Kasey Anderson » News

A HONKIES KICKSTART

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:47:28 +0000

I’ve been doing things on my own for a while now. Most of my career, really. My first record, Dead Roses (2004), was self-released – a process that took me nearly three years. While the follow-up, The Reckoning (2007), ended up being released by label, that process also took three years, and ended with me deciding to start my own label and, once again, do things on my own. Both Nowhere Nights (2010) and Heart of a Dog (2011), were released on Red River Records, which I continue to own and operate, mostly by myself, though I certainly owe a large debt of gratitude to a few friends. (Heart of a Dog was re-released by Red Parlor Records in late 2011, but Red River Records co-released that, as well.)

Prior to Heart of a Dog, I was responsible for the entirety of the songwriting responsibilities for my albums, which is why the albums bore only my name. The songs were mine and mine alone. When Andrew McKeag and the rest of The Honkies came on board in 2011, the way I wrote songs, and the way I played songs, began to change. Eric Ambel – who had produced my first three albums – and I began to collaborate, and Andrew and the rest of the Honkies took that a step further, contributing lyrics, riffs, and arrangement ideas. Y’know, all the stuff a band does. Over the last year of playing shows with Andrew, Eric Corson, Mike Musburger and (sometimes) Ty Bailie, I’ve come to learn that not only is it okay to occasionally depend on others, but there’s often a pretty great benefit in doing so.

As we start work on the next Honkies record, and as I watch my friends in their own independent, self-financed bands (Glossary, American Aquarium, et al) make use of platforms like Kickstarter and PledgeMusic, it dawns on me that maybe it’s time to, once again, admit that I need the help of others — this time of my friends and fans.

You see, we’ve got an idea for this record that we think is pretty good, but we’ll need your help to pull it off.

Back in October, we had a little time between CMJ gigs and we figured we’d try to duck into a studio and record “Abaddon Blues” (which just so happens to be the song you’ll receive immediately, free, when you donate to this project). While we were tracking at Strange Weather, Daniel, who was assisting Eric in engineering the session, mentioned that it had been a long time since he had seen a band track a song live, everyone in the same room, which surprised us, and got us thinking: why not make our record – or as much of it as we could – that way? So, with that in mind, we called up our buddy Kurt Bloch, who you’ll know from his days with the Fastbacks and The Young Fresh Fellows, or from the records he made with Robyn Hitchcock, The Minus 5, Nashville Pussy, and a whole bunch of other bands. We started tracking with Kurt in mid-November, all of us in one room – no headphones (except Muzz), no iso booths – playing live, and playing together. A take is a take. If we don’t get it, we try again, together. Sure, we’ll need to do some overdubbing here and there, but the band you hear on the record – guitars, bass, drums, keys – that’s us, playing live, together.

When we do need overdubs and other players, we think we’ve got a pretty good idea for that, too. We’ve all been at this long enough to have made a few friends along the way, and they’re spread out across the country. As luck would have it, we’ll spend a good part of early 2012 on the road touring behind Heart of a Dog, so we’ll end up in the cities where our friends live and, if memory serves, there are studios in those cities. So, when we need a friend to lend a hand here or there, we’ll bring our band, and our record, to them. A different studio in a different city, wherever we may be on any given night. The result, we think, will be a record that sounds like everything we love about playing music: being a band and having fun with our friends; playing live, playing together, and collaborating whenever and wherever we can with our favorite musicians.

In order to make the record this way – to record and produce and release and promote it – we’ll need your help. This is where the pre-orders/donations come in. At first I considered using Kickstarter or PledgeMusic, but when you donate to those sites, they take a percentage of your donation (albeit a small one), so some of your money goes to Kickstarter, or PledgeMusic, or Amazon, or whatever. Kickstarter also lets you know who donated what, and how many people donated how much, and while I understand the need for transparency there, I’ve always liked to keep my private life private, and something about that rubs me the wrong way. Likewise, the fact that if project doesn’t meet its “goal,” Kickstarter declares that project “unsuccessful,” doesn’t sit well with me. How can a group of people donating money to something they care about ever be considered “unsuccessful,” no matter how much or how little is raised? I’ve seen my friends use Kickstarter successfully, and I know they’re very grateful for it, so maybe this is just me being stubborn but, if I’m going to ask for help, I’ve got to do it my own way. We’ll still keep you updated – you’ll get the occasional email from honkiesdonations [at] gmail.com if that’s okay by you – so that sense of contribution and community that Kickstarter fosters won’t be lost, and you can always drop us a line (again, at honkiesdonations [at] gmail.com) and ask any question you’d like.

