tr> KEN RICH Ken Rich is a producer and bass player living and working in New York City TR: How important do you feel the guitar is to contemporary music and is this good or bad? The guitar is still the backbone of most records that fall into the rock category, but is less present if at all, in rap and dance music. I'm not sure what the future holds for the instrument, because for better or worse, there's a dearth of contemporary guitar hero's for kids to look up to. A lot of newer rock music is more about the sounds and textures of the guitars than actually playing them, at least in the traditional sense (pro-tools works miracles). TR: How important is dance-ability within your songs? Generally, dance-ability is not a motivation. It's important to me for things to have a good feel, but that can happen at any tempo and in (almost) any time signature. I'm much more interested in painting a sonic picture and evoking an emotional response. If a song turns out to be danceable, well that's great, but the song has to call for it, not the other way around. TR: How often do you tour/ play out? Nationally or locally? Lately, I've been really focused on my band "Miami Relatives" so I haven't been doing much touring. We play shows about once a month and usually rehearse a couple of times a week. TR: How many bands are you/have you been a part of? There've really only been a few of what I would consider real bands. I've participated in tons of sideman projects, but basically the musicians are hired to fulfill the vision of the front person. A band for me has to be much more of a collective effort wherein the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. TR: How much "studio time" do you do? I spend almost all of my time these days in the studio (either my own, or others). TR: Which aspect of recording music do you like better/which side of the console? I still love playing the bass and really enjoy working with other producers, but I've found myself in the role of producer and engineer more often than not these days. I really value both sides of the console, and as long as the end result is good, the chair that I'm sitting in really doesn't matter to me. TR What recommendations would you make to other musicians on music as a career choice? If it's presented as a choice it's probably not a good idea to enter the music business. If you feel you have to do it because you can't see yourself being happy doing anything else, then go for it. You have to be able to ride out the highs and the lows while maintaining a strong sense of self. TR: Do you have a day job and what is it? In the past I've had many non-music related jobs including working at a Methadone clinic, bartending, and plant watering but have managed to stay afloat for the last 6 years by just doing music. This summer I'm working on the Miami Relatives record during the days and doing live sound at The Cutting Room at night which I guess qualifies as a job even though it's fun. TR: What does it take to have a hit song? Oh it's simple, get a corporate giant to determine your designated demographic (a.k.a. target audience) preferably between the ages of 12-17 years old and convince them through subversive advertising tactics and a multimedia blitzkrieg that they need to buy your record in order to appear cool to their friends. TR: What is your definition of success? As it relates to the music business, I would define success as being able to create music on your own terms, as often as you feel like. TR Would you sell your songs to a pop-star, like Mariah Carey, if she wanted to record them? I would love to hear that. TR Would you be happy being a one hit wonder? I'm already happy, or at least happy enough that it doesn't really matter. TR: Do you think new bands along with the greater separation of the mainstream/major acts from the indie-world and the greater expense of touring than it used to be, will create a new music scene based on the local? I think in the big picture that people are craving a more personal relationship with the music that they listen to. A lot of my friends who are not in the business are bored with mainstream radio, seldom get excited about the arena rock shows and find MTV and VH1 useless in filling this void. They are much more interested in exploring smaller music venues and record stores and discovering new local bands. TR: Do you think cities/regions will further develop their own sounds? Does NYC have a sound? Strong local scenes always seem to pop up when you least expect it. A couple of bands that share common influences appear on the scene and gain popularity at the same time in a couple venues, other bands latch on and the next thing you know you've got a scene. I think NYC is long overdue for a buzz like that. It really hasn't happened here on a large scale since the punk scene at CBGB. There are probably a few identifiable trends amongst New York bands, but no one "NY sound" that is dominant. With Mercury Lounge, Arlene's Grocery and Brownies becoming increasingly popular, New York bands are beginning to realize that it's possible to develop a sizeable local following by playing the east village circuit. I think the clubs can contribute to this by booking their nights a bit more strategically and by allowing bands that share some of the same fan base to appear on the same bill. Some of the larger venues can encourage this trend as well by adding local acts as openers for national touring artists. TR: Should more bands move to NYC to become "discovered" and/or what does it take to get discovered in this industry? New York is a difficult place to have a band because the cost of living is so high that it's easy for people to get consumed by the task of simply trying to make ends meet. There is a lot of industry here, and I suppose that helps your chances of being discovered, but I think it's more important for bands to focus on writing good music, developing a strong live show, and recording whenever possible. I've always operated under the "build it and they will come" philosophy. TR: And do you think this will increase the amount of music venues where new bands can play? The only way that more music venues will appear is if club owners realize that there is a demand for it and it can be profitable. I think it's really a supply and demand issue, and I'm encouraged by the success of some of the newer local music venues. TR: Do you think there is an audience, will there be an audience for this localized music? Absolutely, people are crying out for it and need to know that there are places that they can go on any given night and see good local bands. TR: Do musicians in general lose credibility with the mass popular audience as their music becomes free as traded mp3s on the Internet? I think it becomes harder for people to justify buying a CD when they know they can get virtually the same thing for free on the internet. TR: What do you think is going to happen with Napster? I like the idea of subscription services where the internet company's pay the artists directly based on the number of downloads. There will always be some sort of free trade of music on the internet, but I think if these services can provide something more, and perhaps specialize in certain regions, or styles and help people discover new artists based on their tastes, that people might be willing to pay for the service. TR: Where do you get most of your music? Online stores, traditional record stores? Mostly traditional record stores. TR: What % is indie vs. major? It seems that a lot of what I buy are indie labels that are subsidiary's of larger labels. TR: What bands do you feel aren't getting the attention they deserve? Miami Relatives TR: Are indie bands even the underground anymore? And if not them, who is? Indie bands and unsigned bands are still "underground"... if we're getting technical about it. TR: What influence do you think our new president will have on indie music? I think and hope bands will react strongly to what I anticipate will be a series of major environmental and humanitarian debacles. Whenever things go really haywire, people turn to music for refuge, and I'm hoping the bands will be poised to offer it. On a more immediate level, Bush has a penchant for inventing new words which increases the options for songwriters looking for new rhymes. to contact Ken Rich send an email to kenrich@mindspring.com