JPG: Speaking of time frames, I noticed that RAW is a little over 34 minutes and SYNC is 39 minutes. Your previous albums usually run in the 49-60 minute range. Were these two albums shorter due to creative reasons or because you released them on vinyl and they would fit on one LP rather than two
KW: That’s right. I usually like to go at least an hour but the way things are these days, the way my songwriting is becoming, it’s hard to stay the course when you know that a record is gonna get chopped up and individually sold as tracks. Maybe it’s the fast shot mentality of quick thinking, moving around, jumping around, once you get an hour into a record these days, for me personally, I start thinking about other music.
It’s kind of like going along with the times and not trying to use filler, not trying to put something on a record just to make it an hour, not trying to put something on a record just to have 10 songs or lengthen songs to try to them longer. It’s just this is what I’m doing right now.
And yeah, the vinyl thing definitely played a part in the SYNC record—four songs per side—and how I was perceiving side one and side two. That stopped at eight to make it even like that. That was a little a bit of my romantic side of trying to stay the course. Even that, I’m just happy that that music is out there. Even if it’s get played a track at a time on a cellphone speaker, hopefully, that’s put into a porcelain coffee cup to get the bass.
JPG: Soundwise, I know what you mean. I still hate the sound of mp3 files. On a complete side note to a fellow Deadhead, let me bring this up and see what you think. Most people didn’t like the “Dylan & the Dead.” I always wondered if it would have been a double album with “Joey” starting off side three if it would have worked a lot better than it did and got a better reaction.
KW: (pauses) You know, that album is a tricky one, man. The whole later Dylan world is really an acquired taste that’s hard to dig into and comment on as far as that goes.
JPG: I’ll let you contemplate that and someday when we talk again you can let me know what you think.
KW: Okay. That’ll be my assignment.
*JPG: Now SYNC, I saw the show in Cleveland and was impressed. Based on that, I was hoping that a live album from one gig or a compilation from a bunch of dates, similar to what you did with Keith Moseley, Gibb Droll and Jeff Sipe, would have resulted. Why did you go with a studio representation instead?
KW: I, 100 per cent, did that. We record every show. Every show is on like a flash drive on this TASCAM handheld. (pauses) Danton Boller, Rodney Holmes, Gibb Droll, these guys have done a lot of records. They played with a lot of people. Two of those three, by hanging out with them and listening to stuff; they would have never signed off on some of these versions that I compiled.
The way it should have been done was all the shows should have been multi-tracked. When you’re a sensitive artist and some of these guys are sensitive artists, it’s really important to maintain perfection. I just know…that was the idea in the get-go was to multi-track as much as we could and to do what I did with Moseley, Droll and Sipe, and that’s to put together a real live thing.
It’s a very open free mentality as far as the band goes. There’s definitely arrangements but everything gets played somewhat different every night. We’re all on in-ears. I can talk to them and them only. We can change on a dime. And sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. The versions that I chose, some of them I tried to find something that wasn’t on the record, like stuff that was on other records but playing them live with this band. I’m not saying that it’ll never see the light of day. I think it will but I’m just waiting for time to pass a little bit and let this record sink in.
What it comes down to it, they’ve done so many records. Rodney Holmes has a studio in his house. He gets tracks from all over the world. He is a renowned drummer. You can send him your ideas and he’ll send out a drum track over top. Danton Boller has this amazing little studio with several basses and all kinds of microphones. He’s savvy. Gibb Droll is a producer. He’s no stranger to the studio.
Instead of going through just painful personality type of arguments on trying to get people to settle for these takes that they just know they can do better, I’m like, “Why don’t I just do my tracks and send ‘em to you? You take your time, in your own space in your own time. You send it off to the bass player, Danton, and he’ll do the same thing.” I was like, “This is gonna be great! Everyone’s gonna do their own thing.” I figured we could knock this out in six weeks. But I forgot that I told them, “Take your time.” The project took about eight months. I got my tracks done in three days. I was super-excited. I was really happy with them. Then, it started from there. The drums were done in three-and-a-half months. (slight laugh) The bass was done in two months. Then, there were the schedules of actually getting Gibb into a studio because he was working with Brandi Carlile and Bruce Hornsby, two incredibly touring acts. He was bouncing back from bus-to-bus on different tours; getting him in, which I’m glad I did, he really took his time for a few days.
