Quick Q and A with Rani Arbo
 by Kathy S-B  ·  6 March 2010

Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem have to be one of the most fun and energetic acts to have graced the stage of the me&thee coffeehouse. They’ve been called an “unusually gleeful string band.” The Boston Globe described the band as “neo old-timey with cosmopolitan splashes of contemporary pop and jazz.” All we know is that we love the music and the joy we feel whenever we hear that music.

To learn more about Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, go to their website. Here’s a peek at what they sound like in concert.

If you had to describe your music in three words or less, what would they be?

Eclectic, fun, deep

What’s the story behind the name “daisy mayhem?”

It was a chance discovery. In 1999, when the band coalesced, we went looking for a name that spelled fun, and one that made a nod to our sometimes chaotic mix of old and new musical styles. As we looked around, I got a call from my friend Sonja in Minneapolis, whose all-girl punk band — named daisy mayhem — had just broken up. I asked if we could use the name, and she said yes. Later on, we found out that Daisy Mayhem was a character from a Hanna Barbera cartoon. Even later on, we learned it was the name of a bright pink recumbent bicycle manufactured in Rockford, IL. And that’s all the daisy mayhem trivia that’s fit to print!

Do you prefer live appearances over the recording experience?

They are so different, and they call on different energies and skills. Live performance is simpler to love, because it’s so ephemeral. You give everything you have, without thinking about it, for an hour and a half, and you enter into an energizing exchange with the audience that has the potential to truly fill you both up.

Recording can be equally thrilling, but it isn’t ephemeral, and it can take weeks or years to complete. It asks us for more reflection and editing, and so it’s more intellectual and occasionally frustrating. That said, our goal in the studio is to capture our live performance — that spontaneous, ephemeral energy — as best we can. And after we do that, then the painstaking process of listening back, adjusting sounds and adding textures (which we sometimes, but not always, do) can be very rewarding.

To add another thought here — being listened to changes how one plays. It makes playing into a conversation, rather than a soliloquy. The treasure of a live performance is our relationship with the audience, and the way that compels us to give immediately of our energy and music. After 10 years and hundreds of shows together, we can take that live-performance memory into the studio and conjure it up; over the years, we have gotten better and better at doing so. Also, we’re lucky to be a band of four people who can play for each other, applaud each other, laugh, get silly, and be frustrated together. So, even when we’re in the studio, we still have a chemistry to work with. In turn, the reflective studio time often informs choices that we make on stage — arrangement choices, lyric adjustments, and so forth. In our experience, live and in-studio work really complement each other.

How do each of you go about presenting your songs to each other? Do they end up being altered after they’re introduced to the band?

Usually quite shyly, and often at sound check. No matter how long we’ve known each other or how well we get along, presenting new songs and ideas takes a moment of courage. We don’t use every song or idea; some work well for the band, and others less so. Given a little time, we can usually pronounce a unanimous decision on what works. Most songs do end up altered after they’ve been introduced — we almost always add harmony ideas, and the arrangements can fall together quickly or take a long time. Sometimes a song can take weeks, or years, before it finds its musical “home” with us.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing independent musicians these days?

I can’t speak for others, but my biggest challenge is balancing touring and having a family, because of the logistics and the finances that result from being an independent musician. I (and Scott who is also in the band) have a six-year old son, who has been on tour (on and off!) since he was 5 weeks old. Now, he often chooses to stay home with his grandmother or a babysitter; but as he grows, our balancing act won’t get any easier. Traveling together has been an amazing experience for us as a family. We’d like to continue it, and honestly we have to continue to stay in the business as we are now. As independent musicians, we have to hit the road to visit radio stations, play festivals and shows, peddle CDs, and let people know we’re out there. Maybe down the line we’ll have to make some different choices, but for now we’re still committed to making it work.

I do believe that one of our biggest challenges as musicians, independent or not, is to keep live music available and accessible to a generation that’s increasingly plugged in. I love that they are listening so much; that so much different music is so universally available. But the rewards of hearing live music go way beyond that, and I hope we can just stay out there and keep making it happen — both for ourselves and for the audiences who listen. We are all looking forward to a great night of making that happen at the Me & Thee!

Quick Q and A with Kelleigh McKenzie
 by Kathy S-B  ·  6 March 2010

Accolades keep coming forth for Kelleigh McKenzie’s debut CD, Chances. Typical of these rave reviews is one from Performing Songwriter which said that “McKenzie’s versatile chops (she’s a student of jazz and bluegrass) and her unique voice, sometimes channeling the Appalachian melancholy of Dolly Parton or the Texas twang of Nanci Griffith, should carry this adventurous project far.”

