Spring Break
The Daily OrangeQ and A: Ben Kweller
By Nic Corbett
Posted: 3/6/06, 2:47 AM EST Section: Pulp
Daily Orange: How would you describe your sound?
Ben Kweller: Always changing … I say rock 'n' roll with more of a '60s and '70s influence. But I'm also heavily influenced by country and Western music of old like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. But really rock 'n' roll is sort of the heart and even punk rock, like the Sex Pistols and the Germs. I like all that stuff.
D.O.: How do you think your sound has progressed over the different albums you've produced?
B.K.: It's progressed a lot. There's a lot of characteristics that are still very me, I guess. My voice is a little quirky, so I think people can always tell it's me singing. You only record your record in two weeks and then you go on tour and wait a year and a half to record the next one, so everything changes. Right now I'm making my new album, but I already have all the songs written for the next album, which is going to be a country album.
D.O.: What album are you recording right now?
B.K.: The album I'm making right now is different from anything I've ever done … I'm sort of going for that more clear and clean sound. My last album was really raw and really just loose and spontaneous and this one's very precise, and I'm playing all the instruments on it, too, which is pretty heavy-duty.
D.O.: How do you like headlining with Rufus Wainwright?
B.K.: Well, I just met him a little while ago, but he seems really nice. I'm excited about it. I think it's a cool match-up.
D.O.: How do you like being on stage before a huge crowd?
B.K.: I love being on a stage. I love entertaining for people, but also I'm very affected by mood and by vibe and sometimes I can freak out on stage a little bit, not like freak out like Cat Power does, like yelling. But mentally I can go through … a self-conscious thing where I can go into a downward spiral and start freaking out mentally. Yeah, that happens, I mean, I don't know, if I get a weird vibe. Most of the time things are good. I love performing.
Ben Kweller: Always changing … I say rock 'n' roll with more of a '60s and '70s influence. But I'm also heavily influenced by country and Western music of old like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. But really rock 'n' roll is sort of the heart and even punk rock, like the Sex Pistols and the Germs. I like all that stuff.
D.O.: How do you think your sound has progressed over the different albums you've produced?
B.K.: It's progressed a lot. There's a lot of characteristics that are still very me, I guess. My voice is a little quirky, so I think people can always tell it's me singing. You only record your record in two weeks and then you go on tour and wait a year and a half to record the next one, so everything changes. Right now I'm making my new album, but I already have all the songs written for the next album, which is going to be a country album.
D.O.: What album are you recording right now?
B.K.: The album I'm making right now is different from anything I've ever done … I'm sort of going for that more clear and clean sound. My last album was really raw and really just loose and spontaneous and this one's very precise, and I'm playing all the instruments on it, too, which is pretty heavy-duty.
D.O.: How do you like headlining with Rufus Wainwright?
B.K.: Well, I just met him a little while ago, but he seems really nice. I'm excited about it. I think it's a cool match-up.
D.O.: How do you like being on stage before a huge crowd?
B.K.: I love being on a stage. I love entertaining for people, but also I'm very affected by mood and by vibe and sometimes I can freak out on stage a little bit, not like freak out like Cat Power does, like yelling. But mentally I can go through … a self-conscious thing where I can go into a downward spiral and start freaking out mentally. Yeah, that happens, I mean, I don't know, if I get a weird vibe. Most of the time things are good. I love performing.
