by Patrick Austin • 630WPRO.COM
Brian McKenzie is likely a name familiar to Rhode Island music fans. Starting out in the popular hard rock band “Kilgore” in the 1990’s, they sold-out shows up and down New England for years.
Now on his own, McKenzie’s musical tastes have expanded with a unique sound that is quickly gaining him acclaim. His new album “Looking Over Yesterday” is a passion project, years in the making, and he is hoping his fans, new and old will help with his latest release as part of a crowd funding campaign on PledgeMusic.com.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Brian to talk about his upcoming project, influences and experiences that have helped his ever growing notoriety in Rhode Island and beyond.
Describe your background, where might people know you from
I started out in the Rhode Island music scene as the founding member of the hard rock band “Kilgore Smudge” in the mid 90s. We were signed to a division of Time Warner records and I toured the country for a few years with them before I left the band. We were staples at the old Living Room, Club Babyhead,The Strand and Lupos during a time when Providence had a thriving music scene.
Where has your music career taking you so far?
After I left Kilgore, I was done with playing the hard stuff and began to pursue my career as a singer songwriter. I released a few demos, moved to Nashville for a bit, and returned home to RI to write the album that really got me moving. “Resolution” was released in 2011 and it was on that album that I began to really develop my sound: a cross of early rock n’ roll, vintage country and modern singer songwriters. It gained some attention and was placed on the first run of Grammy Ballot in 5 categories. One song, “40 East” even appears in a Jonathan Silverman directed film called “The Opposite Sex”.
How does your new album differ from past work? Describe your music for those who haven’t heard it yet.
With “Resolution” I started finding my sound, but with “Looking Over Yesterday” I really feel like I have found myself. As an artist, it’s always good to keep feeling like you need to do better, and I am super proud of where I am right now and the material on this new album. The songs are a little more in the singer/songwriter and rock categories than country, but there are still elements of vintage country influence throughout. What I love about the record is that each song is very different from the other. Often you pick up a new album and it’s a flat line as far as songs and energy go. This record is the opposite, especially with the drum tracks from my former Kilgore Smudge drummer, Bill Sutherland. The sound is huge and the energy is there, even on the slower songs. I was also fortunate to have Grammy winning singer/songwriter Phil Madeira play slide and accordion on a couple tunes.
People always ask what kind of music I play and I’m not sure what to say. I can say that my influences range from Elvis to Merle Haggard and Charlie Rich, the crooners like Dino and Sinatra and modern singer songwriters and bands like Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn, and Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket. You’ll have to check it out and tell me, haha.
What are some of your favorite places that you’ve performed?
Well, in my old days with Kilgore, CBGB and all those legendary rock clubs in the country, but as a singer/songwriter, The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville is THE place to play and that remains my favorite and most intimidating show yet. As far as New England, I like Westerly and South County RI. The Knickerbocker, Perks and Corks, The Ocean Mist. They seem to be very receptive of the material there and the band and I always have a blast. Sneekers in Connecticut is a fun place with a great, attentive crowd, too. Toad in Cambridge is another favorite.
What do you think of the Rhode Island music scene?
Well…Personally I think that a scene is mainly created not only by the bands, but by the people who follow the bands and go out to see the shows and actually live it. There is still some good music here, but it’s a new day and age, with the constant looking at your phone and the millions of videos to sift through on youtube, that it takes people away from human things, like going out and seeing a band. Attention spans are so small now that people don’t really follow anything for too long anymore. It’s a shame. I was fortunate to start off in the 90s, when there were, often times, HUNDREDS of people at a show, and they knew about them because of college radio and flyers on telephone poles. How that actually worked is beyond me, but it did. Now bands say it’s a great show if there are 50 people there. Maybe I’m just showing my age, haha.
If I could change anything about the scene it would be to give a chance to those people who are up at 4 a.m. in order to work the next day, or the parents who have to go home to their kids, to hear live original music before 10:00pm on a weeknight. One great thing about Nashville is the how early shows are and how PACKED they are. I’d love to see bars and clubs here have a 7-10 shift of original bands and then a 10-1am shift for the younger crowd. I think people 25 and up would go out more and have a chance to help create a scene. Bars and club owners would benefit, people would get to go out and live more and more original artists and bands would get to be heard. I don’t know. That’s my dream. I hope someone reads this and makes it happen.
You can learn more about Brian McKenzie’s latest project, “Looking Over Yesterday” by clicking here.
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