Our goal is $15,000 and we hope to hit that goal by February 1, 2012. If we don’t make the goal, or if we don’t make it by that time, I highly doubt any of us will consider this little project “unsuccessful,” and anyone who donated will still get every single thing they were promised.

We’re so grateful to all of you for listening, for coming to the shows, and for taking the time to read this. If you feel like contributing to the making of Let the Bloody Moon Rise, we’ll be infinitely grateful for that, too.

See you out there.

Kasey Anderson

December 5, 2011

Portland, OR

DONATE TO THE MAKING OF LET THE BLOODY MOON RISE

All pre-orders include an immediate digital download of “Abaddon Blues,” Kasey’s home demo for “All the Good You Lose,” and access to a backers-only site offering exclusive audio, video, photo and written content about the making of Let the Bloody Moon Rise.

Pledge $5 | “Abaddon Blues” + “All the Good You Lose” Demo + Exclusive Content

A digital download of “Abaddon Blues” and Kasey’s home demo for “All the Good You Lose” plus access to a backers-only site offering exclusive audio, video, photo, and written content on the making of Let the Bloody Moon Rise.

Pledge $10 | Pre-Release Digital Download

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release.

Pledge $25 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release and a CD (upon release) signed by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies.

Pledge $50 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Digital Download of Demos + Limited-Edition Poster

Pledge $75 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Limited-Edition Poster + Limited Edition T-Shirt

Pledge $100 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Backstage Passes

Pledge $150 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Passes + Personalized Handwritten Lyrics Notebook

Pledge $250 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Passes + Lyrics Notebook + Digital Download Cover of Your Choice

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release, a CD (upon release) signed by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, a digital download of Kasey’s home demos for Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a limited-edition poster designed by Keith Carter, a limited-edition Kasey Anderson and The Honkies t-shirt designed by Keith Carter, two backstage passes to the Kasey Anderson and The Honkies show of your choice, a notebook containing a personalized note from Kasey and handwritten lyrics and drawings for every song on Let the Bloody Moon Rise, and a digital download of Kasey’s home-recorded cover version of the song of your choosing.

Pledge $500 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Passes + Lyrics Notebook + Cover + Solo Show

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release, a CD (upon release) signed by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, a digital download of Kasey’s home demos for Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a limited-edition poster designed by Keith Carter, a limited-edition Kasey Anderson and The Honkies t-shirt designed by Keith Carter, two backstage passes to the Kasey Anderson and The Honkies show of your choice, a notebook containing a personalized note from Kasey and handwritten lyrics and drawings for every song on Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a digital download of Kasey’s home-recorded cover version of the song of your choice, and a solo acoustic show by Kasey at your home.

Pledge $750 |Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Passes + Lyrics Notebook + Cover + Solo Show + Studio Visit

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release, a CD (upon release) signed by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, a digital download of Kasey’s home demos for Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a limited-edition poster designed by Keith Carter, a limited-edition Kasey Anderson and The Honkies t-shirt designed by Keith Carter, two backstage passes to the Kasey Anderson and The Honkies show of your choice, a notebook containing a personalized note from Kasey and handwritten lyrics and drawings for every song on Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a digital download of Kasey’s home-recorded cover version of the song of your choice, a solo acoustic show by Kasey at your home, and a visit to the studio* to watch and listen as Kasey and The Honkies record Let the Bloody Moon Rise.

*Please email honkiesdonations [at] gmail.com if interested to confirm that The Honkies will be recording in a studio near enough to you to make this possible.

