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Acoustic Son
can be found at
IAC and
AcousticSon.com
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Interview: Acoustic Son
by Sandman
Recently I had the pleasure of "caging" one of the more popular groups on IAC,
"Acoustic Son," specifically Ken Kingsbury and Carolyn Shaw, the voices and
songwriting force behind this talented band. Acoustic Son hails from San
Francisco and may be familar to our listeners on the west coast. For those of
you who have not heard them I urge you to give them a listen. Their eclectic
style of writing and impeccable harmonies backed by a highly competent group of
musicians blend together to give the listener three or four minutes of musical
bliss. Without further ado let's jump into the heads of these caged Songbirds
for a few minutes.
Sandman: Would you and Carolyn please tell me about your childhood days. Did you
guys come from musical families? Did you play instruments or sing in your
youth? If not, was there a defining moment that pulled you forever into the
world of music and performing?
CAROLYN: My brother and I used to pretend we were the Beatles or the Mamas and
the Papas and put on shows together with the neighbor kids. I think I was about
four or five. My older sister played the guitar for real, and was the
inspiration, I think, for me to take up the guitar when I got old enough to
wrap my fingers around the neck. My cousins and I used to love sitting around
singing harmonies, and my best friend and I used to sit out on the PE field
singing Joni Mitchell songs word for word.
KEN: I didn't grow up in a musical family per se, but my parents did get me
listening to the Beatles at a young age and the bug was planted! I think my
first guitar was a wooden tennis racket and I was George Harrison playing those
riffs!
Sandman: What do you draw upon to write music? That is, is it an incident, a
moment, an idea that stirs around for awhile?
CAROLYN: My lyrics always seem to come from some strong emotional response to
something. And for the most part, it comes, I write it down, and it's over.
Although I have a lot of bits of songs on pieces of paper that want to be
fleshed out. Some of them, I go back and think "how did I ever think this was
supposed to be a song?" And some of them are begging me to spend more time with
them.
KEN: For the most part my inspirations come as chords and rhythm ideas. I hear
lots of music and try different combinations until something sticks. Then I
wait for a lyric idea from Carolyn and the songs start evolving. I do write
some lyrics, but the music part is definitely the strongest piece for me.
Sandman: How many songs do you walk around with in your head at any given time?
Do you record "rough" ideas first?
CAROLYN: I generally don't feel comfortable letting anyone hear them until I
think they're done. Then I hand it over to Ken and he finds some chords to
play. So far that's the way it's worked most often.
KEN: I usually have a 1/2 dozen musical/melody ideas.
Sandman: Have you always lived on the West coast?
CAROLYN: Yes, except for three months in college when I lived outside of London
- does that count?
KEN: I was born and raised in San Francisco and still live here!
Sandman: How did you guys meet?
CAROLYN: In a singing workshop.
Sandman: How did you form the band? Was it slowly or did you start out as a duet
and grow over time? Also, did you start with cover tunes or always perform
originals? Do you do cover tunes now when you perform?
KEN: The band originally started (2000) as 3 guys with acoustic guitars (thus
the name) and within 6 months added drums, bass, keyboards and Carolyn's
wonderful vocals. We've always performed original music, but have also played
an array of covers from Stones to Mary Chapin Carpenter. For the most part our
live performances remain original with complementary covers. If the crowd is
begging for some dancing we might throw in some dance tunes but it's not our
preference.
Sandman: In relation to the above question, what groups over the years do you
think have most influenced Carolyn and yourself?
CAROLYN: The Beatles fer sure, but also Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Stevie
Wonder, Patsy Cline, the Finn Brothers.
KEN: CSNY, Leonard Cohen, Fleetwood Mac, Dave Matthews, Sting.
Sandman: Are you guys drawn to one particular genre or do you enjoy a wide cross
section of music?
CAROLYN: I'm definitely drawn to the singer/songwriter genre, and also some
standard rock and pop acts. I like good lyrics and/or gut-wrenching vocals.
KEN: I like strong guitar work like Dave Matthews and John Mayer. Our lead
guitarist is very rock n roll so the live performances have taken on a more
rock flavor.
Sandman: Your gift of harmonies is well recognized by many listeners on IAC.
CAROLYN: Thank you!
Sandman: Was this a natural gift for you two or did it take awhile to hone it to
the incredible level it is heard at today?
CAROLYN: Well, truthfully, I think it worked pretty well from the beginning. We
used to have another guy, Mark Jacobson, singing with us, and the three of us
just loved singing our parts together -three very distinct voices somehow
hooking up to sound pretty cool. And while I'm pretty happy with just the two
of us singing together, I think Ken is always searching for that elusive
perfect third.
Sandman: Ken what type of guitars do you play?
KEN: Martin, Taylor, Rickenbacker.
