Kenyon Adams and American Restless
How you guys all met?
The core of the band is Kenyon Adams & Noah Lekas (American Restless). We are actually brothers-in-law, so we met through our wives who are sisters.
What’s your method at time of writing a song?
Our first song was “Shame” which is featured on our new EP. The song was originally undertaken to try to win grant money for Noah, a small arts grant from a group called Spark and Echo Arts in NYC. After the original version was submitted, we thought it’d be cool if Kenyon interpreted the song in an informal jam session. At this time Kenyon was experimenting with vintage mics and with Noah’s help digging deep into Chicago blues. As soon as we heard the sound of our elements combined, we knew we had something worth exploring. We’ve since begun our journey of exploring the sound.
How you see the Blues scene now in days?
The Blues is getting some attention with the rise of bands like the Black Keys, White Stripes, North Mississippi All Stars and of course, Gary Clark Jr. Even John Mayer’s transformation is rooted in a passage through the blues tradition. But Kenyon Adams & American Restless hope most of all to contribute to a new era of blues music, not just reinterpret old material or the old sound in a purist sense but rather re-discover and imagine that old, pure sound in today’s context.
What are your music influences?
The band’s influences combine Kenyon’s southern soul and gospel roots with Noah’s Chicago-based blues passion. You’ll hear everything from R.L. Burnside to the Black Crowes. We meet aesthetically in the 1950′s and live in the shadow of the late 1960′s for inspiration.
How would you describe your sound?
Blues/Rock/Soul with a late 60′s electricity and fire that takes you back to Woodstock and down to old Muddy Waters Chicago all at once.
Are there any message you are looking to spread with your music?
We are concerned with encouraging people, as is the tradition of the commiserative blues and gospel songs. There is joy in the midst of pain, and jubilation after suffering.
Can you tell us more about the recording process and the writing for your latest EP?
Yes, we took a trip down to the Washington DC area and connected with our father-in-law, producer Skip SoRelle. We couldn’t have done it without him. It was a family affair.
Are there any plans for the near future?
We are targeting festivals and hope to open for some of our favorite new acts, namely WB artist Gary Clark Jr. and ATO’s Alabama Shakes. We are also big fans of the jam bands like North Mississippi Allstars and Robert Randolph. We think we would be a good pairing with them as well. So we’ll see what opens up.
What has been the funniest moments you guys have been or took part while touring?
Once the drummer got stuck in transit so we had to start without him. He walked right through the crowd, jumped on stage and we started rockin! Turned out to be a great show.
Do you feel you are moving on the right direction?
Definitely, we’ve had great feedback from industry people and the music scene in our hometown of NYC. We’ve been fortunate to frequent one of our favorite venues, Rockwood Music Hall. We feel a certain momentum and look forward to sharing our music to an even broader audience this year.
Check out more at: http://www.reverbnation.com/kenyonadamsamericanrestless