Ben Kweller’s Changing Horses changes genres
Ben Kweller. Photo courtesy of ATO Records
If you were to shuffle Ben Kweller’s songs on your iPod, you might not believe each song came from the same artist. OK, the quality of songwriting is consistent, and you’ve got Kweller’s voice soaring through it all. But when it comes to genres, this guy’s a tough one to pin down.
And he’s comfortable with that. In February the Texan released Changing Horses, which could have been dubbed Ben Kweller goes country. It’s decidedly Kweller, but the sounds of his youth trickle through. He plays WorkPlay on March 6, and we took a chance to catch up with him to see what fans can expect this go-round.
Birmingham Box Set: You’ve always been a bit of a genre-bender. How has that influenced your sound to date?
Ben Kweller: It’s cause I grew up with a lot of different influences. You could break everything down into three sections, really. What it would be is the first one is my dad’s music from the ’60s, like all the British Invasion bands like the Hollies and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and American psychedelic like Hendrix and the Doors. So that’s the first category.
Then, the other chunk is country music, which was because I grew up in a small town in Texas. My parents are from the northeast so that’s why my dad was really into ’60s rock and roll. He was never into country. But because I grew up in Texas I was really into country. That’s what was on the radio. Garth Brooks was my hero.
The third was my generation’s rock ‘n’ roll, Nirvana and getting into punk rock.
Those are kind of the three categories that came together and defined what Ben Kweller’s music is. … I think variety is so important, especially in art. Art should not have limits on it. Who cares how they come out as long as it sounds good and feels good and it’s just good music.
BBS: I think you and I are pretty close in age, so we probably grew up with a lot of the same music. I’m just thinking of middle school, those sort of formative years when you start listening more carefully instead of listening to whatever comes along.
BK: See, that’s totally how it is. In the beginning, you don’t know what’s cool or not cool. There’s no such thing as that. That’s the beauty of being young because you could have an Alan Jackson record and an N Vogue record—and I did! I had R&B records and country records and … as you get older, music starts to cross over into almost a fashion or a cultural section of the life. Then you start to learn about cliques and groups.
BBS: What inspired the turn toward country on Changing Horses?
BK: Every time I would write one of these songs I would put it aside, and say I would save this. I’m going to make this album called Changing Horses and it would be all these songs that come together well. I started that back in 2004. … I’d say, oh that’s going to be great on Changing Horses, so I’d put it aside. Most of the songs that come out of me would be pop songs or rock songs.
… I suppose if I waited long enough a rap album would come out. I write those the least often, maybe one every four years, so if you waited 50 years ….
BBS: How do you describe your music?
BK: If I meet someone in an airport or if I’m checking into a hotel and they’re like, “Oh you play music? What kind of music?” I say, “It’s oh, like classic rock. People say that I sound like Tom Petty or Neil Young.” …
Classic rock is just kind of an easy reference for people. That’s what my thing is kind of more, Steve Miller Band or something like that, just singable rock and roll.
Bands get so uptight about “don’t label me.” I’m beyond even worrying about that. It’s just not even important. People can say whatever they want, I don’t even care.
BBS: How has the new material changed your live show?
BK: It’s been really fun because what’s really cool is we’re now taking a lot of the older material that I don’t play very often and playing it more. I’ve been picking some songs out that don’t get played a lot and playing them Horses style.
BBS: What’s ahead for you?
BK: I’m almost done with the new album. I’ve got the album title already I’m just not going to tell you what it is. [Laughs] Like I said, Changing Horses I had back in 2004 and didn’t say anything about it because things change. … The album I’m going to put out next might probably change a bunch. It just depends on what comes down, man. It’s amazing how little control I have over the songs I write. Once they come I can change words and change melodies, but the songs are pretty much there.
I hope I can start recording in the fall, or maybe in the winter time. Maybe a year I’ll probably start on it. It’ll come out maybe a year and half.
Ben Kweller plays WorkPlay on Friday, March 6 at 9 p.m. The Watson Twins will open. Tickets, $18 in advance or $20 the day of the show, are available at workplay.com or by calling 380-4082. Compare and contrast the many sounds of Ben in the music player on his MySpace page.