Sandman: How about your other guitarist?
KEN: 1963 and 1965 Fender Startocasters, 1958 Fender Telecaster, 1963 Gibson
Hummingbird.
Sandman: I think "Solitude" is one of the coolest tunes I've heard in years. Who
wrote this song? The words? Is that tune a bit from the heart and making a
statement to someone in real life?
CAROLYN: I wrote it. It absolutely is from the heart. As a mother, a person in
a relationship, and a busy member of the community, getting a little time to
myself has become critical. But I think the song came before I knew how really
important solitude was to me - and that I deserved it from time to time.
Sandman: What level would you guys ultimately like to perform at?
CAROLYN: Always just a little above where we currently are. I don't think we
would feel comfortable making a sudden huge leap to superstardom. Although
we're willing to consider it!
Sandman: Do you want to be at the top of a major label or is this something you
may abandon if another career opportunity in another line of work popped up? In
other words, is this group quite dedicated or is this more of a hobby?
CAROLYN: I certainly wouldn't call it a hobby, I would describe it more as a
calling. But I am grateful that Ken has the drive to keep trying to get us "out
there", because my life is rather complicated, so it's nice for me just to be
able to focus on the singing, performing and writing aspects of band life. No
other career opportunities would take me (Ken) out of the music world.
Give an example of one of the best gigs and the worst gigs you have played. What
made those gigs good or bad?
CAROLYN: Best: the Little Fox Theatre because it was a great big crowd of
people just really digging our music. And it was a great venue with a great
sound system. Worst: uh, the Santa Cruz County Fair?
Tell us about an embarrassing moment that you would rather forget that happened
onstage.
CAROLYN: I'm not sure if this counts as embarrassing, but it definitely was
awkward. In the middle of a public gig where we had the tip jar sitting out in
front of us, a guy in a wheelchair came by and stuck his hand in the jar, and
rolled off with a big wad of money.
Sandman: What is your proudest moment thus far in working with Acoustic Son?
CAROLYN: Any time someone tells us that they love one of our songs, especially
when it's someone we don't already know! Feedback from a stranger on the
Internet is too cool!
Sandman: What are your thoughts so far about IAC and their drive to put the best
Indies on the radio for all the world to hear? Is this a movement that is long
overdue for the talented but vastly unknown Indie stars?
CAROLYN: I think it is wonderful and the time is definitely right for some
alternative music sources.
Sandman: What are you guys' thoughts about the major labels and the cookie
cutter clone bands that make up 99% of radio play? Is there any hope for
changing this in the future?
CAROLYN: I think music radio's days are numbered. It's a whole new musical
world out there, thanks to the Internet.
Sandman: Are you presently working on any new material.
CAROLYN: Always
Sandman: If so, do you see this as moving in any new direction? Do you want to
always be evolving musically or rather do you seek perfection with one certain
style?
CAROLYN: I just want to keep getting better as songwriters and performers. But
seeking perfection is a dead-end journey. I seek growth and expression. I'd
like to see us bring some new influences into our music, but ultimately, we are
who we are.
Sandman: What is something musically you've always wanted to do but haven't had
a chance to do quite yet?
CAROLYN: Play somewhere out of the Bay Area. Have our music give us the
opportunity to do some traveling.
Sandman: Do you have any favorite IAC artists that you listen to or admire?
KEN: There are many I have enjoyed. Not to try for any brownie points but I
enjoy the artists on the Sandman's Songbirds!
Sandman: What do you see in Acoustic Son's future?
CAROLYN: Rehearsal, tomorrow night!
KEN: We definitely see another CD coming out and hopefully continue playing at
better venues and sharing our music with appreciative fans. We're open but
realistic and will always try and keep the muse as pure as we can.
Sandman: Does the group get along pretty well or is there some tension like in
so many of the major bands that we hear about?
CAROLYN: There's a lot of laughter - whatever tension there is is probably
highly repressed. I really like all these guys. I learned pretty early on in
this process that I didn't want to be spending too much time making music with
people I can't relate to.
Sandman: How about saying a few words about how you found IAC and your
experience with it so far. What would you like to see at IAC that isn't there
now?
KEN: I believe it was ArtistLaunch and we were invited to put a song on one of
your stations. I have so enjoyed your site I don't think I pay too much
attention to much else right now. You guys keep making it better and better!
Sandman: Where do you guys see the state of the world today as a whole? Are
there any great hopes you have for the future of things? Are there any great
worries you have about the future of things?
CAROLYN: Carolyn - Don't get me started.no, actually, I am a very hopeful
person. I have great faith in the Universe.
KEN: I tend to be a bit more freaked out about things especially the
environment. But I believe that each of us needs to be in service to something
besides ourselves and through that process the world can be a better place.
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