (Glimmer Twins?), Beach Boys, Ramones (what?), Replacements, Smothers,...

Any bands from Tennesse you want to give a shout out to?

Brian: Big Star. Scott: Bobby Keys has a new band he's rolling out, playing all those great Stones, Joe Cocker and similar era tunes he played sax on.

Favorite sports teams?

Ajax F.C., The Boston Lobsters - World Team Tennis

3-15-11 : Anywheresville Artists Profile

Here is the spiel I sent out with the comp. for reviews....................

Anywheresville : A Profile Of The Artists

IK BEN - Nashville, TN. Originally from San Diego, California. Their eclectic blend of Neil Young folk,

Big Star pop, and Glimmer Twins rocking swagger is evident on the new album Ocean Wayfare.

The best kept secret in rock and roll.

KATIE KETCHUM - Santa Rosa, CA. Katie has been playing, writing, recording and teaching music

for over the past 25 years. "Let's Party" is pure Katie Ketchum. In the spirit of Jerry Lee Lewis, this song

illuminates her early rock and roll influences.

DYLAN'S DHARMA - Chico, CA. Dylan Seid has been a fixture in the indie rock scene of Chico for

many years now. Formerly a solo artist, Dylan has combined efforts with the best talent in town to

form Dylan's Dharma. The band utilizes a rock/pop backdrop but are also proficient in writing reggae

tunes like "Eyes of Love" as well.

TIM ELLISON - San Diego, CA. Tim fronted the legendary San Diego garage band The Nephews for

nearly two decades. Tim has gifted us with a pop song for the new season titled "Every Green Knoll".

RIC - Windsor, CA. He is known as the keyboard man in a rocking-style band(not just one). Ric has

been writing his keyboard-based rock/pop songs for over 20 years, with over 15 solo albums to date.

He has played with a number of bands including Resin, Freeloaders, The Nephews and Hot L Willy.

TONY ACQUARELLI - Pacifica, CA. Tony is the co-leader and guitarist of Barefoot Hockey Goalie,

the San Diego-based rock opera band. Tony penned "I Don't Want To Grow Up" especially for the

compilation. He plays all the instuments himself on the punky anthem.

ANTHONY DAVIS - Colorado Springs, CO. Born and raised in Colorado, Anthony Davis has been

writing, playing and performing his rock/pop/blues mix for many years. Recently, he found a niche

in the local experimental music scene; playing guitar in noise/punk groups Acetone,

Conflict Of Interest and Exacta Box. "Beautiful Love" indicates a more introspective side of the artist.

RED SHIRT FRESHMAN - San Francisco, CA. This was one of the many projects crafted by Kevin

Chanel(Sugartwin Reverb, Fern Trio,The Front, Lemon-Limes). "Hooks Are Required" is one

of the two instrumental works on the compilation and features a Pell Mell-esque explorational jam.

PAPA LEGBO - Cookeville, TN. Originally from Poway, California. They were a fixture in the

blues/jam community of North County in San Diego. "Sugar Coated Mango" was recorded by the

band years ago, yet still sounds alive. Looking forward to new works in the future.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Colorado Springs, CO. Formed in late 2010, this punk/noise/groove trio

is currently working on their debut recording for Anonymous Collective. Features former members of

Acetone, Davy Jones Locker and Emergency Pull-Out. "Pyramid Scheme" just happened one day.

BE KIND REWIND - Colorado Springs, CO. The youth spokesman for this compilation is Tim Deemie.

Tim has written a unique psychedelic-tinged tune in "Robotoman". He also plays bass in COI.

EL ARCHER - Los Angeles, CA. Joel Arquillos also plays under the name Jorrell and has released 5 solo

albums to date on various labels. After fronting the punk spaz group Patch, he got bummed out

at a cafe and started writing acoustic-based songs influenced by his Jersey roots, Nick Drake,

and booze. "Closer" does not disappoint in this realm.

GRENO - Colorado Springs, CO. This multi-instrumentalist is the catalyst behind the entire project.

He owns and operates his own studio where he produces acts like Lemon-Limes, Longshot Willy,

8 Songs : 30 Minutes, Anthony Davis, Junebug and others. "Mr Black And White" is a tribute

to 2 of his heros, Jack and Jack.

SKINNY MULLIGAN EXPERIENCE - Orlando, OK; Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA; .

This regionally challenged super-group recorded their first session in  November 2010.

It produced "Stairstep To Abandon", which is a cover of Poway's own Outrage.

The band continues to rock basement style and thrives on playing interesting cover songs.