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07/31/10 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
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Kings Go Forth are a 70s soul band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Signed to David Byrne's record label Luaka Bop, the ten-piece band are currently on tour to promote their debut record, The Outsiders Are Back. Band leader, Andy Noble was nice enough to answer some of Nicole's questions:
As many people get into careers and grow older, they put dreams behind them. It's impressive that so many of you banded together to commit to pursuing them. What is your motivation to "go forth?"
Wow, I feel like people must think we are retired with grandchildren the way that question sounds! I am 34 and have been involved in music: playing/writing/recording/DJing/running my record shop label/etc for my whole life. We aren't like factory workers or something. I don't know who's been spreading those rumors around! I still get carded every time I buy beer.. Blackwolf, the oldest member of the group, has also been singing and writing consistently throughout his life. Yes, many of the members of the group have other things they do for money, but at the level we are at, I think that's normal. Everywhere you go in Milwaukee, the bartender is the guy from Decibully or the waitress is the singer in some band. I don't think that's odd at all, is it?
As far as our motivation, I can only speak for myself, but I think it's quite simply to make good music. My life was just fine, in fact much simpler and enjoyable, before this group experienced success. The only reason for me to stay involved at this point is the chance to create some amazing music. It is virtually impossible to make any money w/ a 10-piece group, so the motivations become more pure I guess.
I've read that you all have other careers. How do you balance the two careers and how supportive have your employers been?
Well, first off, KGF isn't anything even remotely resembling a 'career' for any of us yet. At least financially. Most peoples' jobs have been pretty cool so far, although we haven't pushed it too much yet. We really should have been touring full-time since spring to support the LP, and instead we've been doing 2/3 shows here and there. Europe this fall will be the first significant trip and we'll see how that fairs.
What has been the most challenging part of making this all possible?
The fact that everyone in this huge group is so totally different culturally from each other. It is also one of the coolest parts of the group, but communication is sometimes really difficult. Also, the stress of making enough money to break even. It's so easy for us to go play a couple of shows, then come back to find we have lost $5,000 somehow. The expenses are just silly.
Much of your audience is younger and possible didn't get to grow up listening to much of the music that influences you. What message do you hope to pass onto them?
The sounds that we are tapping into have never really gone away. I was raised in the 80s, it's not like I was hearing tons of 60s soul at the school dance or anything. But it was still getting to me and my peers via rap music. Rob Base 'It Takes Two' was like the biggest song in 7th grade for all of us, and that is basically just 'Think' by Lyn Collins (a James Brown production). That rough and real soul sound has been a constant in American culture since it's inception, whether people realize it or not. We are simply one presence in a larger continuum that is soul music, or really American music.
Milwaukee is a great Midwestern city that often gets overshadowed by (the also great) Chicago. If you could say anything about where you are from and how it has shaped you, what would that be?
I feel like Milwaukee is all-American in most of the good ways, without all the Jesus-freak/guns+ammo trappings that accompany that in many other 'all-american' towns. Not that we don't have that, it's just not the prevailing culture here. We are really a good-times city , people love their music and their beer - that's for sure! Also, the lower cost of living fosters a fairly big arts/music scene - much larger, hipper, and prolific that out-of-towners expect.
On a more specific to KGF topic, I would say that the R&B music written and recorded here since the 50s would rival that, in quality if not quantity, of any of the other soul meccas. And that has been a huge influence on Blackwolf and I.
Any crazy road stories that you haven't told yet?
I wish! After we're done playing it's always about trying to get all 10 of the guys back in the van. I always hear about some cool after-spot or something but there's 10 of us and usually 1/2 cars so... Talk to us after we're back from Europe, if we don't have something good for you by then there's no hope for us!
As many people get into careers and grow older, they put dreams behind them. It's impressive that so many of you banded together to commit to pursuing them. What is your motivation to "go forth?"
Wow, I feel like people must think we are retired with grandchildren the way that question sounds! I am 34 and have been involved in music: playing/writing/recording/DJing/running my record shop label/etc for my whole life. We aren't like factory workers or something. I don't know who's been spreading those rumors around! I still get carded every time I buy beer.. Blackwolf, the oldest member of the group, has also been singing and writing consistently throughout his life. Yes, many of the members of the group have other things they do for money, but at the level we are at, I think that's normal. Everywhere you go in Milwaukee, the bartender is the guy from Decibully or the waitress is the singer in some band. I don't think that's odd at all, is it?
As far as our motivation, I can only speak for myself, but I think it's quite simply to make good music. My life was just fine, in fact much simpler and enjoyable, before this group experienced success. The only reason for me to stay involved at this point is the chance to create some amazing music. It is virtually impossible to make any money w/ a 10-piece group, so the motivations become more pure I guess.
I've read that you all have other careers. How do you balance the two careers and how supportive have your employers been?
Well, first off, KGF isn't anything even remotely resembling a 'career' for any of us yet. At least financially. Most peoples' jobs have been pretty cool so far, although we haven't pushed it too much yet. We really should have been touring full-time since spring to support the LP, and instead we've been doing 2/3 shows here and there. Europe this fall will be the first significant trip and we'll see how that fairs.
What has been the most challenging part of making this all possible?
The fact that everyone in this huge group is so totally different culturally from each other. It is also one of the coolest parts of the group, but communication is sometimes really difficult. Also, the stress of making enough money to break even. It's so easy for us to go play a couple of shows, then come back to find we have lost $5,000 somehow. The expenses are just silly.
Much of your audience is younger and possible didn't get to grow up listening to much of the music that influences you. What message do you hope to pass onto them?
The sounds that we are tapping into have never really gone away. I was raised in the 80s, it's not like I was hearing tons of 60s soul at the school dance or anything. But it was still getting to me and my peers via rap music. Rob Base 'It Takes Two' was like the biggest song in 7th grade for all of us, and that is basically just 'Think' by Lyn Collins (a James Brown production). That rough and real soul sound has been a constant in American culture since it's inception, whether people realize it or not. We are simply one presence in a larger continuum that is soul music, or really American music.
Milwaukee is a great Midwestern city that often gets overshadowed by (the also great) Chicago. If you could say anything about where you are from and how it has shaped you, what would that be?
I feel like Milwaukee is all-American in most of the good ways, without all the Jesus-freak/guns+ammo trappings that accompany that in many other 'all-american' towns. Not that we don't have that, it's just not the prevailing culture here. We are really a good-times city , people love their music and their beer - that's for sure! Also, the lower cost of living fosters a fairly big arts/music scene - much larger, hipper, and prolific that out-of-towners expect.
On a more specific to KGF topic, I would say that the R&B music written and recorded here since the 50s would rival that, in quality if not quantity, of any of the other soul meccas. And that has been a huge influence on Blackwolf and I.
Any crazy road stories that you haven't told yet?
I wish! After we're done playing it's always about trying to get all 10 of the guys back in the van. I always hear about some cool after-spot or something but there's 10 of us and usually 1/2 cars so... Talk to us after we're back from Europe, if we don't have something good for you by then there's no hope for us!
07/22/2010 21:12:06 ♥ nicole (
) ♥ kingsgoforth.com ♥ myspace.com
