News-Letter

I first saw Justin King in a "viral video" online about four years ago. A simple thing, really: just a man, a chair and a guitar. But Justin's hands moved on his instrument in ways I had never seen before. Both hands glided up and down the fretboard with a dexterity that seemed impossible, producing sounds that weren't just a mishmash of technical ability -- but real music. I became a fan instantly. A few years later and his band has been in and out of a contract with Epic. A couple of months ago, I managed to get him to agree to an interview. Hopefully, I could find out what would possess someone to back out of what is the Holy Grail to most aspiring bands. I caught Justin on his cell phone last Saturday while he was on his way to L.A. to play a show. The reception was spotty, but as always, he was more than accommodating. The first question to ask was obvious.

News-Letter: So, where'd you learn to play like that?

Justin King: [laughs] Well, just experimenting with different ways to play the guitar. And then, through that, being turned on to other people who were doing similar stuff.

N-L: Anyone specifically?

JK: I was playing shows around the campus where I was going to school at the time, and guitar geeks would come to the show. Of course, there was Michael Hedges, Pierre Bensusan.

N-L: Some of your solo work is more like "world music," if you have to call it something. Did you get the inspiration for this from traveling? Or was it just experimentation with different styles of music?

JK: It was really a combination of going to those places and just listening to music. I listen to African guitar players, but I never went to Africa. But I learned all my flamenco techniques from a player who played in a bar in Sevilla while I was traveling Spain.

N-L: Wow. Well, after you released a couple of solo albums, you started playing almost exclusively with a band. What prompted the switch?

JK: Well, really, I started out playing rock, playing in bands. The interest in guitar and world music came after. So the switch is me going back to that.

N-L: Your band released a couple of EPs, toured a bunch, and eventually got signed by Epic. How'd you manage that?

JK: They saw the video we did for one of our songs online, and basically just signed us after seeing the video. And then, over the last year and a half, that company was undergoing so many changes, that it became a bad situation for us. Basically it became a record by committee. You know, it's really a strange industry. We went from not being on the radar at all to being really on the radar, and suddenly everyone wanted to have a say, everyone wanted to have their hand in the pot. And that's just not the way the best records are made. If I had to do it over, I'd prefer to just turn a record into them, you know?

N-L: Take it or leave it.

JK: Yeah, just take it or leave it.

N-L: That's gotta be hard though, it seems to be every musician's dream to get signed by a label.

JK: Yes and no. We were kind of forced into it. I really don't think there was a decision for us to make. It was just time for us to go. A lot of bands do dream to get signed, but what that really means is a drastic change. Unless you're going to sell millions of records, which doesn't happen unless you're super-poppy, you're not going to have a great experience. I think the independent record labels are doing a lot of great stuff right now. People just as free agents are doing a lot of great stuff. So in a way, it's a really good time to be in a band.

N-L: Sounds like you're happy with where you are.

JK: Yeah.

N-L: So, as an independent band, where are you guys going next?

JK: Well the record's coming out finally. It should be around July or August. We're doing a bunch of touring now, and then we'll take a couple of months off to start working on another record. I'm probably going to do a solo album too.

N-L: Well, I know you guys have a show tonight, so I'll wrap this up.

JK: Yeah, we're playing at the Hotel Cafe;.

N-L: And then you'll be in Baltimore April 18th?JK: [laughs] If you say so.

Justin King will, in fact, be playing April 18 at the Recher Theatre in Towson.

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