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FRANK TURNER: He's a sensitive soul. [Read more]

CANCER BATS: Chaos tastes like beard-bro sandwiches. [Read more]

ANGELS AND AIRWAVES: Tom DeLonge believes Modlife is the future of music. He might be right. [Read more]

ILAN RUBIN (THE NEW REGIME): The new Nine Inch Nails drummer is planning a coup of his own [Read more]

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Monday, May 05, 2008

Interview: Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground
[words] Aishah Hamza

Welcome To The Underground

Listening to Seattle’s Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground is like listening to an epic ensemble of ‘60s music gypsies trapped in the modern day 21st century. Imagine a vintage circus unfolding before your eardrums, playing that dreamy carousel melody you won’t be able to forget for days. That’s exactly how their music is - as visual as it is an aural experience. Quite simply put, this is no-nonsense anachronism at its best and if you can pick all that up just by listening then you know you’re on to something good.

First you released your music on cassette tape and now, on vinyl. Why are you making it SO goddamned hard for fans to purchase your music?

Kirk Huffman (vocals/guitar): Well actually, it's pretty easy to find our music. It’s readily available through on-line retailers and our merchandise page, but it just takes some patience and searching. Considering the small amount of seconds to minutes it takes now to purchase a record and the intangibility of it all, the fact that we unknowingly force you to dig for our album and keep you waiting and wanting not only creates a new and different experience, it also makes the record hopefully, more meaningful.

So it has nothing to do with a prejudice against digital audio?

In our humble opinion, the compact disc format is dated and disposable. Digital audio sounds like balls and we prefer hearing our music in a more dynamic setting. We believe listeners will definitely enjoy the listening experience on vinyl more.

Kirk (Huffman) and Kyle (O’Quin) you're both from Gatsbys American Dream. The music you're making now is incredibly different from the one of G. A. D's. How did that happen?

Everyone in Gatsby always had different and often conflicting musical tastes. I think that was a big contributing factor to why Gatsby sounded the way we did, but from a basic song-writing basis the two aren't far off at all. I'd be a liar if I said that the other guys’ playing and song-writing didn't find its way onto the Kay Kay record through osmosis. For example, similar to the Gatsby records the Kay Kay songs stray away from the standard verse-chorus-verse structuring.

What made you guys want to start a new band?

Obviously it all came about from a natural necessity for people to want to do something fresh and new. Kyle and I began writing a lot of these songs in hotel rooms and inside of Gatsby’s equipment trailer in parking lots across the country while being on tour. We instantly bonded over marijuana, The Kinks’ album Muswell Hillbillies and Harry Nilsson's The Point, which gave us ample inspiration to create something tributary to those favorite records that we had a genuine excitement for.

What of your indie status?

We do all of the record releasing ourselves without the assistance of a label or distributor behind us, copping the music to the people. So no one here is trying to 'make it' or make any money for that matter; no one here is purchasing shelving space on an end cap at best buy either

If a major record label came around and offered you mainstream success/popularity only if you take out the strings, orchestra horns from your sound, would you do it?

Nah dog, we do's what we's like's cause we like's what we do's!

You can have up to 17 people on stage at a time! Is there a self-appointed leader or does everyone just organizes themselves?

Everyone is insanely reliable and we are blessed to have each other! Phil is extremely significant to the group because of his past orchestrating experience and his family ties to amazing musicians. There are no leaders; most of us are related family, room-mates or decade old friends. Everyone is important to the songs and that is well understood so we tend to be able to organize ourselves accordingly.

If you guys weren't part of these two bands and just normal music listeners, which would you be a fan of - Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground or Gatsbys American Dream?

Honestly, if I wasn't in either of these bands I wouldn't know who they were since I don't listen to new music much at all. I haven't bought a new record in a year or two so I don't really know what's “in”. I like $3.95 beat-up copies of Paul McCartney's Ram.

Your music is pretty far-out, man. Please describe it using any analogy you like.

It’s like a trip through your parents’ record collection.

The last and perhaps most clichéd question... what's with the name 'Kay Kay And His Weathered Underground'?

It's the name of the fictional character in which the kay kay record details.

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Much thanks to Aishah for the contribution!

Labels: Exclusive, Interview, Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground