BILLY KING WILL GO FAR

"I guess my musical tastes are kind of middle-aged"

For a young musician in year 2000, Billy King is a refreshing change from the anger and ugliness that is pervasive in so-called modern rock circles. His album You Know Me hearkens to a kinder and gentler era we know and love. Time to get to know a little more about Billy...

Tell us a bit about your musical background and history.

I've lived on a farm in the rural Midwest for all 23 years of my life. My father has always played guitar and written songs and that's probably what got me interested. I started playing around with basic recording equipment when I was 10 years old, and ended up releasing a cassette of Elvis covers which resulted in my first gigs. As the King Brothers, my younger brother and I performed for several years and recorded four more albums of mostly original material. You Know Me is my second solo release and the first to be released on CD

Do you have formal musical education and training?

No, my musical knowledge is very non-technical; I have always played by ear.

What inspires you to make the kind of music you do?

The roots of my musical taste and style go back to the first music I really listened to: Elvis, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Everly Brothers, and other 50's music that my dad played. I think these were some solid building blocks.

Why do you choose to express your music in such classic folk-pop styles?

I have always been home-schooled, and I think it distanced me from adolescent peer pressure. I have never felt a need to express the frustration or rebellion often associated with the music of my generation. I guess my musical tastes are kind of middle-aged!

You play and sing everything on You Know Me, how does the recording process work for you?

I have an eight-track analog studio set up in a small travel trailer. I usually record with a project in mind, so I try to lay down the songs in their playing order. That way, I feel the album has a better flow. I usually lay down a guide guitar/vocal track and then work from there. I try to go with as few takes and as little "punching in" as possible. Usually the first attempts at a track are the least self-conscious, and I often regret going over these, even if there were a few missed notes here and there.

Are you happy with the way You Know Me turned out?

Yes... You Know Me was first released as two five-song demo cassettes in '97 and '98. Even though some of the songs were recorded almost three years ago, I'm still fairly pleased with them. I'm grateful to Jeremy at Jam Records for helping me get these songs on CD

How did you hook up with Jeremy Morris and Jam Records?

Gary 'Pig' Gold, a musician and writer, suggested I send my music to Jeremy, who liked what he heard and encouraged me to seek a wider audience for my music. With Jeremy's help, we made the CD. Jeremy happens to live just a couple hours away from me. Gary Gold first contacted me years ago when I was recording with my brother. Although we have never met, Gary has stayed in touch over the years and has always been very encouraging and helpful.

The songs on You Know Me express intimate feelings, are they taken from personal experience?

I have a somewhat technical approach to songwriting, although I can't always account for the inspiration of the song. A melody or phrase will grab me and I just build around it. I have been writing songs for a long time and have just become comfortable with the process. So the answer is no, my songs aren't from personal experience

My favorite song is We'll Go Far - how did that song come about?

I have a toy six-string guitar and I have been known to play  and sing very loudly around the house. One day I just started banging out the basic chords for We'll Go Far, and the melody and lyrics seemed to follow. My studio production was an attempt to recreate the driving intensity of that song's first moments. I don't think I quite recaptured the original energy level, but I hope the song still comes through. Glad you liked it!

What's next for Billy King?

I'm five songs into my next album! I also hope to build a bigger space for my studio in the near future. I'm always trying to grow musically, and hope that my albums reflect that