Hej Ken Stringfellow!

Vet ni vad Neil Young, Patti Smith och Michael Stipe har gemensamt? Nej, det visste inte vi heller innan vi insåg att de allihopa uppträtt och samarbetat med en man vid namn Ken Stringfellow. Under många år turnerade och jobbade Ken tillsammans med en rad olika artister, men nu står han på egna ben. I kväll (fredag) kan duse honomi foajén till Folkteatern.

2012-10-05 12:28 2012-10-05 12:28
Publicerad Senast uppdaterad

You're releasing your third solo record "Danzig in the Moonlight" in October, could you tell us a little bit about the new album?

– The new album is a really big step forward in terms of production, arrangement, writing with the 8 years since my last album, I've been growing and learning as a producer, writer so, that is reflected in the sound of this record. I have tried to make it adventurous, experimental, and beautiful for the listener.

You have worked with legends such as Neil Young, Patti Smith and Michael Stipe. Tell us about that! What collaboration are you the most proud of?

– Well, Neil Young, I mean that was my first day on the job with REM. We jammed with Neil for like 6 hours at a rehearsal space, and then performed with him at the Bridge School Shows that year 1998. I mean, playing with REM was already a big step and I wasn't even used to that by a long shot, and I here I am on stage with Neil, and he's playing guitar and leaning in to me, like, focusing on my bass playing and grooving with me huge, but I'm proud of a lot of things I've worked on, as records, etc.

"We jammed with Neil for like 6 hours"

You've played with so many different bands, but now you're on your own. What's the best thing about being a solo artist? And what's the worst?

– I still play in bands and things, but you're right in a way, I consider myself a very independent entity. I have too many projects to really think in a band mentality. There's an innocence to that but can also be so stifling, so formatted, so rigid. So, even more than a solo artist, I consider myself a musician with a lot of options, and a lot of collaborations. The thing is, playing the 'Ken Stringfellow' music, like from this record, I can do it with a band, solo. I can have any number of musicians playing with me anywhere, and still call it Ken Stringfellow. Total freedom. I don't see a down side.

Where do you get inspiration from when you write your lyrics?

– I just open my mind to whatever's out there. Let it happen. I am always inspired, really.I try to write about things other than my own 'problems' or complaints I try and write stories, with characters, and have them work out situations, etc that I don't have to! My subconscious always has things to say. He really is the true author of my music.

"I am always inspired, really!"

Why did you stop playing with The Posies?

– I haven't, we'll be playing a festival in Mexico in January. I'm just focused on my solo album and other projects right now. This week for example Dutch actress/singer Carice van Houten will release her album, I helped produce it, I played on it, helped write a couple of the tunes. It's a wonderful, adventurous album, actually with the same players and made in the same studio I did mine.

Anna Wester

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