For the majority of his career Keller Williams’ only onstage companions were his instruments. Over the past couple of years, he’s expanded his musical range from the familiar solo concerts that feature looped elements that mimic a full band to collaborations with Larry and Jenny Keel, the Travelin’ McCourys and Rhythm Devils.
With his 17th album, Bass, Williams highlights his ongoing work as bassist and vocalist with Jay Starling (keyboards) and Mark D (drums), a.k.a. Kdubalicious. The album contains groove-laden reggae tracks with the trio adding funk, dub, psychedelia and pop flavors to Williams’ hyperactively creative world. The release focuses on Williams’ original compositions, such as “The Sun and Moon’s Vagenda,” “I Am Elvis” and “Thinking Out Loud,” along with covers of Beck’s “Hollywood Freaks” and Morphine’s “Buena.”
Onstage and in the studio, Williams makes a good argument that he’s the hardest working man in the jamband scene. Following a fall tour schedule that featured him in a variety of musical incarnations, he returned to the road shortly after the calendar changed to 2012. But today he’s relaxing at home. The interview took place shortly before Christmas with the conversation jumping from his annual benefit for the local SPCA to his participation at the New York Guitar Festival to “Bass” to playing solo versus group activities.
JPG: First off, Happy Holidays to you and yours.
KW: Thank you so much.
JPG: You’re welcome, and for anything and everything that you celebrate at the end of the year.
KW: Nice. I celebrate life. I celebrate winter.
JPG: I don’t know if your recent weather has been like mine, a seesaw of 20 degrees one day and then in the 40s another…
KW: It’s actually like 60 degrees right now. I’m on the back porch. Global warming’s being kind of awesome right now.
JPG: Since we’re talking during the holiday season, and I believe the last time we talked you had your first child, I’m wondering how busy it is around the Williams house during this time?
KW: Have two kids. Boy, three. Girl, seven.
JPG: Nice, busy loud household.
KW: Yeah. Lots going on. Very little downtime.
JPG: Speaking of the holidays, I think it’s really great that you’re, once again, doing a benefit for the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) of Fredericksburg.
KW: We’ve been doing that for many years now and I think there’s a wing named after me at the new SPCA. (laughs) It’s just becoming a constant that people know about the day after Christmas benefit, and I’m looking forward to it this year as well as I do every year. We’re at the Field House once again, which is really cool because the first thing you think of, or at least I thought of when I thought about the Field House, was horrible acoustics when it’s just the opposite. With the turf on the ground and the insulation on the ceiling it’s a really warm big room.
JPG: Did they actually name a wing after you or were you joking?
KW: No, they did. Yes.
JPG: Oh, wow!
KW: (laughs) I’ve been doing it 11 years now and send some money towards ‘em.
JPG: I thought you had to be some multi-millionaire who pays to get a name on a building.
KW: Nope. No. No. No. Doesn’t take that much.
JPG: Okay, on to the music! There have been so many thing you’ve been involved with over the past year or two — Kdubalicious, Keller and the Keels, kids shows, the Travelin’ McCourys, solo, Rhythm Devils and there’s probably something else that I’m missing. Are a man who can’t say, “No,” or wildly creative or has good timing to be involved with all these things or the just most ADD (attention deficit disorder) musician working today?
KW: I think it’s got a lot to do with ADD, not necessarily certified by a doctor. I’m not on any medication. But I think it’s the fact that I’m using the freedom that I have to be able to do all different kinds of music. As a solo act there’s just so much freedom. If I had my way I wouldn’t play by myself as much as I do. But, I have great people around me that kind of lean towards the solo act, and that’s what I’ve introduced myself into the world and that’s what a lot of people are used to.
But I just love playing all different kinds of music with all different kinds of people, not getting locked into any musical marriage where there has to be anything awkward. Just keeping it loose and playing less with more people makes it so…it’s exciting every time I come back to it. It’s not like something where it lasts so long you get over it and burnt out and the next thing you’re not talking to these people. It’s really cool to be able to go and do a weekend with these folks and then play a couple weekends solo, and then go do a weekend with these other…it just makes it so much fun for me.
And every aspect helps the other. The more I play solo the more I want to go play with other people and vice versa. It helps the creativity. The fact that I’m able to do it, I’m so grateful to be able to do what I do and for the people that allow me to be in their lives.
JPG: With the one that’s on the new album, “Bass,” is it pronounced ““Kay-dubalicious” like “K-Dub” and then…?
KW: Yeah, “Kay-dubalicious. K-Dub was kind of a nickname given to me a long time ago. Kinda short for KW, K-Dub. Add a little bit of “alicious” on the “K-Dub” to make “Kdubalicious”. And the project is a reggae, dub, funk type of thing too so it’s a fun joking name. There’s band names we come up with all the time, some of which never see the light of day, thankfully, ‘cause they’re so bad.