So, there we are. The record is finally finished. It’s right when we wanted to release, obviously. We wanted folks like you to process it. Take time with it.
Then, this Leo thing came around. So, both records kind of lined up and became a double release. That’s how that happened.
JPG: Well, it’s amazing that SYNC sounds like four guys in a room despite the recording process.
KW: I’m really grateful you said that. That is something that appeared to me as well; that it does sound like we’re in the same room at the same time. And all with the exception of “Watchoowantgurl” these were songs that we were playing onstage and got comfortable with. So, it flowed pretty easily for the guys in the studio, especially as I did all my stuff to a click, and Rodney Holmes is an incredible metronome. That’s where it started. And the bass easily dropped in. The upright bass is so difficult to …the electric bass, you plug in. These are all microphones on that thing. It’s just amazing.
JPG: I describe Rodney as a human 808.
KW: Yes. Yes.
JPG: That’s why I’m still holding out hope that some of the live material sees the light of day because as successful as the studio versions work in what you describe as “acoustic acid jazz,” the stage versions have the acoustic elements as well as very pronounced dance rhythms to them. Now, Mike Dillon contributed to “SYNC” as well as The Accidentals. I saw the trio open the first of three dates for you in Cleveland. How did that happen?
KW: That’s right. The KWahtro started as a trio with Rob Wasserman and Rodney and I. Then Rob split off to do his thing. Then, we lost him last summer. The idea was to do a 100-minute headlining set and to abandon the whole two-set show and to bring in wonderful people that we like.
I guess it started as a demo video that I got pitched by The Accidentals to do shows. I was really impressed with how interesting this act was and how versatile, and I thought it was a right fit. They turned out to be these super, positive, young and hungry, sober, awesome people.
JPG: As a final thing, from someone who is getting over a cold to someone who travels a lot and stays at hotels and deals with all kinds of different situations while touring, how do you stay healthy?
KW: Well, the first thing I did was I switched all smoke to vape. (laughs) That was step one. That immediately improves everything. I was a smoker for a loooong time. Then, it took a long time to be totally completely off all smoke. It did wonders for everything. Granted, there’s those few flower moments with old friends but it’s pretty much way different.
Vocally, step number two, I’ve always let the microphone do the work and not project the way that my sound engineer wants me to…ever. That helps the strain of the timbre of my voice as well as just keeping it.
Then, I try to build my defense system in my body by usually only eating processed meats and cheeses. (Laughs) That seems to build my immunity and for some reason I rarely get sick. I’m definitely not one to take advice from because it doesn’t work for everybody. I definitely keep an eye on my numbers. My blood pressure was a real problem for a long time and I just got that to a wonderful range that I’m very happy with. Along the way I got allergic to something and it puffed up my fingers and my hands and it sent me into a pretty heavy survival mental state these past 10 days. Today, I’m very positive because today’s the first day in a long time that I’m being able to make a fist. Usually by night time, I’ve gotten through five, six sets of music since this has happened. Today is a positive special day because I’m able to make a fist before noon, which is really great.
JPG: Oh, wow. I hope it’s not carpal tunnel…
KW: I’ve talked to a lot of people about it, a lot of specialists. I’ve had biopsies. We don’t have to get into it…it could be a carpal tunnel thing. It could very well be that. That’s totally normal for someone that uses the hands as much as I do, and I’ve made some mental breakthroughs the past couple days because you go through your adult life playing guitar every day and then all of a sudden you can’t, it’s gonna do things to your psyche. I’m think I’m gonna be alright. That’s why I’m wreaking positiveness into your earhole right now.
JPG: Well, thank you very much.
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