Music postcards from Rome: September 2015

On the occasion of the Mojo Station Blues Festival held in Rome recently, I had the chance to meet the Australian bluesman C.W. Stoneking. Thanks to his precious cooperation, we were able to ask some questions to one of the most interesting and esteemed musicians on today’s international scene.

STONEKING: I must apologize for the delay we had to drive for nine hours straight to be here tonight and met a lot of traffic.

MPFR: Hi, you are absolutely excused, knowing the Italian traffic but most of all are truly delighted to welcome you to Rome. Finally we meet a true Australian story-teller and blues man on stage from the insight. Because there is no doubt that especially your lyrics are real fables?

STONEKING: Yes, in fact when I write my music I also make up my own of stories.

MPFR: The fact that you were born in the Northern Territory, must have been a very challenging environment human-wise but a bit secluded from the musical point of view.

STONEKING: Oh you know kids are adaptable anywhere, it’s not like moving an older Australian from his environment. After all I grew up with my American father, and I grew up listening to his American music collection constantly.

CW Stoneking

MPFR: This brings me to another question, we wanted to ask you what were your first steps, how did you take up the banjo and guitar?

STONEKING: I started playing the guitar when I was 11. My mother had an old one in the shed she pulled it out from there and gave it to me, learned some chords of songs I was familiar with, so all the kids that knew how to play the guitar sort of got together. Seen that I was a wild boy, It was very soothing for me at the time.

MPFR: Do you miss your banjo in your performances?

STONEKING: I didn’t use the banjo on this record because I wanted different sounds. It had already happened in the past where I had to give up some projects recordings (say with wind instruments) that I enjoyed very much. With respect to the banjo, I can say that I have it always handy, in my house, and play it any time I wish. So, I don’t really miss it.

MPFR: We, instead, missed you not being on the recording scene for six years. With your respect to your last record Gon’ Bogoloo, you really go down heavy with root-blues especially on Zombie and Mama got the Blues. Love me or Die is another of my favourites from Jungle Blues .They are all very intense as much as they are unsual. The atmosphere reminds me of primordial blues, that was sang in cotton field camps. You fundamentally talk about slavery, but try and put it on a “lighter note”. They are all tormented songs and also thanks to your voice have always had a vintage flavour, how do you obtain it?

STONEKING: With respect to recording you can’t really help it. It’s like the Rolling Stones when they went to record to the States they wanted to sound like Muddy Waters but in the end they sounded like the Rolling Stones. My last work was recorded very simply. And I don’t know if it depended on my laziness or to get the record over and done with real quickly. Anyhow that is what I really sound like and has its positive sounds and shortcomings. As far as I know there hasn’t been in the past 60 years a full band with two microphones and two vocalists only. With respect to music, my main influence goes back to the ‘20s and ‘30s and it was in that period that milestones for American music and society were actually thrown.

Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones

MPFR: On Mama got the Blues bassline, which btw is one of my other favourite tracks, with its flat line and rhythmic gait betrays strange hip hop influence while your voice has a magnetic sound.

STONEKING: Yeah that bassline i wrote time some time ago..... when i wrote Jungleblues, I was caught in a trap. In Mama’s got the blues anytime i deviated away from it, it took many years to go back to it occasionally then figure a way out again. The hollow cry, the melody with which it began , so as to open an air, yeah, you know it is a bit hip hop you know, I was inspired by a 50cents hit which had keypad sounding (plays on table few hip hop notes) that could have been just the conclusion of that record now that you make me think about it.

MPFR: (Just for a laugh) We didn’t not want to compare you with 50cents.

STONEKING: It always happens. People ignore me when I say it. That is where the idea came from though. (laugh).

MPFR: Just needed your confirmation (laughter!)

MPFR: On Gon Bogoloo there are many female vocals with a doo wop influence if not gospel . How did you find them in Australia and get those magical vibes out of them?

STONEKING: They are are two sets of sisters The Kelly Sisters,I have known their father who is a very popular Australian singer-songwriter who recommended them. The Kellys are here with us, and Vic and Linda Bull and Tom on the Zombie video. At first wanted to find a traditional African choir which i had seen on you tube, they are very hard to track down. They are traditional and not interested in making records basically you know. The two sets of sisters on the record and are that are here are very different with respect to the sounds they have, they only needed some directives and the job was done.

MPFR: Our congratulations to them as well! They managed to enhance your characteristic sound.

STONEKING: Will pass on the compliments to the girls.

The Kelly Sisters

MPFR: With respect to record company, it seems you now have firmly chosen to propose your music through your own label King Hokum, this certainly helps because you have a greater freedom in choosing your tracks. However this shall mean harder work with respect to production, distribution etc. What do you think?

STONEKING: I use distributors in the UK, Europe, in New Zealand but not in America. It’s mostly worked pretty good, but having said this, I think i might downsize and go very independent to the point of mail order sort of thing.

The last Stoneking's album

MPFR: Are you working on analog still?

STONEKING: The last record didn’t touch the computer once. The CDs did but not the vinyl. But my first two records were both recorded on computer.Some people claim that they can tell if a record is made analogically or through cd tech. That’s bull-shit. One should forget about the gear. it’s all about music and song-writing, if one’s really good, they can record even from a cell-phone.

MPFR: What music do you listen to nowadays?

STONEKING: I listen to Gospel Records these past six yrs, the singing aspect of quartets which intrigued me very much. Don’t listen to too much other music because I’ve got four small children and then if I start playing other records I’d have to go to rehab you know (laugh).

MPFR: Well congratulations, four children! You might try with Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” , perhaps they might get the drift. (laugh)

MPFR: Well, we better let you go to your deserved dinner. We know how far you have travelled and thanks for the time granted.

STONEKING: Looking forward seeing you at the concert later tonight.

MPFR: Won’t miss you, that’s for sure!