It’s a great little three-piece that I really love. I love playing with these guys — Jay Starling keys, Mark D on drums. Fantastic dudes to be around. And we think a lot alike and go to interesting places. As a three-piece it’s a lot of fun.
JPG: How did you hook up with these two?
KW: They live close by in the local proximity of Fredericksburg, Virginia. They’re both in my favorite local reggae band called the Transmitters. Jay Starling has been playing with me for years. We did a ‘Grunge grass’ project together, all grunge music done bluegrass (Starling was on dobro). We were in a band together called the Added Bonus, which was an acoustic thing with him on dobro and keys. So, Jay and I have played together a lot. Mark D’s just a fantastic reggae drummer who comes from a punk rock influence. Interesting vibe with his drumming. The three of us together, it’s a fun, airy, spacious project that I really love.
JPG: Usually when you think of reggae acts there’s the guitarist who plays that typical choppy rhythmic strumming. Why no guitarist in this outfit?
KW: Well, we weren’t going for a reggae idea. It just kind of happened that way. The idea of a three-piece with no guitar is something completely different from what I’ve ever done. And as I make records over and over again, I’m constantly looking for some way to change it up. It was a drastic change but at the same time my guitar style really revolves around the bassline. So I feel by listening to this record, even though I’m not playing guitar, you can still tell it’s me because my guitar style is very bassline oriented. So, it’s kinda easy for me to go there.
And the fact that it’s a reggae record and there’s no electric (he imitates the choppy reggae guitar strum) chick-chick-chick-chick, it wasn’t really the idea to do a reggae record plus it’s very rare that you hear reggae without that. And again, I’m trying to go for a whole different vibe. And Jay Starling on keys really does a good job laying down that reggae “chuck” over top of the bass. It’s just a different sounding record, which is what I’m going for.
JPG: Listening to this, where you exclusively play bass, and then thinking of your past material, it reminds me that it’s all extremely rhythmic oriented, even the vocal melodies.
KW: Thank you. It’s totally what I’m going for. I always love to create some kind of dance beat, even if it’s solo acoustic. I’m not intentionally doing it. That just how my style is, I guess. I’m happy to hear you notice that.
JPG: The other thing with Jay and Mark, are the tunes “Thinking Out Loud” and “High” an indication of where the three of you can go in a live situation?
KW: Right. We were in the studio, the three of us together. Even though we’re in different rooms, there’s glass between us so we can see. And a lot of the record, especially “Thinking Out Loud,” is very live. You can tell at the end ‘cause we weren’t really sure where we’re gonna stop. And, ah….what was the question?
JPG: Just that most of Bass sounds like studio tracks, no jamming on them. But those two tracks give an indication of what the three of you can do in a live setting if you choose to stretch out.
KW: Exactly. You’re exactly right. And the covers as well, “Hollywood Freaks” and the Morphine song called “Buena,” I wasn’t really planning on having covers on this record. Those are two songs that we play live. We were messing around in the studio and started playing ‘em and ended up keeping ‘em. We tried to do most of the record in three days, play each song a bunch of times and keep the best one. And that’s how it worked out.
JPG: I’m glad you did “Buena” because I’m a big Morphine fan.
KW: Thank you. Me too.
JPG: Was there any consideration to take it all the way and put together a two-string bass like Morphine’s Mark Sandman?
KW: No. No. Same with the Presidents of the United States of America. I’ve done a couple of their songs live as well and they use a two-string guitar, two-string bass, one-string bass, whatever… (laughs) but we’re just taking the arrangement, especially with “Buena.” That can be stretched out for 20 minutes with a couple of those chords done in a variety of ways. It’s fun to take songs like that and put your own twist on ‘em and turn them into crazy long epics.
JPG: The original version of Beck’s “Hollywood Freaks” sounded like a Parliament-Funkadelic track. Your interpretation of that song and “Buena” went in a polar opposite direction? They’re quite mellow in comparison rather than straight interpretations of songs that aren’t widely known.
KW: Well, I never go and try to do a cover exactly in the same way. It’s not like I sit down and listen to the record and then try to copy it. What happens is these songs get stuck in my head and without going back and listening to the original I just lay it down the way I’m interpreting it in my head. That’s definitely what’s happened. I didn’t have anything particularly in mind but what I get when I listen to it is sexy (slight laugh). It sounds like an open spacious sexy type of groove, not over-the-top in-your-face but relaxed groovy…a lot of places to go with the solos. Jay really loves those songs and talked me into keeping ‘em.
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)
