Way back when you could still see music videos on MTV there were these kids that got signed. They were Radish.
They got a spread in the New Yorker which made every musician and critic sporting "Corporate Rock Sucks" T-shirts pissy.
They were all really happy when Radish flopped. Ben Kweller was in that band and he took it in stride. Which is pretty cool
since he was like two years old. Anyway, that was in 1994 and all those jealous X-generation people that laughed at the demise of Radish
are geezers now and are getting in line for a serious tea-bagging à la Ben.
I'm sure Ben Kweller doesn't think this way. He is just too cool for this kind of petty shit. Besides, he's too busy writing
some of the most infectious music I've ever heard to look back. When I first heard 'Sha Sha' I thought he was kind of a dopey
moon-faced love sick sap. If your a guy you'll probably think the same way. Just remember - he could have your girlfriend.
In the end it was the sincerity that his lyrics emote that really won me over. The lyrics
are clever but not contrived and the delivery honest and heartfelt. The music is cross genre pop. Ranging from locomotive
guitar driven rock to acoustic folkiness to indie rock and places beyond.
'On My Way' is just as brilliant. If you don't believe me send me an email and I'll send you a copy. Make it convincing though
because I only have one extra copy.
I had the great pleasure of speaking with Ben Kweller. He is really one the coolest people on the planet.
KM: You just got back from Australia and Japan. How did that go for you?
BK: It was great, man. Fuji rock and Japan was so much fun.
KM: So, you must have gotten to see a lot of bands at Fuji Rock. Did anyone stick out in particular for you?
BK: Well, I only got to see a few bands perform. But I got to hang out with a lot of my friends, you know?
Thats the best thing about the festival...even if you don't get to see the bands, you get to catch up with them,
hang out and have a beer. I got to see Belle and Sebastian. I mean - the bands that I saw on stage. We went up right
before the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So, we got to see them and they're always great. And Hole, I saw Hole and uh,
they kinda sucked. And then I met Chris Robinson of the Black Crows. That was cool. He's like a big
fan of mine. I had no idea. He looked at me and was like: "Hey, you're Ben Kweller!" and I was like "Yeah...Hey, you're Chris Robinson!".
It was really cool.
KM: Before you were doing your music thing were you doing much traveling internationally or was it always in
conjunction with touring?
BK: The first time I went overseas...? You know I had to get a passport to go on my first tour. So yeah, its totally been
with the music.
KM: Do you think that thats impacted your world view or your music at all? Experiencing different cultures and all that?
BK: I bet it has, you know? Um, It definitely has. When you travel overseas with music you usually have someone on the other
end thats gonna meet you there to sort of take care of you and show you all the cool restaurants and bars and you know,
the people from the record company. You really get to hang with locals. You get a cool perspective of all these different
countries. So, I feel really fortunate for that. You kinda get your own personal tour guide, which is nice. especially in
a place like France or Japan were they totally speak a different language. In Japan I had a translator. I don't know how I
would do over there without one. Once we told the translator: "You know what? We're just gonna go out on our own
today. We travel all the time. Its no problem". They were like: "you know, we really should go with you"...and we said: "NO!
don't worry about us. We'll be fine." After two hours of walking around we needed an ATM. We realized that we couldn't
read Japanese. Anytime we would stop anyone on the street we would start telling them "ATM, ATM!" They had no idea what we were
talking about. We couldn't find anybody who could speak English. Its just like a totally different world. Japan is amazing though.
KM: Do you have any plans of going back?
BK: I'm gonna do a tour actually of Japan in December, hopefully. And then I think I'm going back to Australia for "Big Day Out" in January.
KM: When you were growing up did you have any kind of musical training?
BK: I did. Well, my father actually brought his drums down from the attic when I was about seven. So, I played drums. That was my first music
lesson. And then I learned how to play piano from some friends and then my parents were like: "Wow, you really like this music thing. So,
lets get you some piano lessons".
KM: They were really supportive when you were growing up.
