JPG: When you spoke about getting songs stuck in your head and interpreting them, it reminds me of something Lou Reed said in regards to songwriting, that there’s a “radio station” in his head and he’s always listening to it. Do you have one of those and you’re always writing stuff down or recording bits?
KW: No, I’m not organized at all. I do have a radio show, however, that I have 169 episodes of that helps with my obsession with music and other people’s music. It’s a good way for me to get things out as far as wanting to share my love for music with people. And there’s all kinds of things going on in my head. There’s a song about it, actually, called “Broken Convertible.” It was recorded in the studio with the Travelin’ McCourys. You should check that out because it totally answers your question about the things that are in my head.
JPG: Everything from grocery lists to…whatever.
KW: Yeah. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s all of that.
JPG: Since you mentioned Travelin’ McCourys, how did you get together with them and was it an extension of your work with Larry and Jenny Keel?
KW: I don’t think so. Larry and Jenny, we definitely approach bluegrass in a very different way. We’re following kind of a traditional formula but yet it’s definitely a more…I don’t know how to explain it…trippy, less traditional whereas the McCourys are very open-minded yet are very rooted and grounded in a traditional sense. The open-mindedness lends itself to go in different places.
It’s two totally different things. The three-piece with the Keels is an open, airy spacious type of thing that lends itself to stretched-out solos and stuff. The McCourys is banjo, fiddle, bass, incredible mandolin with these three-part harmonies, and it’s a very fresh thing. And the Keels and I have played for years and years where the McCourys and I have done probably four gigs, and we’ve got some other stuff coming up. So, it’s very fresh and new and super-exciting. So many different places to go. All we really need is time together to make it happen. And even without that time together to make it happen there’s so much that can be sent back and forth by mp3s. We can all woodshed. And then, before the show, bluegrass has a way by us knowing what we’re gonna play and listening to it and woodsheding it and bringing it in together, it can be dialed in very quickly with the understanding of the genre. And that’s the same with any incredible bluegrass band, as long you understand the formula and you get an idea, you can bring in five people you never met and they can sound like they’ve been playing together for 20 years. Bluegrass has that formula as long you have an understanding of it.
JPG: Now, I’ve seen you a number of times and I caught the McCourys at All Good Festival a couple years ago but I haven’t seen you with them and haven’t had a chance to download a live show yet, so give me an indication of what you’re playing? Originals? Traditional bluegrass tunes? Traditional bluegrass tunes and then stretching ‘em out in a jamgrassy way?
KW: Yes, yes and yes. There’s a huge library that the McCourys have. I studied on Youtube, just bringing up songs that they played. I asked them to name their favorite songs that they like to play and I went and studied those. That’s like the back of their hand type of stuff, and I could throw out one of those songs and be pretty comfortable. Then, there’s a handful of my songs.
We got together for about seven hours in Nashville and just played for hours. The last three hours we recorded three songs, one of those is “Broken Convertible” that I want you to check out so you can hear what goes on in my head. And there’s a handful of covers that we can pretty much put together on the spot, again, with that idea of the bluegrass formula. And pretty much any classic rock song that you know the words to but you never owned because it’s been on the radio, there’s just so many of those songs you can just throw out. And there you have it. It’s an endless amount of fun with this genre and with these players.
JPG: When you mention about the bluegrass formula it reminds me of this. I don’t know if you ever got the chance to see Soul Asylum prior to the band’s “Runaway Train” era. For an encore they’d play a medley that went from Prince to punk to Fleetwood Mac to whatever but it was based on the idea that all these songs were based on one chord.
KW: With that in mind I want you to do this, too. I want you to Youtube the “Four Chord Song” [You can check it out right here. It’s a comedy three-piece from Australia, one of those countries and they’re on an awards show and do 100 songs in three or four minutes, right down the line in the pop world. Totally with you on this Soul Asylum, how they put this together.
JPG: You released the Kids album in 2010 and played some kids shows. So, I’m wondering, a kids crowd versus a jambands crowd, is there really that much difference?
KW: (laughs) The answer is by a hundred per cent, yes. You would think that kids are kids no matter what but I thrive and feed off of adrenaline and the energy that’s given back to me and the audience. At a kids show that’s very absent, but I’m able to conjure it. I majored in theatre, so I draw from that experience and find the energy within that’s not being given back whereas the night time jam crowds it’s all about energy and vibe and giving back to me. And that’s what I feed off of. Plus, a [kids] matinee’s in the middle of the day…it’s a whole different monster. But I have enjoyed the dozen or so [kids shows] that I’ve done.
JPG: I see you’re doing the New York Guitar Festival). You’re scoring live the Buster Keaton short film, “One Week” (7:30 p.m., Jan. 17, Merkin Concert Hall, Goodman House, 129 West 67th Street). How are you approaching this?
KW: I’m not going to have the whole looping system but I am going to incorporate some guitar synthesizer and some phrase sampling. But it’s not gonna be my whole setup. It’s gonna be me up there playing music to this movie. I’m kind of frightened about it, actually. (laughs)
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