RR: Does it help that each member appears to be able to handle frontman status?
SK: You saw us play. I don’t feel like the frontman. Maybe that particular set. I don’t know. We played 45 minutes and we played mostly the whole album. I hope that we try to stay, or appear like an egalitarian group. People do that [focus on the frontman]. That’s a natural tendency, but we’re trying to work it out more. Walker is a powerhouse songwriter, and he has a really good stage presence, as well, and a lot of times he is on piano duty. This tour, he does piano, but Adam [Grace] has been playing the keyboard parts, and [Walker] has been playing accordion, and at that point, he’ll stand up, and he’ll be more present on stage. We have a lot of people sitting down so we’re trying to make the songwriting presence not focused on the guy waving his hands around the most, which is what I tend to do. Maybe it’s just me waving around and saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” (laughter) It’s kind of been my thing to make it a show.
RR: Your live shows are quite dynamic, and have that “this is the last show we are ever going to play” aspect to them.
SK: We really like to bring it that’s for sure. One thing that is a plain fact is that if you agree to drive in a van all day, day after day, leaving behind your wife and community in exchange for ever-changing backdrops of venues and truck stops you best better enjoy yourself during the mere hours you get to do what you came to do. That being said, there still are some shows better than others, that’s just how it goes. And it is an ongoing effort to stay fresh out here, between routing to gigs and radio shows and whatnot the schedule can be grueling. Luckily, for the most part, all of us get such a charge from the folks that come to see us that we don’t need much sleep. Switching lead vocals is crucial. First off it keeps things interesting. Secondly, it takes the pressure off just a little to focus on other aspects of the song. We are mostly always singing so we exert a lot of energy regardless.
RR: Where do you see the band going from here? I can’t think of any other band at the moment that has such a strong command of songwriting from four different sources, and delivers on stage. Do you think that the songcraft abilities push Truth & Salvage Co. into areas that other bands don’t quite have?
SK: I honestly see great things for us. I’ve always been an optimist, and I can speak for everyone in the band that we live like the Lost Boys of Never Never Land and really have no back up plan for anything else, so it’s got to work. We’ve got some really good songs, songs that are accessible to a lot of different types of folks. For people who like rock, we can rock their pants off. For those who like country, we have the twang and a bursting sense of pride for our nation. You can couple dance or hippie dance to our music—your choice. As far as other bands go, I believe they have every potential in the world; I feel no competition. The more people singing the better. Maybe we’ll reach some cosmic threshold the day that three billion people happen to be singing simultaneously, like suddenly there is world peace.
RR: The Avett Brothers share your passionate embrace of the moment on the stage. Any favorite moments while touring with them?
SK: I love love love the Avett Brothers. I have had the opportunity to track them from the most humble beginnings. We met them at a small college festival in Brevard, North Carolina like in 2002 or something. The kids must have been playing video games or something because the only folks there were in the band or ran the sound. We had a special exchange that day, loved what the other was doing. And then like wild fire they dominated North Carolina, then South Carolina and Virginia, by then they were huge! It makes me proud watching their progress, their success is my success.
This last tour with them was a mile burner. Between the drive, the set up and the show there was little idle time. We were able to catch up, shoot the breeze for a few minutes each day, show each other mutual admiration. The last night of the tour, we were singing our set closer “Pure Mountain Angel” and all of a sudden the crowd erupted and I was like, “Damn, they love this,” and looked over to see the Avetts practically tackling Walker and chiming in on our final raucous chorus. We were all smiles. After the show we had a beer and said our goodbyes. I would have driven twice the distance. Looking forward to playing with them and Gov’t Mule at Red Rocks in September. Special times!
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