There’s lot of interesting information about Kelleigh on her website. Here’s a video of Kelleigh performing her award-winning song, “Gin” on the WoodSong Old Time Radio Hour.

Your debut album, Chances, has gotten quite the buzz. Some artists produce many records before they get the kind of attention and praise that you have garnered with your first effort. Has this been a pretty heady experience or do you take it all in stride?

Well the making of Chances was truly a labor of love. I didn’t have big aspirations; I just wanted to fully realize the songs in a studio setting. So it was a lovely surprise when the album started getting so much attention. For me, the songs I write are kind of like my babies and I wanted to record them and give them a chance to go out and be in the world. I must say it’s been very satisfying to know that they are loved by others. . . . I guess I feel kind of like a proud mama.

Has the fact that you won a couple of Independent Music Awards had an impact on your career?

I think it has, in that it’s helped me to get noticed amongst the many, many, MANY independent singer-songwriters making albums these days! But to set the record straight — I only won one Independent Music Award, which was for best Americana song (I did receive two additional nominations for best cover and best Americana album).

Which instrument did you first learn how to play?

As a small child I began plunking on a neighbor’s piano and when my parents noticed me playing songs from the radio by ear, they got an old upright for me and gave me lessons. My first stringed instrument came much later in college when I picked up the banjo.

How long have you used an amplified stompbox as part of your act?

I have always been a big foot stomper when playing and singing. About four years ago I finally decided to make it official and plug in. I found a great instrument called a PorchBoard which has a low frequency sensor in it and a sound bar to tap with your toes. I’m more of a stomper than a tapper so I built a platform around it to hold my weight. It feels SO GOOD to make such a deep, thumping sound with my feet!

Other than music, do you have any other interests that you feel passionate about?

Oh where do I start? It seems I’m always feeling passionate about something! Cooking is a love of mine, and just a few weeks ago I started volunteering to help save a single-screen movie theater in my small town in New York’s Hudson Valley. The theater has been there for more than 60 years and when news got out that the owners were going to sell it, a bunch of us in the community started raising money to purchase it and run it as a nonprofit. I'm also really into all things dog. . . . My boy is an Aussie named Roark and he’s my sweetie.

Do you have plans to record a follow-up CD at some point?

Yes indeed. I’m working on the songs right now and I just bought some home recording gear for pre-production. I plan to work out all the arrangements this spring and summer and head into the studio in November. I absolutely LOVE the recording process. It is endlessly fascinating to me.

Quick Q and A with Kori Heppner (Fred Eaglesmith's band)
 by Kathy S-B  ·  27 February 2010

Fred is currently touring all over the place and it wasn't easy getting a hold of him for our blogspot! In lieu of Fred, here is a Q and A with Kori Heppner's drummer.

To learn more about Kori, Fred, and the rest of the gang, simply go over to their website, which is full of information! Here is a video of Fred singing a haunting song about lost potential called "Alcohol and Pills."

We understand that you’ve been doing a lot of recording in the past few months. How would you describe your newest songs? Any surprises?

Fred Eaglesmith style bossanova - ish. Some of it is swampy, some of it sweet, all of it good!

Fred is often referred to as an alternative country singer. To the uninitiated, how would you define alternative country vs. just plain old country?

I often call it rural rock. It doesn’t sound like what is going on on commercial country radio these days, that's for sure! But it is what is going on with us, and our fans, and people in general these days. What things are like, what they used to be like, and what we are learning about ourselves. . .

Do you still play with both The Flathead Noodlers and The Flying Squirrels?

No, the band is always morphing... These days it is the band with the Fabulous Ginn Sisters opening the shows and singing back up. It is a different sound yet again. We call ourselves the Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Circus. We have Fred, the girls, the boys, a baby and a dog. Things are always changing, especially the sound and the show.

The diehard fans are called Fredheads. How long has this fan love affair been happening?

People like Fred, and people like Fred shows. They are always different, so if he comes to your area, or somewhere you want to go to, you can catch show after show after show, without seeing the same show twice. Fred is clever, and the shows are about what is going on then and there as well as the bigger picture. The shows are fun, they can make you laugh and if you let them they might make you cry too. . .

How did you get involved with World Vision and their work with sponsoring children in poverty stricken area around the world?

When we are in Canada, we set up the profiles of children who are looking for sponsors to help their communities prosper, providing the basics like food, clean water, clothing, shoes, education, and hope. We have been working with World Vision for about two years now and have signed up more than 150 kids! That’s 150 kids who have had their lives changed by Fred fans, that is a nice thing.

Previous Posts |

Search