Ken interviewed by Flagpole magazine

Taylor

FP: In between “Soft Commands” and working with R.E.M., what else were you up to last year?

KS: I recorded in Memphis with Big Star and Seattle with the Posies both of which will be released on Rykodisc. The Posies material is 90 percent done and the Big Star material is done – it will be their first release in 27 years, the Posies’ first release in 6 years.

FP: What were those recording experiences like?

KS: Jon and I have been playing with Alex and Stephen since 1993 and we’re like regular members. Alex has moved on to another place musically and he basically set us in a room together and let it ripÉ I think it’s a cool record that only occasionally brushes up against a Big Star of the past. The Posies’ new material is just different enough and just related enough to be fresh and not trying too hard to disown their past – there are many twist and turns.

(read more)

Soft Commands overseas release

Taylor

“just wanted to let those of you outside the u.s. and canada know that ken’s album will be coming out on ryko in late september. there are two bonus tracks (both covers). we’ll be attempting to line up shows around all the other activity ken’s got on his plate. i’ll keep you posted as details are confirmed.”

(posted by Barbara Mitchell to the dear23 list.)

Ken interviewed by Ethan Kaplan (of murmurs.com)

Taylor

R.E.M.’s side musician Ken Stringfellow has told Murmurs.com how the band’s bold approach to making a record revolutionised the way he records his own music.

In an interview with Ethan Kaplan, Stringfellow, who also plays with Peter Buck’s other band the Minus 5, said working on Reveal gave him a more “spontaneous” outlook on the recording process.

Stringfellow last month released Soft Commands and has been busy helping out with R.E.M.’s forthcoming album, scheduled for release in the first week of October…

EK: The new record seems to find you wearing your influences on your sleeve, most notably the Beach Boys with “When U Find Someone.” Was this a conscious thing?

KS: Well, it’s like using digital samples. There are all sorts of evocative tones from established musical forms out there, it’s fun to quote them and recontectualize them.

EK: Whats with the Holst’s “The Planets” progression on Any Love?

KS: It’s one of my favorite pieces of music, and I wanted to see if any one would notice!

(read the rest)

New classes teach lyrical approach to penning songs

Taylor

By Joanna Horowitz

Seattle Times staff reporter

There is a giant board on the north side of the Songcraft room, one of Experience Music Project’s newest exhibits. Words haphazardly cover the surface like a blown-up version of the magnetic poetry seen on dorm-room fridges all over the country.

The mission here: Make lyrics from the jumble. Visitors have left snapshots of songs, “I got a light in a deep well/it’s about to deny me of longer soul” or “Rock away the tears.”

If these are the start of a great new song, who knows, but what’s good or bad is subjective, said Jon Auer, former frontman of The Posies. Auer, along with Seattle musicians Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger and Christy McWilson from country-rock band The Picketts, will teach part of a six-month EMP/University of Washington songwriting-certificate program, which starts in October.

Anyone who can play an instrument well enough to record a song, UW student or not, can apply for the program.

“There’s really no one correct way to do anything,” Auer said. “All I can really hope is they’ll find something in there that is of use to them.”

(continue reading)

Mirrored from KS.com

Taylor

7.23.2004

Hello all…tour is lovely…please come see me…

The Middle East show I did the other night will be available on their website…http://www.mideastclub.com/…big star is playing a hot festival in NYC…http://www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com/festival/index.html

still need keys in cleveland…

best

KS

Merchantsville NJ

The show will be available here and the festival is August 14th.

‘Get ready for music galore at the shore’

Taylor

New KS interview in the Delaware Beachcomber.

REHOBOTH BEACH — Multi-instrumentalist Ken Stringfellow has a busy, busy schedule these days.

The co-leader of Seattle powerpop band the Posies, who will play songs from his third solo album at a free concert at Dogfish Head on Wednesday, is also a member of the reconstituted Big Star. Oh, and he’s also been the regular touring keyboardist for alt-icons R.E.M. for nearly a decade.

So which of these four projects is his priority?

“I don’t know what it says about me, but everything’s a priority,” said Stringfellow, calling from a cellphone while trying to navigate the Massachussetts Turnpike on Wednesday. He was en route to Boston after having played two shows in one day in New York City Tuesday.

“That’s kind of the vibe,” Stringfellow said. “There’s never just a show at night. In the daytime I’m either doing press or a radio show or an in-store (record store appearance).”

(read full article)