Quick Q and A with Kerri Powers
 by Kathy S-B  ·  27 February 2010

Kerri Powers, a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, should be a household name. It’s next to impossible to hear her and not be moved by her music. Her CD, Faith in the Shadows, has been described as “alt-country bluesy Americana, rocking garage band, sung with a real deal voice.”

For more information about Kerri Powers, visit her website Here’s a video of Kerri in the studio.

Your style is such a musical amalgamation of genres and Americana seems to be the catch-all musical bucket where your songs reside. You’re bluesy with a country attitude and a rocking soul and stage presence. Do your fans come to you with a special interest in any one of those types of music or are they just around for the ride and are happy with the mix that they hear?

I don’t recall anyone actually leaning in one particular area or direction regarding a type or genre of music. I would say most fans enjoy the melding pot. Once in a while I get asked why my albums are so different from one another. I chalk it up to being honest with myself. I don’t see the point of making art without full artistic license and the need to continuously improve one’s craft. The magic comes from being free in and with the songs and music. So I guess you could say both me and my fans are around for the ride.

I’ve got to ask: what’s with the fascination with Tallulah Bankhead?

Tallulah is timeless, an iconoclastic beauty. One of her quotes goes something like, “when faced with a choice between two evils, I’ll always take the one I haven’t tried before.” She was a free spirit who didn’t seem to focus too much on what others thought of her. I love the idea of being full of piss and vigor and living life to the fullest - I admire people who live by their own accord. Her name alone creates intrigue.

Comparisons to Lucinda Williams run rampant when your name is mentioned. Are you a fan of hers? (I can definitely hear you singing “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road!”)

Well, thank you, Kathy. I would love to cover “Car Wheels.” I became an immediate fan after hearing Lucinda’s Smithsonian Folkways recording, Happy Woman Blues, when I was in my twenties. What grabbed me about her right away was how the raw quality of her voice made it so easy to believe what she was singing. That has never changed; it’s gotten better with time. I have always admired her writing a great deal. I am sincerely flattered with the comparisons and know I have a way to go and have to continue to work hard at my craft before even coming close. (Lol.)

How did you start playing the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” You’re too young to have been around for the pre-disco Bee Gees! It’s very refreshing to hear your rendition of this class 1960s song and to hear it given a new life.

Oh, I’m not that young, just turned 43 and digging it. I actually remember seeing the Bee Gees perform live on television. I was probably around 8 or 9. They were singing, “Massachusetts,” and I remember how amazing the harmonies were. It was mesmerizing. As far as “To Love Somebody,” that was actually inspired by Gram Parsons (many years later). I heard his rendition of it on The Gram Parsons Anthology and knew I wanted to cover it. I was doing dishes at the time when it came on and immediately stopped what I was doing to listen more intently. The combination of how Gram sang it and its simplicity floored me.

What was your European tour with Fred Eaglesmith like? Are the Fredheads as fanatical in Europe as they are here in the States? And did you get a warm reception from them?

The tour was somewhat mind blowing on many levels. The dates came and went so quickly that I’m still trying to get the last bit of my bearings. It was nothing short of remarkable. Fred is an amazing man/artist with an abundance of knowledge and energy. Kori, Luke, and Matt, his band members, were also incredible to work with. They immediately allowed me to feel at home. And yes, “Fred Heads” are as fanatical abroad. People adore him. Fred Eaglesmith brings people into his songs and music effortlessly and I believe he is driven by all the right reasons. He leaves ego and b.s. aside. I couldn’t have had a better first European tour experience. Fred is a trip, hysterically funny.

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