$\"Image\"$ <\/a>

Will Kimbrough performing solo at a house concert in Richmond VA, June 2012. Photo credit: Jacob Aaron.<\/p><\/div>\n

Will Kimbrough is a triple-threat: A seasoned songwriter, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, and master showman. Then again, you could say he’s much more than just a triple-threat. He’s also a great singer, and most importantly, an incredibly nice guy. Countless musicians have enlisted him to play on their recordings. He’s toured with Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, had his songs recorded by Jimmy Buffett… The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

We approached him before a dynamite 3-plus hour solo concert on March 8, 2013 at Ashland Coffee & Tea in Ashland, VA. He graciously answered our questions and offered up some wisdom, Yoda style.<\/p>\n

Jeff: When did you first start playing music?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Will: I started playing guitar when I was twelve. For my 12^{th<\/sup> birthday I got a guitar, and I guess I started then. I played piano a little bit before that, and I played violin a little bit before that, so\u2026 you know, 11\u2026 37 years ago.<\/p>\n}

Brian: Since you\u2019re such a multi-instrumentalist, if there was a deserted island instrument, what would it be for you?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Will: Oh, I\u2019d probably take a\u2026 If I was gonna be on a desert island, all alone with a guitar, I\u2019d take a little old Gibson, or a little old Martin; a triple-o, a double-o, or a L-double o, LG2 Gibson\u2026<\/p>\n

Jeff: Do you have one?<\/p>\n

Will: No.<\/p>\n

Jeff: Well, maybe there\u2019d be one stashed away on the island\u2026<\/p>\n

Will: If I could take one, and it didn\u2019t have all the cracks in it, I\u2019d take my Martin D-18.<\/p>\n

Jeff: I was gonna say a Les Paul and a Marshall stack, \u2018cause I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll have electricity on the island.<\/p>\n

Will: (laughs) Right.<\/p>\n

Jeff: You\u2019ve played with a lot of musicians. But is there anybody who you haven\u2019t played with, who you would really like to play with?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Will: Oh, sure. There\u2019s all kinds of people\u2026 Gosh, there\u2019s a lot. I mean, some of the people I\u2019d love to play with have passed away, many of them.<\/p>\n

Jeff: I mean, preferably a living person.<\/p>\n

Will: I\u2019d love to play with Ry Cooder\u2026 I love Ry Cooder and David Lindley, I love a whole bunch of African guitar players, that I\u2019d love to sit in a room with and play, \u2018cause they have a different thing\u2026 And, you know, tons of different people, but\u2026 I mean, I\u2019ve gotten to play with a lot of people, and a lot of people that nobody would have ever heard of. I\u2019d love to play, like, Chuck Berry rhythm with Keith Richards, all day.<\/p>\n

Jeff: How about someone who\u2026 maybe I should have asked the question a different way\u2026<\/p>\n

Will: Okay.<\/p>\n

Jeff: More specifically someone who is, you know\u2026 in a genre that you may not usually play in.<\/p>\n

Will: Oh, right. Okay. Jim Hall\u2026 jazz guitar player. He\u2019s still around, and I\u2019d love to play with him. He\u2019s in his eighties, but he still plays really well. No offense to you octogenarians out there\u2026 I didn\u2019t mean to presume that they couldn\u2019t play well. But um\u2026<\/p>\n

Jeff: B.B. King\u2026<\/p>\n

Brian: Who else?<\/p>\n

Will: Sonny Rollins\u2026 sax player\u2026 Jim Hall, jazz great, been playin\u2019 forever, and he still plays great, and he has a unique thing that I cannot possibly do.<\/p>\n

Brian: Yeah. Very cool.<\/p>\n

(Brian): When was your first paying gig?<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Will: I was twelve, and they used to have bands at skating rinks in Mobile (Alabama, Will\u2019s hometown), roller-skating places, on Saturday night. So, in December of 1976, which was six months after I got a guitar, we played in Skate World, in Mobile, Alabama, and\u2026<\/p>\n

Jeff: That must have been interesting.<\/p>\n

Will: \u2026We made a hundred and fifty bucks.<\/p>\n

Jeff: That\u2019s a lot for a first paying gig.<\/p>\n

Will: That\u2019s what they paid. They paid everybody 150 bucks, and so, it didn\u2019t matter. We talked \u2018em into booking us, and it was\u2026 actually, that was my first gig. I got paid the first gig, so of course I got hooked right into it, you know?<\/p>\n

Brian: Oh yeah, definitely. \u201cThere\u2019s money in this\u201d!<\/p>\n

Will: Twenty years later I was still making a hundred and fifty bucks! (laughs)<\/p>\n

