Tag: Basquiat

BGS 5+5: Hawks & Doves

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Kasey Anderson, of Hawks & Doves
Hometown: Portland, OR
Latest album: From a White Hotel 

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

In the course of writing From a White Hotel, the writer whose work I spent the most time with was Eve Ewing. Her book, Electric Arches, came with me every day to the studio.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

In 2012, just before we went out on tour with Counting Crows, we spent about a week working as the backing band for Tim Rogers, who is one of my favorite songwriters. Pretending to be You Am I for a week was as much fun as I’ve ever had on stage.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

It’s all more or less connected to me. I mentioned Eve Ewing, whose poetry was a huge influence on me not necessarily because I wanted to borrow anything from her stylistically, but just in the sense that seeing someone do work of that quality is inspiring. I feel that way whether it’s looking at something Basquiat or Emory Douglas did or listening to Amanda Shires or Lydia Loveless or Mavis Staples. I walked out of Boots Riley’s film, Sorry to Bother You, with that same feeling. I get that feeling eating Sean Brock or Gabriel Rucker’s food. If you have to go out of your way to find inspiration, your eyes aren’t open very wide.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

It’s not a ritual per se but never underestimate the restorative power of a good lunch when making a record. That hour or so is absolutely sacred to me, I learned that early on from Eric Ambel.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Dinner with Boots Riley at Pizzaiolo in Oakland. The specific meal wouldn’t matter much as I’d probably be so nervous to be anywhere near Boots I doubt I’d be able to keep anything down.

 

Photo credit: Jennie Baker

BGS 5+5: Lera Lynn

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lera Lynn
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest album: Plays Well With Others

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I’ve actually been using music a lot lately to inspire visual art. When I discovered the work of Basquiat, I was so relieved by his use of words in his paintings. Somehow it had never occurred to me to mix the two. I started using my own lyrics as a gateway to visual works. It really opened the door for me. Now, I am painting more than ever and always use music to guide my hand and ideas… It’s difficult for me to answer the question the other way around. I think everything inspires my music in some way. We are all bombarded with so many images, films, songs, words… The latest challenge for me has been in turning the noise off and focusing on the stuff that’s real.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I will never forget performing Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” on stage outside during Athfest in Athens, Georgia. Being from Athens, NMH was sacred music and I knew it was risky to cover one of their songs. At the end of the song, on the downbeat of the very last chord, lightning struck a building 20 feet from the stage. We’re all lucky to be alive! Several people were struck by bricks falling from the building–luckily no one was badly injured. There’s a video of the whole incident floating around on the net somewhere. I swore after that to never play that song again! Whether or not the gods were for or against our cover, we’ll never top that!

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I had planned on being an astronaut up until I found out that my vision is far too poor for such risky endeavors. Music had always been a regular part of my life as a child. So, I remember sitting in front of the TV, bummed out by the fact that I’d likely never make it to space, when Star Search came on. And the thought I had was, “Well, OK, I guess I’ll just do that instead.” If only it were that easy!

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I struggle regularly to write. I kinda hate the process of writing, but love having written. Sometimes they come easy and all is right with the world. But usually, I have to squirm my way through it. One song in particular that I remember fighting with was “Fade Into the Black.” I knew I had a great verse, melody, and lyric and just couldn’t find the right chorus. I must have written 3 or 4 choruses that I trashed before settling on the one that made the record… And over the course of months! I’d have to take breaks from it, lest risk losing my mind.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I’m sure my band is tired of hearing it by now, but I always sing the jazz standard “Lover Man” backstage about 30 mins before going on. I love that song because it’s beautiful and particularly well-suited for a vocal warm-up song since it covers so much ground range-wise. I also always have Throat Coat Tea with a splash of whiskey. On the last tour, I found it really helpful for my spirit to hoot and holler at the top of my lungs just before going on stage. Wow. That looks nutty in text.

Watch Lera Lynn’s Sitch Session.

Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen