Getting to Know…Kurt Riley | Interview

For Interview #14, Multi-instrumentalist and singer Kurt Riley totally breaks down his solo artistry, providing The Musical Hype with some in-depth answers. 

Intellectual conversation tends to be extremely stimulating. Why start the introductory paragraph to this interview with such an assertion? Well, Interview #14 is a special one to say the least.  Not only is Kurt Riley an awesome musician (he plays 10 instruments and sings), he’s incredibly intelligent, something easily perceptible from his answers to some rather basic questions. Sure, The Musical Hype is only 14 Getting to Know(s) / interviews in, and the expectation is more artists will tell us the goods about their careers, but it’s safe to say that the self-proclaimed metapop star provides the most in-depth answers yet.  Let’s dig right into interview #14 with Kurt Riley.

Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype (BF): Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique as a solo artist? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Kurt Riley (KR): On any YouTube video by a legendary group, you’ll inevitably encounter a comment by someone that sounds something like this: “Why doesn’t anyone make music like this anymore?” Even more haunting are those which read “I’m only XX years old, and I love this music more than anything my friends listen to; I wish I was born when it first came out.” At the risk of being immodest – I’m what those people are searching for.

My music is not mired in nostalgia, but it is deeply informed by the epochal musical achievements of the past 100 years, inspired by everyone from Robert Johnson to Roxy Music. I call this style metapop. My oeuvre contains a litany of styles and amalgams: darkwave with tribal drums, Beatlesque powerpop, and raging post-punk, to name a few.

Some groups have the songs. Some have the voices. Others have the instrumental skill, or the image. I’ve got ‘em all. (Especially the humility. Ha ha.)

My band and I give performances which are frequently compared to those of Queen, Bowie, T.Rex, and many of the other heroes who live within my pantheon. We deliver ridiculously catchy songs with power and verve, wrapped up in leather, foundation, and Kohl.

BF: Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did you solo career start, and what were some of the goals or the visions you had early on?

KR: Being a solo artist is doubly as difficult as forming a band, for when you begin, you’re on your own. Throughout the years, I’ve played with different groups, and I’ve had several lineups that I’ve recorded or performed with. This current iteration, however, is the finest – and the last. These fellas are it for me. They’re the best band I’ve ever played with. No matter what compositions I throw at ‘em, they bring them to life with new tones, arrangements, or subtleties. I’ve been a musician for over fifteen years, and I’ve been waiting that entire time for these three guys.

From day one, my goal has been to bring the rock and roll I adore so much into the 21^st After all, rock and roll saved my life; the least I could do is return the favor. Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Little Richard – they had this freewheeling abandon in their records which lifted the spirit and shook the hips. That feeling is utterly gone from today’s beat-matched, quantized musical product. But the technology is more advanced than ever before, right? So, this is akin to bringing the ’57 Chevy into the shop and putting on the hover pads, the jet intake, the holographic paint – a remake/remodel for the future. A refit, if you will.

BF: Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

KR: My goal is the same as it was in the forefront. My knowledge of how one accomplishes that goal has expanded greatly. (Unfortunately, so has my cynicism. Ha ha.)

We’ve had dozens of people at concerts across New York state say why aren’t you guys famous? Why haven’t I heard of you? We hear that with constant frequency. And the answer is simple; the music industry only wants a sure thing. So, if you look like Taylor Swift, they’ll sign you on the spot and put you out on the road and across digital media. But an oddity like me – they don’t know what to do with it, let alone give it a chance at all. So, I remain locked out of the party, watching through the glass in the rain. But that’s where underdogs begin – on the outside, on the frontiers…unexpected.

BF: Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

KR: The Rolling Stones were my first great love, and the spell has never broken. They were my Rosetta Stone, my introduction to a greater world. (And Side 2 of Tattoo You is still one of the most sublime pieces of work I’ve ever heard in my life.)

In addition to the geniuses I’ve mentioned so far, other heroes include Gary Numan, Bo Diddley, Iggy Pop, The Killers, and Nat King Cole.

Singular artists make the greatest impression upon me – those who created their own definitive style, or improved an extant one. Clones don’t push the medium forward. 

BF: Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

KR: About a year ago, the band and I were giving an acoustic gig – kind of an “unplugged” thing (about as unplugged as Nirvana’s – ha ha). There were a number of Australian exchange students in the audience, and these girls went absolutely nuts for us. Began dancing onstage, singing along to songs they’d never heard before…one of them got my tambourine and played along to the whole set. Afterwards, they told us (in their beautiful accents) that we’d be gigantic down under. Told us to tour there, and took a bunch of photographs with us. Yet another sign from the heavens – why aren’t you playing at Madison Square Garden yet, Kurt? Get off your ass! Ha ha.

BF: Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

KR: Often, I characterize my songs as my children, given that I brought them into this world, I love them each very much, and find it impossible to choose between them. (They also take up all of my money!) But there are a few that stand out, for sure.

“Hush Hush Hush” is heartbreak in a bottle. I encapsulated the death of a beautiful romance with that number. When I play the song, it is as close as I’ll ever get to saying goodbye to that girl.

BF: Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

KR: Ha ha! Hmm – let’s see. I have a lifelong affinity for DC Comics, Star Trek (especially The Motion Picture era), and sci-fi/horror video games. (Still waiting for Half-Life 3. –sniff-)

The first time I ever sang in public was for a girl. I was in elementary school, and one of the prettiest girls a grade or so above me said I should sing “Joy to The World” at our annual Christmas concert. Of course, I had to – this was my big chance with her, right? So, I get up there in front of all of these families and my classmates, and head right on into the first note – and my voice breaks. “J-Oyy to the worrrrlllld…” Ha ha. It was pathetic – everyone began laughing. But I learned an important lesson – don’t get up there for anyone else. Get up there for yourself. (And drink water beforehand.)

BF:  Closing this thing out, what are you currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

KR: We’ve just recorded our next single, entitled Be Cool. The B-side is a gorgeous little thing called “Precious Angel.” I wrote it for my girlfriend, whom I adore. She’s the kindest, most forgiving woman I’ve ever loved, and she brought light into my life at a time when I was lost in darkness.

“Be Cool” is a vivifying, gigantic guitar pop song about feeling no shame in being oneself. Society is rife with pressures about what is “cool” and what is not. At this late age in life, I’ve learned that “cool” is quite simple; don’t give a damn what anyone thinks, live well, and treat others with compassion and empathy. That’s cool as hell.

“Be Cool” will also mark the end of the first chapter of my career. With this single, my initial phase comes to a close, three solo albums and three singles later. In January 2019, the band and I begin an entirely new visual and sonic phase, called Chrome Empire. Simply encapsulated – Blade Runner rock and roll, written about the future, for the future. It will sound unlike anything I’ve done – or anything anyone else has, for that matter.

BF: Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.   

KR: And thank you kindly for listening. My best to you and yours, as well.

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