Jeff: Well\u2026<\/p>\n

Will: It\u2019s okay!<\/p>\n

Jeff: Steady job\u2026<\/p>\n

Will: Yeah, that\u2019s right!<\/p>\n

Brian: That might be kind of dangerous, though, for the skaters \u2018cause\u2026 they\u2019d start weaving with the music, and then\u2026 bashing into people\u2026<\/p>\n

Will: Well, they kinda\u2026 yeah, it was dangerous. They quit doin\u2019 it pretty quickly.<\/p>\n

Brian: Yeah.<\/p>\n

Will: We got the heyday of the skating\/rock \u2018n\u2019 roll combination.<\/p>\n

$\"Will$ <\/a>
Rockin’ the resonator solo, 2012. Photo by McTell Brothers.<\/p><\/div>\n
Jeff: Is there any advice you can give to musicians who are just journeying into the music business?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/i>Will: Yeah! Well, if you have expectations about any part of it, try to get rid of \u2018em. And then you\u2019ll get new ones, but you just have to constantly\u2026 If you destroy your expectations as quickly as possible, you\u2019ll save yourself a lot of getting your feelings hurt. I\u2019m not talking about success or money, I\u2019m talking about everything; your ability to play. Your ability to play what\u2019s in your head. You just have to keep trying, I mean\u2026 The reason I play multiple instruments is \u2018cause I\u2019m willing to play badly in front of an expert. Honestly! And just do it! Because you have to learn. And once you\u2019re in the swing of everything and you\u2019re not learning at home as much anymore, you\u2019re just out playing. So you get an instrument and you take it onstage and just work on it, you know? Otherwise you\u2019re waiting five years until you\u2019re good enough, and then\u2026<\/p>\n
Fear and expectations are a real enemy. And I\u2019m saying that, I think, because I just let go of a bunch of expectations, and I realized as soon as I did, that I started to get new ones. Just about, like, what to expect from other people, for one thing, in general. Not that it\u2019s a cynical thing, that other people aren\u2019t going to do you right, but only you<\/em>\u00a0know what you want. And only you<\/em>\u00a0know when you\u2019re getting it; other people can never tell you that you\u2019re getting what you want out of life; I\u2019m just talking in general\u2026 Your time, your schedule, tour schedule, studio schedule…<\/p>\n
You have to stand up for yourself, and you have to tell people honestly, \u201cno, that doesn\u2019t make me comfortable\u201d, or \u201cthis is how much it costs for me to do this thing\u201d. And if you\u2019re afraid that they\u2019ll say \u201coh, well that\u2019s too much, I\u2019m gonna hire somebody else\u201d, and so you don\u2019t say it, then you\u2019re not representing yourself. You have to be willing\u2026 If something\u2019s making your stomach turn, but you\u2019re trying to make a living playing music, you shouldn\u2019t just take it just \u2018cause you\u2019re afraid of being broke.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I\u2019m saying. But\u2026 Try to look with clear eyes, and there\u2019s all kind of different ways to look at it throughout your life. I mean there\u2019s when you\u2019re just getting started, and you\u2019re just grateful that anybody will let you play anywhere. And then there\u2019s a little bit where you get to where people are comin\u2019 out and showin\u2019 up, and then your expectations will be, like, you expect people to come at that point, because they have<\/i> been. Then there\u2019ll be a night where they don\u2019t. And you\u2019re crushed, you know? Or you get a job with somebody that you admire, and you expect them to do something that you dreamed of, and it turns out they\u2019re just people. They\u2019re just people with an extraordinary gift.<\/p>\n
So, there\u2019s always the twenty-two hours of the day that you travel around to get to a gig, and then there\u2019s two hours that you\u2019re actually playing the show. And that\u2019s all you get of the wonderfulness. (laughs) You know what I\u2019m sayin\u2019?<\/p>\n
Jeff: \u201cIs this two hours worth it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Will: Well, you know, what is your time worth to you? And it\u2019s not just a monetary thing, it\u2019s a spiritual thing, you know\u2026 Where do you want to go with your music? Because\u2026 the future started five minutes ago, you know. I mean\u2026 For me, the future started forty years ago.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s like\u2026 Don\u2019t hesitate to put your music out if your record feels like it\u2019s done\u2026 You don\u2019t feel like you have enough money to hire a publicist, or a radio promotion or whatever. Don\u2019t hesitate. Press the CDs up, take \u2018em to the gig, give \u2018em away to people that you think can help you\u2026 I have a lot of advice.<\/p>\n
Jeff: Yeah.<\/p>\n
Will: But, honestly\u2026 I\u2019m not saying \u201cgive it away on the Internet\u201d, or whatever, that\u2019s such a clich\u00e9\u2026 and that\u2019s fine if you wanna do that…\u00a0But it\u2019s not expensive to make a good sounding record, and it\u2019s not expensive to make good looking artwork, and it\u2019s not expensive to press up some CDs and then give \u2018em to people and sell \u2018em at your shows. And then your songs are out there in the public.<\/p>\n
