On November Sixth 2011 I made my first international call to Paris to interview Ken Stringfellow, a powerful creative force (along with Jon Auer) behind Seattle’s long-running, legendary, melodic power rock combo, the Posies. A full-time Paris resident now, Stringfellow has a thriving career as a solo artist, is writing music scores for films, and is working on numerous musical side projects such as The Disciplines. The Posies’ 2010 album, Blood/Candy, which Stringfellow says was “their finest hour” was loved by fans and critics alike.
I first interviewed The Posies twenty-three years ago when they were all sharing a house in Seattle’s University District. Since that time, the two original Posies (Stringfellow and Auer) are all that remain from the line-up I interviewed in 1988. The Posies will be playing in Portland on November 17th at the Doug Fir Lounge with Derby and Curtains for You (tickets). Thy are also appearing in Seattle on November 19th at the Neptune (tickets), which is now a music venue, having been recently converted from a movie theater. After that Ken performs as a solo opening act and as bass player on some US dates with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns.
My interview went as follows:
I first interviewed you and your fellow Posies band mates back in 1988. You were all living in one big house in Seattle’s University district. Back then you all agreed that The Beatles were your biggest influence. Is that still true for you today?
Probably can say that’s a reasonable slice of pie. Beatle progression shows recording progression from 1962 to 1969. These days I’m influenced by living in Paris, family, and people I meet.
What do you listen to in your spare time these days?
I don’t have spare time. I work every day on my music or someone else’s. I took the day off on my birthday (October 30) and listened to Chore of Enchantment recorded in 1998. It was just reissued by a band called Giant Sand. It’s pretty incredible.
I know The Posies gained quite a loyal following in parts of Europe. Is that what convinced you to move permanently to Paris?
As much as I love hanging out w/ my fans, I fell in love and married a French woman, but Paris is where it’s all happening. The style in Paris is more clubbing or electronica. But there are other indie bands getting attention like a band called Herman Dune.
Paris has had a lot of social unrest in recent years and has been part of the global protests against the government’s handling of the economic crisis. Has this had any influence on your music?
Labor unions have a strong presence in Paris so strikes are common but the riots were a result of people who live in ghettos of Paris. There is a (social) divide and things aren’t getting better. The generation that’s most volatile in France is mostly third generation Algerian. France is just across the water from Algeria. They know they aren’t really Algerian, but aren’t really French and don’t want to be. France has been very generous in terms of welfare but less so in job training and education so it doesn’t change their situation. France is very generous with welfare so a lot of people want to move here from outer countries. This is causing a lot of European countries to swing right. Socialists are still favored but have little plan to pay for what they want. This offers a door for the extreme right to walk thru.
In the twenty three years since I last interviewed The Posies and saw your first show at The Amazing Attic in Seattle, you’ve recorded and performed with some of the finest musicians and bands. You’ve been a producer, an arranger and by reading your diary, I see you’re living a life of luxury in Paris. Is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’d like to do?
A couple things come to mind. I’ve been developing a very intimate style with my music. My solo albums combine all types of music. But I want to play w/ the bare minimal style to get closer to my audience. I would like to spend a good chunk of 2012 working on my solo stuff. Working with The Posies is all great but working on my solo stuff is what I want to do. With the Posies there are two singers/songwriters. With a solo artist it’s still a democracy but as a solo artist I can work on my agenda. Some of my shows attract more people than The Posies. It’s time for me to do my thing. I sort of owe it to myself to push my agenda as far as I can. Number two is I’m making an electronic album with a drummer who’s seventy years old who’s played with Tina Turner & Howard Jones and Bjork. The recordings we’ve done are amazing, mostly instrumental. There are already labels fighting for them.
The third thing is film scoring. I’m working with a filmmaker in Seattle now. It’s a short called Bunker that’s probably going to hit film festivals next year, but I can’t say for sure as I’m just performing the score.
What’s next for The Posies? Are you going to be performing together more frequently? Are you going to tour again or record together again?
Who knows. I just laid out three things that could take up the rest of my life. This puts The Posies future in doubt. Besides, we live on different countries so it takes a lot of planning. It’s a big logistical issue get together. If offers keep coming to work in the studio, I do that. If we play a show we have to make it worth the money for four people to fly in from different parts of the world.
What advice would you give to young people now who are trying to break into the music business?
Hire me. Everybody finds their way. Alot of advice I got when I was young was bad, but things are always changing I’m working in new environments now, trying figure out the best way to do things.
What do you see yourself doing in five years or even ten years from now?
Pretty much what I just described. Solo stuff I could do forever as long as my voice holds up or my hearing holds up. So long as long as my brain holds, out I’ll still come up with ideas.
