MARCH/APRIL 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A Gregg Delman

KAKI KING This “musician’s musician” intends to go where the music takes her

KAKI KING MAY BE THE WORLD’S MOST unveiling a percussive technique rooted in progressive-pop compositions. She spoke reluctant guitar hero. While she has been her background as a drummer. While she with us from her New York home about her compared in the press to such fi ngerstyle became known for her fretboard-tapping music, her guitar style and her aversion giants as , Alex De Grassi skills, she’s since focused her efforts in to practice. and Leo Kottke, King modestly brushes songwriting. Her 2008 album Dreaming of aside her reputation as a six-string virtuoso. Revenge saw her moving in a pop direction, When did you fi rst start playing? “Critics have been more interested in how crafting, in her words, “simple, slow melodies I learned to play guitar at age 5, but my I play,” she says, “whereas my fans are on top of the crazy guitar playing I do.” interest in it waned. I focused on drums for more interested in the music I make and King’s latest, Junior, is in many ways a long time. But things stay with you. If you the songs I write. But I do understand that cut from the same cloth as its predecessor. learn to swim or ride a bicycle at a young age, I’m a musician’s musician, and that’s not Both subtle and aggressive, the disc veers you don’t forget that. The guitar was kind of going to change. Once you wear that hat, it from celestial soundscapes to stormy, like that for me. In my early teens I started doesn’t go away.” riff-based maelstroms. Produced by Malcolm playing more guitar—as well as tons of bass Essentially self-taught, the 30-year-old Burn, Junior also fi nds King singing in an and drums. But I had no expectations or native burst onto the scene in 2003, airy, ethereal voice perfectly suited to her delusions of grandeur. I just loved playing.

‘My guitar playing is always a means to an end.’

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Was there a moment when your playing Some songs on Junior have lyrics, more closely with the band in the studio. I went from conventional to something and some are instrumentals. Which wrote all the material but the band certainly more avant-garde? comes easier? helped arrange things. I don’t think of what I do as avant-garde. The latter. There’s something about the use To the extent that my playing is unique, it’s of words that can diminish a song. [The Do you want to make your mark primarily because I tune the guitar in odd ways—and non-instrumental] “Sunnyside,” for instance, as a or as a songwriter? because I had the good fortune to be a from the new album, is almost too personal. I don’t know that “songwriter” or “composer” drummer fi rst. It’s marked my music in an You write songs for yourself but when you’re is the proper term. But there are a lot of interesting and odd way. I’m sure these putting something into the public arena truly great guitar players out there. And I’m things come directly from my background you have to make decisions. In the case of not really one of those people. I play guitar as a drummer. When I’m doing something “Sunnyside,” I was worried that people might in a way that caters to what I want to do, that involves an alternative technique for the think, “Oh, Kaki is having a pity party,” instead and it’s always a means to an end. But I’m guitar, the organization of my fi ngers and my of thinking, “God, I can certainly relate to not the person to hire if you want crazy, hands feels very natural to me.

Do you practice? No. When I’m about to go on tour, or I’m doing a gig, I’ll have rehearsals and prepare. But I have a bit of paranoia involving the possibility of injury. I’ve known many guitar players who have practiced incessantly, hunched their backs for ages and hurt themselves. There have been times when I’ve given a hug to a guitarist friend at the end of an evening, and I’ve detected that they’re wearing a back brace. I never want to encounter that problem. My dedication to music takes a different form. I don’t constantly go over the music I’m making, which comes down to my not wanting to get hurt. That may seem ridiculous to some people, and maybe it makes perfect sense to others.

What guitars do you prefer? For acoustic guitars, it’s Ovations. I actually have my own signature model. For electrics I play mainly Hamer semi-hollow bodies—the Newport model. King performs at the 2009 Hamer has been kind enough to send me

Gary Miller/Getty Images Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. three or four guitars over the years, and they’re all different, very versatile and are great to record with. I also have a [Gibson] ‘I’m all about my weird tunings, ES-345, from 1965. The only difference between that guitar and the Hamers is that and my unique sort of approach.’ the 345 has different electronics. this.” It’s a tough call. Hopefully people will up-and-down-the-fretboard guitar solos. I’m all What effects do you use? think “Sunnyside” is a beautiful song. about my weird tunings, and my unique sort When I’m playing electric I use a lot of delay, of approach. and I create swells with the volume pedal. I’ll Do you view the new album as an have some reverb and the delay pedal on, extension of Dreaming of Revenge? What are your plans for the future? and oftentimes I’ll strum a chord and use the Not really. There are patterns that are similar I’ve got a long tour ahead of me in the U.S. volume pedal to create a particular sound. to the last album but in terms of the way it and in Europe, and I’m not looking beyond My rig is pretty simple. It consists of a DD3 was made and the methods we took, this that. A lot of times it’s not up to you. You Boss pedal, a great tremolo pedal called the album was very different from anything I’ve don’t always know where the music’s going Supa-Trem, an octave pedal and an OCD done before. I usually write songs for an to come from, or what your inspirations will distortion pedal. I also have a loop pedal album over a period of six or seven months be. But then again, that’s what makes this for randomly creating loops in the middle of before going into the studio. But this time exciting. songs. That’s it. I wrote the songs very quickly, and worked –Russell Hall

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