Pledge $1,000 | Pre-Release Download + Signed CD + Demos + Poster + Shirt + Passes + Lyrics Notebook + Cover + Solo Show + Studio Visit + Signed Gibson Firebird Guitar

A digital download of Let the Bloody Moon Rise one month before its official release, a CD (upon release) signed by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, a digital download of Kasey’s home demos for Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a limited-edition poster designed by Keith Carter, a limited-edition Kasey Anderson and The Honkies t-shirt designed by Keith Carter, two backstage passes to the Kasey Anderson and The Honkies show of your choice, a notebook containing a personalized note from Kasey and handwritten lyrics and drawings for every song on Let the Bloody Moon Rise, a digital download of Kasey’s home-recorded cover version of the song of your choice, a solo acoustic show by Kasey at your home, a visit to the studio* to watch and listen as Kasey and The Honkies record Let the Bloody Moon Rise, and Andrew McKeag’s Gibson Firebird guitar (played on stage with Presidents of the USA) signed by The Honkies.

*Please email honkiesdonations [at] gmail.com if interested to confirm that The Honkies will be recording in a studio near enough to you to make this possible.

LIVE HONKIES

admin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:00:42 +0000

Two new live EPs are now available from The Honkies Store. Live Honkies, a seven-song EP, was recorded live at Maryhill Amphitheater in Goldendale, Washington September 24, 2011, as The Honkies opened for Counting Crows. Live Honkies features the debut of “Abaddon Blues,” which will appear on the The Honkies’ forthcoming LP, slated for release in early 2012.

ABBADON BLUES
Abaddon Blues

Live at KEXP, a four-song EP, was recorded November 19, 2011 at KEXP studios in Seattle, Washington as The Honkies were guests on Hannah Levin’s Audioasis program. Live at KEXP features The Honkies’ cover of Delbert McClinton’s “Two More Bottles of Wine.”

The Honkies performed at this year’s CMJ and were joined by Adam Duritz of Counting Crows for a version of “Like Teenage Gravity,” which appears on Kasey’s album Nowhere Nights, and will appear on Counting Crows’ upcoming album.

“Like Teenage Gravity”

“Hanginaround” (Counting Crows with Kasey Anderson and Andrew McKeag)

HEART OF A DOG

admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:29:27 +0000

Kasey Anderson and The Honkies new album, Heart of a Dog, will be available September 27 on Red Parlor Records and Red River Records. Heart of a Dog was produced by Kasey Anderson and The Honkies with Jordan Richter, and features guest appearances by Jenny Conlee, Ralph Huntley, Garth Klippert, and many other friends.

The album’s first single, “Exit Ghost,” will hit radio September 20.

“Exit Ghost”
Exit Ghost

The iTunes release of Heart of a Dog will feature an exclusive bonus track, “Bad Actor,” produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel and featuring Ambel and Phil Cimino.

“Bad Actor” (Clip)
Bad Actor Clip

You can read some of the early press for Heart of a Dog here.

Got a radio? Or one of those satellite things? Tired of the endless parade of manufactured, autotuned dreck being blasted out over the wires every day? There are a few great stations left, and they’ll be happy to play Heart of a Dog for you if you ask them to.

THE WRONG LIGHT

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:28:47 +0000

SOME DEPRESSION

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:26:10 +0000

Kasey Anderson and The Honkies’ exclusive Record Store Day 2011 7″ single, “Some Depression” (b/w “Mylow”) is now available from the official Kasey Anderson store. There are 50 limited edition, signed and numbered copies of Some Depression vinyl 7″ available for $5.99 each, or you can also download digital versions of the tracks for $0.99 each.

DAYTROTTER

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:26:04 +0000

Kasey’s Daytrotter Session is available now as a free 128kbps download or for $4.00 in Apple lossless format. Recorded in May of 2010 during Kasey’s solo Nowhere Nights tour, the session includes Kasey’s cover of Townes Van Zandt’s song, “To Live Is to Fly.”