I mean, I wouldn\u2019t have gotten my first Jimmy Buffett cut ten years ago if I hadn\u2019t made a CD that I couldn\u2019t afford to make, really, and put it out, and he got my record and he liked it, and he wanted to cut a song. He didn\u2019t want to cut a song by a songwriter who pitched him a song, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n
I just finished recording the fourth album in a row with him. I got a four-album, ten-year writing and recording relationship with Buffett and the guys in his band. And it started because I made a record that I put out, instead of waiting because I didn\u2019t think I could, you know what I mean? And I\u2019ve just gone through that again where I thought I couldn\u2019t, and I haven\u2019t put it out yet, but I\u2019m finishing it now. Because I know that it\u2019s more like you can\u2019t afford not to put your music out there. \u2018Cause people need to hear the songs.<\/p>\n
You know, somebody who was texting me this morning was talking about a song we wrote and recorded on her album, and she was like \u201cI wish I could have sang it better, I wish we didn\u2019t have to do it on one-inch, eight-track tape\u201d, and I was like \u201cWhat are you, nuts?! That was the best sounding thing we ever did!\u201d. We sang a duet into one mic and did it live. And people have that forever on a record, instead of us, like, nitpicking it together on a computer.<\/p>\n
Jeff: Right, \u201cI wish I could change that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian: Imagine all the great albums out there\u2026 I\u2019m sure as soon as it was released, Neil Young said something like, \u201cOh, I hate my vocals on\u2026 \u2018Ambulance Blues\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Will: (laughs) That\u2019s a good one.<\/p>\n
Brian: Exactly, like\u2026 \u201cI wish I could go back and redo \u2018em\u201d\u2026 They\u2019re amazing!<\/p>\n
Will: Well, I\u2019ll say this, some other advice for people:<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re makin\u2019 your own record, listen to your favorite records and try to listen fairly, listen to those Beatles records – like, listen to when the bass goes high on \u201cHey, Jude\u201d, and it\u2019s way out of tune\u2026 (sings bass line)\u2026 \u201cLet it out and let it in\u2026\u201d. It\u2019s totally sharp, like\u2026 six cents sharp. But you know what? No one has ever cared. Which isn\u2019t to say you should make your albums out of tune. But the spirited performance that sounds good always should win out over technical perfection that sounds good to the engineer.<\/p>\n
Jeff: I definitely agree with you.<\/p>\n
Brian: Were The Band\u2019s harmonies ever always on key, like, all the time?<\/p>\n
Will: No, but that\u2019s the whole\u2026<\/p>\n
I\u2019m trying to take my own advice, is the interesting thing, like\u2026 You learn stuff and then you\u2026 Your life changes and then you have to learn it all over again, every time, for each phase of your life.<\/p>\n
Jeff: Yeah, it\u2019s interesting, sometimes it seems like that, like\u2026 \u201cDidn\u2019t I already figure that out? Shouldn\u2019t I already know that?…<\/p>\n
Brian: That happens all too often to me.<\/p>\n
Jeff: \u2026Do you really have to learn all over again?\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"Image\"$ <\/a>
With Paul Griffith on drums, Nashville TN, Sept. 2011 (photo by McTell Brothers).<\/p><\/div>\n
Will: I think you do. Because I learned a lot as a band member, and then I had to learn it as an individual, and then I had to learn it as a sideman… I had to learn it as a session player… I had to learn it as a writer, and I had to learn it as a guy that put his own record out. I had to learn it as a guy who had a record deal. I had to learn it as a guy who had a major label record deal. I had to learn it as a guy who had an independent record deal, and I had to learn it again as a guy who put his own record out. I had to learn it as a guy who writes songs in a publishing deal. I had to learn it as a guy with no publishing deal\u2026 and it never ends. But if you can just jump right into it when it\u2019s in front of you, and not be afraid, and ask questions. Instead of acting like you know what you\u2019re doing just, like \u201cMan, I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about. What are you talking about? Show me! Make it easy for me. Help me out here.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Will Kimbrough is a triple-threat: A seasoned songwriter, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, and master showman. Then again, you could say he’s much more than just a triple-threat. He’s also a great singer, and most importantly, an incredibly nice guy. Countless musicians have … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,6],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews-with-musicians","category-nashville","category-will-kimbrough","tag-will-kimbrough"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mctellbrothers.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}