Exposed Vocals Interviews Kenny Blackstock

Check out Music from Kenny Blackstock on iTunes

 

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?  

Kenny Blackstock: was born in Hagerstown Md. My brother plays guitar so when he would go out I would secretly get his guitar out and play it. Learning things off of records came next .I just kind of fell into music.

 

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

 

Kenny Blackstock: was the name I was born with .I have had several people over the years say my name sounds like a stage name.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Kenny Blackstock: I am new to all this sell your music online stuff .I feel it is good that now you can hear a little of a selection of each track before you buy it but I feel an artist should get paid for his or her work.

 

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Kenny Blackstock: Like I said I am new to all of this market your music online stuff but my advice to gigs etc.is know what is expected in the club you are trying to get into.Make a good first impression and the after a while tweak your performance there.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

 

Kenny Blackstock: Everyone makes mistakes try to make it seem part of the act or do something funny to deflect the mishap. I played in a band with a guy that would look at you like Jack Web of Dragnet it would change the whole vibe to negative not good.

 

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?  

Kenny Blackstock: Right now I only perform with the two bands I am in on the weekends.

 

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?  

Kenny Blackstock: my single ( Rockford Meets Shaft ) and my album ( Musician’s Perspective) are instrumental but when I was writing them I was thinking of t.v. and movie scenes hence the titles.Two of the selections were theory projects I had to write in college.The title (Deb ,you seen Claude ) is a play on words because I was trying to write in the vain of Claude Debussy .(Jewish Sorrows ) was originally written out for three trumpets and two trombones but I always heard it in my head with strings and thought it sounded like it could be used in a documentary about the holocaust. I went back and fixed some mistakes and painstakingly laid down each part one at a time.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

 

Kenny Blackstock: I do not have a website yet for myself .I do have a youtube channel with music on them which was uploaded by Tunecore.

 

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

 

Kenny Blackstock: I do not have an Mp3 player but I have to admit I like The Partridge Family as well as Rammstein. My musical universe is pretty vast.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?  

Kenny Blackstock: I have always wanted to go to Japan and Sweden and when I grow up I want a 1956 Nash Metropolitan red and white or turquoise would be fine thank you very much. Other than those few guilty pleasures I would like to have the time and the means to write and record and perform more.

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?  

Kenny Blackstock: Well if I had all that money sure I would make studio upgrades. Musician’s Perspective was written and recorded a while back and I used a Yamaha MT120 four track to record it on and a Casio CTK-601 keyboard and an Alesis device for effects.I used an American Fender Telecaster and a Takamine classical for the guitar tracks

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Kenny Blackstock: This whole music promotion thing I must admit I am totally wet behind the ears on that is why I used Tunecore and am trying to educate myself on this very important thing.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?  

Kenny Blackstock: Terry Kath of Chicago is my idol so I probably would have to get Peter Cetera in a headlock since he did not perform with them on their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but let’s go to Tokyo and perform 25 or 6 til 4 and grab some sushi and saki after the show. It would be great if Terry were still with us.

 

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

 

Kenny Blackstock: The second album is almost written and will instrumental as well. The quality will be better because I will be using mixcraft 6 and a Scarlett Focusrite interface like I used on Rockford Meets Shaft. After that I have a ton of pop songs I have with lyrics that I will sing on probably.

 

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?  

Kenny Blackstock: I am a bit of a foodie and I would probably go into the culinary arts and at least get better at my sushi making skills.

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head? 

Kenny Blackstock: I don’t remember the first album but the very first records I bought were 45’s Yummy Yummy Yummy and 123 Red Light by The Ohio Express. Even though I have a degree in music I still love a lot of that old feel good pop music with a hook.I remember thinking I am cool now like my big brother Steve because I too am buying records now.

 

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?  

Kenny Blackstock: It not easy when you are one place but would rather be behind a guitar or keyboard or mic creating but reality of today’s music reality throws at you .All one can do is hope for success one day and keep plugging away until it happens.

 

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016? 

Kenny Blackstock: Probably a second instrumental soundtrack sounding album with better sonic quality with my own brand of strange artwork on the cover.