“Kasey Anderson must have lived before. He might be on his third or fourth life, for all we can tell. You see, what we hear on his new record, “Heart of A Dog,” as we’ve heard on his past records, is a writer who can’t just be making it all up and couldn’t have lived it all either. It’s as if he’s seen things and lived in so many different pairs of shoes, put on so many different pairs of pants, that a reincarnation is the only possible explanation. The thing about reincarnation is that there’s no true way to track it. Those who haven’t had it happen to them can’t pinpoint it in others and those who might have lived previously don’t have the luxury of retaining any memory of all those forgotten days. All of it’s either lost upon us or just gone and yet Anderson seems as if he has access to the whispers and the weariness that old bodies might have uttered or gone through, in that order, for the songs that he writes are caked in the astute observations of a person who’s seen or is in the midst of seeing endless days. There’s a photographic memory of what does and what has made him feel taken, of what’s made him feel sullen and sunny, dead and alive – but mostly alive. Anderson sings with a trained eye for detail, selecting his words with efficiency and with striking effectiveness, as if he’s practiced them for an eternity, bit his tongue until he’d formed his thoughts just right. It’s one of those things that someone uncommonly mature or wizened can do, or does do. He sings like a Johnny Cougar doing a version of Jon Spencer, but turning barn burners into ballads and ballads into barn burners. We get the feeling that the people that he populates his songs with are sensible, but crazed and they’re teetering one way and another, not knowing if they’re going to maintain their balance or fall magnificently, end over end into the great unknown, an abyss of what’s next. He likely believes in the phrase, “He’s his own worst enemy,” in regards to nearly everyone he meets. We all should. Anderson gives great examples of its validity and he presents these resonant examples of what societal pressures turn people into and then the feasts that occur when everything starts to go haywire. He sings of the crowds gathering around the gallows, salivating at the hangings that are going to happen. He hints at the devil getting in, at letting our eyes grow big and be watered by the “wrong light.” What’s identified in these slippery, wayward tales of everyday people just trying to enjoy their twilights out on their front porches, licking a single-dip cone and keeping a little change jingling in their pockets when all the bills are paid and the children are tucked snugly into bed, is the sobering line from “Jack & Diane:” “Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.” Anderson gives us those who are down on their knees begging for mercy and he gives us all the rest too, singing, “You’ve seen the glory now you’re gonna see the fall.” It smacks hard, but some wake up from the fall different people, raring for that glorious feeling to come around once again.”

“Don’t Look Back”
Don’t Look Back

Listen to and download Kasey’s Daytrotter session

A DRINK WITH DAVE

admin — Sun, 29 May 2011 12:23:46 +0000

Kasey performed “Exit Ghost” on Dave Holmes‘ new web series, A Drink With Dave.

HEART OF A DOG PRESS

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 12:24:08 +0000

“8/10 – Anderson rallies the insurgent spirit of Westerberg, Adams, Chilton and other hard-bitten rabble-rousers whose common muse is the grit and glory of rock ‘n’ roll.”
BLURT

“Broodingly thoughtful and chock-full of swagger.”
AMERICAN NOISE

“Anderson seems as if he has access to the whispers and the weariness that old bodies might have uttered or gone through, in that order, for the songs that he writes are caked in the astute observations of a person who’s seen or is in the midst of seeing endless days.”
DAYTROTTER

“Barn-burners of epic proportions; Anderson’s songs overflow with an intensity that is enthralling.”
TWANGVILLE

“Anderson, who has made a name for himself as a talented songwriter of touchingly melancholy songs, shakes things up with electric guitar, gruff vocals, and unapologetic bravado.”
RECORD DEPT.

“[Heart of a Dog] is a 44-minute powerhouse of pure rock ’n’ roll that swaggers like the late-’70s Rolling Stones.”
CAMPUS CIRCLE

“Whether he’s whooping it up with macho rock n’ roll bravado, collapsing into the arms of a lover or challenging the ghosts of country music’s past – we find Anderson standing on top. Heart of a Dog showcases Anderson’s uncanny ability to light up the imagination of listeners. That’s why Heart of A Dog is already one of our favorites.”
RYAN’S SMASHING LIFE

“Essential listening.”
NINEBULLETS

“This album carries the heaviness and swagger of classic rock, just modernized. Heart of a Dog is accessible but in no way soft, and it is sure to speak to your innate rebellious rocker.”
SPUTNIK MUSIC

