Music Connection Singer's Interview
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5/19/19, 455 PM Page 1 of 1 11 MINUTE READ SingersSingers SoundSound Off!Off! from Music Connection May 2019 by Music Connection It is that time of the year again when we celebrate the diversity of vocalists from all shades of the musical spectrum. We always aim to please, with a scintillating mix of personal perspectives, opinions and advice for vocalists and artists of all persuasions. And this year is no exception. Seated at the current roundtable are legendary vocalistbassist Suzi Quatro, Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd, Counting Crows leading light Adam Duritz, singersongwriter and author Kudisan Kai and former cellist- vocalist for The Lumineers and, now, solo artist Neyla Pekarek. Neyla Pekarek Grace Fleisher [email protected] neylapekarek.com Neyla Pekarek is currently touring in support of her debut solo album Rattlesnake on S-Curve Records/BMG. Pekarek returns to her Colorado roots, with a folk opera built around a mythological figure known as “Rattlesnake Kate.” First Performances and Education My first professional gig was in The Lumineers for eight years. Prior to that I studied vocal music in college and sang with barbershop quartets. Leaving The Lumineers to Write and Record Rattlesnake I made the decision to leave the group last fall. The Lumineers’ tour schedule, for better or worse, is very demanding. Whenever I had time off I was flying to Portland to record my solo album. Mostly the decision to work in Portland was so I could work with M Ward as a producer. The Story Behind Rattlesnake When I was a college student in Greeley, Colorado I came across this story while visiting an historical museum there. The legend has it that in 1925 Kate McHale Slaughterback was out gathering ducks to bring home for dinner, with her three-year-old son on horseback. She encountered this mass rattlesnake migration and had to battle and kill hundreds of snakes to save herself and her son. Apparently she lived to tell the tale and fashioned a dress out of the snake skins. I thought that was an odd tale that, as a Colorado native, I had never heard. I instantly started thinking about stories of the West and how they are dominated by men. I got really inspired when I started delving into her story. She was this woman who completely existed out of the box of what it meant to be feminine. Artistic Influences I was a musical theater kid, so I liked Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli. My parents had a lot of great records by Otis Redding, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton too. Balancing Cello with Finding Her Voice I grew up playing cello and, personality-wise, I was probably more prone to be a more reserved and shy orchestra kid. And just by the means of having a really amazing choir teacher, I kind of found my voice and got addicted to the stage. And it was something that didn’t come natural, but that great teacher pulled it out of me. Vocal Warm-ups, Taking Care of Yourself I’m really cognizant about keeping my voice healthy. I try not to talk in loud places. I had a lot of great training. I’ve done plenty of a cappella singing with various groups. And when you’re not relying on instruments, trying to keep your voice healthy is like being a vocal acrobat. When I’m on tour I try to avoid drinking too much alcohol and I make sure I get enough sleep. Sometimes touring doesn’t lend itself to that, so you really have to make an effort. Also, Throat Coat tea is good if you’ve got a cold. And a humidifier when on tour is helpful. Working In the Studio I’m a pretty consistent singer. Adam Selzer, the audio engineer, who along with M Ward was a big part of making my new record, said to me that a lot of people may average around 10 takes, but most people usually get it in three. And we did end up doing most of the songs in 1-3 takes. It’s really easy to over-analyze, but it’s really taxing on your voice. I had demos made of all the songs I wanted to record beforehand. I think coming in prepared really helps in the studio. • Adam Duritz Gabi Hollander [email protected] countingcrows.com Lead singer and head songwriter for the Grammy-winning band Counting Crows, Adam Duritz has also founded two indie record labels, scores music for films and hosts a podcast. He is also co-founder and “I warm up like crazy. I don’t sing that well at all without the warm-ups.” curator of the Underwater Sunshine Festival (underwatersunshinefest.com), which is a totally free two-day event that occurs in NYC in early April, and is dedicated to supporting indie bands worthy of wider recognition. Musical Influences Growing up in Oakland and Berkeley, California there was a lot of funk music and hip-hop. When I was young my first record and concert was the Jackson 5, but I don’t think that’s what I sound like. I think a lot of people mistake influences in a lot of ways. I think we listen to a lot of stuff and absorb it, but not always in the way people think about. I grew up listening to KSAN in the Bay Area and they were very free-form. You would hear George Jones, followed by the Sex Pistols, followed by the Stones, followed by Miles Davis. And that’s what really influenced me, because I realized music is just music. You don’t have to be part of some clique. That had a huge effect on me. Keeping Your Voice in Shape on Tour Now I’m kind of a monk on tour. I don’t go out a whole lot like I used to. I was younger then, too. But I think I fucked my voice up more when I was younger. After the gigs I’m just back in my hotel room. I’m really careful about any place where I have to talk with any volume. And I warm up like crazy too; probably 45 minutes of exercises in the afternoon before sound check and about half that before the show. I don’t sing that well at all without the warm-ups. Technology & Vocal Craft The iPhone, with the ability to record whenever you want, is great. All the demos on our album Somewhere Under Wonderland were really done sitting around in a circle in our living room on my phone. It’s also great for note taking and recording vocal ideas. Bandcamp and any kind of uploadable music technology have also made the means of distributing music so much easier. The potential to make music by spending less money is so much better too. • Kudisan Kai [email protected] kudisankai.com Kudisan Kai has been a background and session vocalist to artists such as Elton John, Chaka Khan, Beck and many others. She is also a solo recording artist, educator and author of the autobiography Memoirs of a Back Up Diva. First Professional Gig It was in NYC with a trumpet player named Tom Browne. He had a hit in the late ‘70s called “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.).” We did a lot of club dates and some larger festivals with artists like Herbie Hancock, Pieces of a Dream and The Gap Band. Musical Influences Growing up there was not a lot of music played in my house. I mostly studied classical music when I was young. But I liked Chaka Khan. And when I was in high school I was dating a guy that was into Anthrax, Judas Priest and all the heavy metal bands. He turned me on to a black rock band called Mother’s Finest, with lead singer Joyce Kennedy. That’s when my world went into a standstill. I said, “I wanna do that!” But at the time, I was told I’d never sing nothing but classical music, and I completely believed it. Surprising Musical Rvelations When the ‘90s hit and the alternative grunge thing came in I thought music was really speaking my language. People are surprised to hear me live, where my music is heavier, like alternative metal. Taking Care of Your Voice Exercise has always been a part of my life, “I stopped tripping out and worrying that my voice had to be perfect.” “You need to use very little air to hit a note. If you load up on air and blast that air into your vocal folds you’re gonna create a lot of damage.” because touring is very physical. You have to build your stamina. You’re jumping around and singing for 2 ½ hours and you have to be in shape. Getting enough rest on the road is hard sometimes, too, but very important. You also have to know how to manage when to speak and when to be quiet so you can conserve your voice throughout the day. As far as food, I took dairy out of my diet four years ago because it causes a lot of phlegm in the body. I also lost the desire to eat meat, as well. I just try to eat things that nourish my body. I also drink a lot of water. Changing Warm-up Routine I was a classical singer all of my life, but I wanted to find my voice as a contemporary singer. So for the longest time I stopped doing those classical warm-ups because I wanted my voice to be in a certain place for a mix I was using.