Street: How would you categorize your style of music? BK: I always consider my music to be in the “singer/songwriter” genre, for that has always made the most sense to me...However, it is hard to really say what signifies a true “singer/songwriter” song, or if the genre even exists. So, for the sake of simplicity, you can say that my music falls primarily into the folk and soul genres, with a splash of pop/rock and a bit of everything in between.
Street: Can you talk a little bit about your personal musical background? BK: Sure! I was around 4 or 5 when my dad started playing his guitar for me, which he’d had since he was a teenager. I remember it always being carefully kept in its original case, hidden in the very back corner of his closet. Because of this, I always thought of the instrument as some sort of magical, sacred “thing” that was, and always would be, unattainable to me. This was until I was given a guitar as a birthday gift the following year... I started taking lessons within the following year...[Later], I picked up bass guitar, clarinet, saxophone, and more importantly, I started singing!...Since then I've been hooked.
Street: So far, you’ve recorded two EPs – “Three” and “The Start.” Can you talk about the inspiration behind them? BK: My first EP “Three” was actually for a school project. We were given a six-week span to create anything that we wanted. Of course, I decided to write/record an EP! I did not have enough time to write and record full-blown songs with lyrics, so I decided the EP would be an instrumental one. With my second EP, “The Start”, I decided to record to support the start of my little performing career. As cheesy as the title is, I simply wanted a physical product that I could hand out at shows to give people a good idea of where my music was at that time. I think it served its purpose!
Street: How has your experience been with getting your music out there? BK: I have had tons of fun getting my music out there these past 10 months. The ride thus far has been short, though I have met hundreds of new people, been to some pretty cool places, and have experienced some awesome things that most don’t have the privilege of experiencing at my age.
Street: You’re currently working on your first professionally recorded EP. Can you provide any information about it? BK: The title of the EP is “So It Goes” and it will be released on September 12th. I will be having a CD release show at Chaplin’s in Spring City on the release day, September 12th, to celebrate. I’ll be performing with a full-band for the first time ever!
Street: What's your favorite song that you've written? BK: This is a tough one. I have a love/hate relationship with the songs that I write, which a lot of artists tend to have...However, at the moment, I’m enjoying performing a new song titled, “Slow It Down”. It has a different feel than what I have been performing for the past few months, which is cool for the time being. Changing things up is good sometimes.
Street: Do you have any musical idols? Who are some other musicians that have inspired your music? BK: Anyone that knows me even the tiniest bit understands my near-obsession with John Mayer’s music. I feel that Mayer has really brought the ambiguous, so-called “singer/songwriter” genre to the forefront of today’s music world... I am also a huge Bob Dylan fan, which is an unspoken requirement for all singer/songwriters. Dylan doesn’t need any rationale.
Street: Last, but not least, complete the following sentence: there are two types of musicians… BK: There are two types of musicians… those who go for it and those who wait for it.
You can listen to “Three” and “The Start” online at www.BenKesslerMusic.com. Be sure to check the website for show dates as well. Tickets for Ben’s CD release show are available at www.chaplinslive.com/kessler.