BK: Yeah, they were totally supportive. So, I took piano lessons for three or four years and hated it. I always wanted to play the song my own
way and make up new shit. So, my piano teacher was just like: "He is just in a different way and he should follow his own path" Because it was
hard to mold me into that classical trained kid, you know?. Then I took guitar lessons for about a year. Same sort of thing. I could always
learn more from just hanging out with other musicians and jamming instead of just sitting down in front of a sheet of music.
KM: When you were recording "On My Way" did you take more or less the same organic approach. I mean was it more of a free jam? Did you go
into the studio with any kind of arrangements in your head?
BK: I had the full arrangements in my head and a lot of the drum parts but I didn't teach any of the band any of the songs before we went
into the studio. So, we get in there and I'd say: "Hey, this song is called 'down' and it goes like this" and we'd play a few times, press record,
and do it five more times and pick our favorite take. So, the songs were really fresh for the band. But I had been playing the songs at home
or in a hotel room for about a year. But for the band it was really fresh and I wanted to keep it spontaneous like that.
KM: Are you gonna be recording a new album soon? When you finish touring? If you ever finish touring?
BK: I am gonna finish soon here and in December I'm gonna take a few months off and just dig in, you know? Write some music and just hang out
and record. You know when you're on tour all year you sort of become a robot: wake up, take a shower, eat, go to sound check, hang out at
the club, play your gig, go to bed, wake up, take a shower, you know? The trick is to go somewhere and write songs and brainstorm and create.
So, I'm gonna do that for a few months. Probably start a new record in the summer.
KM: How long have you been living in Brooklyn?
BK: I've been living out here for about five years.
KM: Are you pretty recognizable in the streets out there? Is it ever a drag being accosted by fans on the street?
BK: Well, In Brooklyn I know a lot of the people at the places where I go. A lot of people know who I am but they all
new me before I first became popular. Now its sort of like: "Ah, we saw you on David Letterman the other night"
But in Manhattan people play it really cool because you see a lot of famous people - people much more
famous than me walking around. Once and awhile a real hardcore fan, like a 15 year fan will come up and be like:
"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! You walk around too?"
KM: Is there any kind of basic philosophy behind your music? Or is it just for the music's sake?
BK: No, there is one common theme in my music and that is optimism. Optimism is one big vehicle theme of mine, You know? Just looking forward to
tomorrow and knowing that it could be a better day than today. Thats one philosophy. Another big philosophy is
always being yourself, staying true to yourself and not changing yourself for other people. Don't look over your shoulder to see what other
people are doing - do what you want. Especially I think for young people going to college for the first time and high school...its so damn
competitive and everyone wants money and to drive nice cars and wear name brand clothing but I just feel like people should just
remember that they're fucking cool and they don't have to try to be cool, you know? You gotta just follow your own drummer.
KM: Would that be the same kind of advice that you would give to young people trying to break into music?
BK: Well, thats what I would say when it comes to making music. As far as really trying to get into it - First of all I would say: If your good at
something else other than music you might wanna try that out first for a little bit. If you feel like music is the only thing that you can do, the one
thing that you're passionate about - then thats the real deal, you know? I've never really felt like I've had a choice. Its so weird.
People will ask me all the time: "What will you do when you stop playing music?" or "Was there ever a point after Radish that you just wanted to
call it quits?". But its just a part of who I am. There is no "doing it or not doing it". Its part of my life.
KM: It doesn't sound like you were discouraged at all after Radish broke up.
BK: Oh God no. I just took all the experience and everything I learned through out that and applied it to my future.
Honestly, for a band first starting out one key thing that you should try to do is just open up for a band that is coming through town thats
gonna have a sold-out show. Try your hardest to get on a bill. Get in front of kids. Because so many bands - I mean I was one of them - who
think that if you just hop into a van and set up a tour all over America and take bars that thats going to break you. But what happens is you end
up playing for the bartender and his girlfriend. I've done that too much. When I moved to New York I realized "ah,
I should try to open up for people and just send my CD to SLOCO or Juliana Hatfield and they would say "Sure
you can open up". Thats the key, man because thats how you get fans.
An interview with Ben Kweller
By Keith Martin
