Kaki King returned to her instrumental grassroots with 2012’s ‘Glow’, her sixth album, which delivered a combination of her flawless guitar technique with the rich atmospherics of string quartet ETHEL.
Growing-up in a very musical household, Kaki was heavily influenced by her father’s wide-ranging record collection, which covered everything from Fleetwood Mac and Kraftwerk to the lush mood and tones of guitar soloists on the pioneering ECM label. Still residing in Brooklyn, this New York native explains why she began busking on the subways in her early days.
“The thing that motivated me to do it was 9/11, because New York was so traumatised. It seemed like what we were all searching for was a return to normal things, and one of the things that was normal was music in the subways. I didn’t have a job at the time, I didn’t have a thing that connected me to normal people every day, and a few weeks after it I was like, ‘I need to go and play some music in the subway, ‘cos I don’t know what else to do’. People were very responsive, especially around that time. Everyone was grateful for things that made them feel normal again. I really encourage people to busk if they can, it’s a very good way to get yourself on stage without actually having to get on stage.”
She also recalls her experience dealing with a major label for her second album, which was released on Epic Records just before the music industry bubble burst and she returned to the independent Velour label.
“They gave me an absurd amount of money for a really basic record. That record could have been made for way less. ‘Parting ways’ is not even the word for it — there was no one left to even call. Everyone we knew got fired! Sony imploded under its own weight. It was one of the first big ones to have to scale back what they were doing.”
Returning to our shores for a series of live shows this May, Kaki has developed a strong connection to Australia.
“It’s so funny, the lengths in America we go to just to go to the beach, and 90 percent of Australians live within half an hour of the beach!”
Kaki King plays the Brisbane Powerhouse May 11.