“One of the most interesting, dynamic records I’ve heard in a long time… the thing that makes [Anderson] unique is that he knows when to pull back and do something special.”
KATIE DARBY RECOMMENDS

“Cool. Very cool; [Heart of a Dog] screams with wild electric guitars wrought with distortion.”
FENSEPOST

“Gritty, grinding grooves ooze from Heart of a Dog in a way that’s reminiscent of the Rolling Stones, the Wallflowers, and the Georgia Satellites, yet so much more than that. Unique and familiar at the same time…”
INNOCENT WORDS

“Anderson has made a Rock & Roll record, and he aims to let you know it right off the bat.”
A FIFTY CENT LIGHTER

“[Heart of a Dog] has at once a damaged-yet-triumphant feel. It blends into a satisfying mix of classic storytelling, fundamental American musical style, and modern production.”
REVIEWSIC

“Heart of a Dog is an old-fashioned album with dirt on its knees; it’s one of the better pure rock ‘n’ roll records I’ve heard in the past year.”
THE MISSOULA INDEPENDENT

“Ten songs greased up that may make you yearn for years past or maybe just let the group’s electrified roots rock give you something new to show those friends of yours who will tell you no important music has been released since 1979.”
SONIC DISSONANCE

“An ambitious album; twangy, bluesy rock with compelling and edgy lyrics.”
MORE COWBELLE

“Stonesy, crunchy self-made strut and downtime reflection; there’s some fresh blood pumping throughout Heart of a Dog”
PARASITES AND SYCOPHANTS

“If there are any filmmakers out there, looking to soundtrack a scene where an obscenely hot woman is walking through a dark underground bar, full of tough looking bikers, all of whom stare as she struts in, with the camera tracking up her long legs to her head, look no further.”
411 MANIA

“Heart of a Dog is a complete, versatile and impressive album.”
INNER EAR MEDIA

“Anderson and company show a sharp sense of humor.”
SNOB’S MUSIC

“A band that can sizzle and groove.”
BMF

“A head-knocker; Anderson sweats out verses over the top of a fuzzed out Stratocaster.”
OREGON MUSIC NEWS

“Heart of a Dog makes you think you’ve just stumbled into some roadhouse where a band of rockers on the stage are about to turn the place upside down.”
VILLAGE RECORDS

“All the Stones’ grittiness and that intimate Northwest sound.”
CELEBRITY CAFE

“The next time I’m in the mood to hear authentic, no-frills rock’n'roll, I just might turn to Heart of a Dog instead of Gaslight Anthem, Green On Red, or Lucero.”
THERE STANDS THE GLASS

“Kasey Anderson and The Honkies are a band filled to the brim with talent.”
ALTSOUNDS

FREE SAMPLER

admin — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:09:50 +0000

Almost all of my favorite records came to me by way of suggestion from a friend. It remains my favorite way to discover new music. If you found your way here, I’m assuming that you’ve likely had a similar experience, being as my face isn’t splashed across the cover of Rolling Stone and my tunes aren’t burning up the weekend countdown charts of your local Entercom station.

So, if you’ve stumbled upon my tunes and think they’re worth sharing, I’d like you to do just that. To that end, here’s a seven-song digital sampler for you to share with whomever you’d like, however you’d like.

Sample This
01. Exit Ghost (from Heart of a Dog)
02. Sooner/Later (from Nowhere Nights)
03. Don’t Look Back (from The Reckoning)
04. Some Depression (from the Some Depression EP)
05. I Was a Photograph (from Nowhere Nights)
06. Revisionist History Blues (from Heart of a Dog)
07. For Anyone (from Kasey’s Daytrotter Session)

DOWNLOAD THE FREE SAMPLER

(This idea was originated by a phenomenal songwriter named Joe Pug. If you aren’t already listening to Joe, you should be.)

Thanks for listening, and thanks for your help.

- KA

JOIN THE EMAIL LIST

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:06:19 +0000

Join the email list and receive a free download of Kasey’s cover of the English Beat tune, “Save It for Later.” Just follow the link below to join.

>> JOIN THE EMAIL LIST