FOCUS FIERCELY
We rang Kishi Bashi on a Sunday night in late August. The all-around music man answered the phone in Norfolk, Virginia. VA is a long way from his former New York City address, but when you’re an artist in need of more space to create, and more room to support a family — sacrifices must be made.
A seasoned musician, Kishi toured with Of Montreal earlier this year, put out an impressive debut EP, Room for Dream, during the summer and has relentlessly been logging in studio hours finishing up his first album. Homeboy is busy! Did we mention this cat’s also a family man? Well, you can check that off the list too. Taking time from his super active schedule, we spoke about career, the Regina Spektor influence and flying solo:
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Kishi, it looks like you play every instrument known to man, when did you know you wanted to be a musician?
KISHI BASHI: I always loved music. Always loved the piano and violin. I played guitar in high school. That’s when I first I got into classical music and my curiosity just grew from there and naturally I went through different phases like anyone else…metal, hip-hop, jazz. I remember listening to a ton of Herbie Hancock.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Who are you listening to now and/or who are some of your favorite artists?
KISHI BASHI: There are always the classics I go back to, ELO and Zeppelin. I’m a huge Phoenix fan though, I’m glad to see them making it big, they deserve it. Been listening to a lot of Midlake, Midnight Juggernauts and Justice lately. Justice is the shit!
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Tell us a little bit about your career.
KISHI BASHI: Well, Jupiter One has been the big effort of mine for the last five years. But things shifted focus when we started touring with Regina Spektor. As that tour went on, Regina offered me a lot of encouragement and eventually an opportunity came up to open a show for her, solo. I remember one night in Australia where it kind of all came together, that night’s performance was really special, because I really connected with the audience. More so than I had been doing in America. You could feel the energy…it was a mind blowingly successful show. People really, really dug it.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Sweet. Do people ever tell you that you sound a little like Paul McCartney?
KISHI BASHI: No, not really. But I do love Paul McCartney. I love all The Beatles. I come from that singer songwriter tradition and I mean The Beatles influenced everyone. They were such a powerhouse of talent and overall great musicians. But no, people don’t usually compare my voice to his.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Mos Def. Your EP Room for Dream, what inspired you to make that album?
KISHI BASHI: I wrote a bunch of quieter lyrics for this EP, wrote thoughts and ideas that I needed to be totally isolated for in order to create…and it’s been hard for me to get isolated lately with so much going on. But I wanted the music to be quiet and beautiful, I wasn’t afraid to make it beautiful.
Photograph by Katie Henry
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: All right, so it was partly inspired by beauty. You’ve worked with a whole bunch of musicians, who’s influenced your work?
KISHI BASHI: There are so many. Sondre Lerche is definitely someone, I opened up for him back in June. He’s got a fantastic voice and is a terrific songwriter. Love working with him. Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal, is another. It’s been great to see Kevin progress over the years. His raw creativity and prolific brains make for some fierce performances. Playing in Of Montreal, I’ve had a chance to see his work first hand. He’s his own engineer and he’s only grown from album to album. And he works his ass off too, he’s always in the studio! Of course there’s Regina. I love the intimacy of a solo performer. She’s a super-sophisticated musician trapped in a jazz singer’s body, and her voice is so powerful. I’ve learned so much from her, she really inspired me to go solo. It’s really been awesome working with these people and seeing how they tick.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: OK. I’m going totally random here, use one word to describe the following:
TSD: Jupiter One | KB: Pop
TSD: Of Montreal | KB: Crazy
TSD: Regina Spektor | KB: Sympathetic
TSD: Paul McCartney | KB: Friend
TSD: Pizza | KB: Rave
TSD: Sting | KB: Police
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: That was fun. Now I’m hungry. What’s the ideal dream for your career?
KISHI BASHI: Kishi Bashi is all I do. Meaning that I would just do the solo thing full time, tour with my crew and make the music I want to make.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: You’re married and have a five-year-old daughter, how is it balancing a family and being a musician?
KISHI BASHI: Extremely difficult and at times stressful. Touring and not being home consistently isn’t good for the family. My daughter is cool with it though, she’s spunky. But for a musician touring is the only way to make money. All things considered, I have my wife and my daughter, so far, so good.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Tell me about the album you’re working on.
KISHI BASHI: I feel like I’m in a really great place right now, creatively speaking. I’ve been making songs out of violin loops, experimenting a lot, messing around with the drum sampler. Listening to a lot of beat-box music, just producing as much as humanely possible, almost over creating, letting things sit for a while and then coming back to it. I’m being really productive.
THE SOUL DYNAMIC: Awesome. And the big question, what inspires you?
KISHI BASHI: Everyday life. Struggling, laughing, crying, people looking to feel something. And that inspiration is what I try to bring to my music. I feel my music helps people see things differently. I make music for myself, I want people to feel good about my music. If I like it — chances are the people usually like it too.
Kishi Bashi is a member of the bands Jupiter One and Of Montreal. He’s toured with Sondre Lerche and Regina Spektor, just to name a few musicians, and can play just about any instrument under the sun. He recently wrapped up his first full length L.P. and its release is to be determined. You can check out his work here.
At a young age, Kishi Bashi has accomplished quite a bit. With Room for Dream, an EP that is a fresh and an absolute beautiful work of music, he’s made an original impact in a scene that’s often lacking in that department. This talent’s future is bright, especially if he keeps up the constant working, refining, experimenting and feeding of his musically curious appetite.
Interview by: Rene Ramirez
