Interview with Singer-Songwriter Kaydi Johnson
Kaydi Johnson discusses her unique musical style and why she finds inspiration in reading Shakespeare!
Commitment: 2008 was a great year for you! You were a finalist in both the Founders Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival and the Avalon Folk Festival, you were a featured artist at the International Narrative Song Competition and you won the Avalon Song Writing Competition! What's on your agenda for 2009?
Kaydi Johnson: Yes, 2008 was a great year. I have a lot planned for 2009. I just returned from the Cape May, NJ, Singer/songwriter festival where I showcased my work and had a song, "Night Student," selected for their compilation CD. This summer I'll be returning to the Avalon Folk Festival as a result of winning last years contest. I plan to gig as much as I can or as much as my two dogs will allow me to! They are not at all supportive of my career, as they like to join me wherever I go. I will also begin recording my fourth CD, which I plan to produce as a solo, acoustic record. And of course, most importantly, continue to write.
Commitment: Your music seems to defy categorization. How would you describe it?
Kaydi: This is always a tough question. I find it difficult to describe my self or my work. Defying categorization is a good start though. I am a bit defiant by nature so it's easy to define my music as defiant as well. When I attempt to compare myself to other artists I feel limited and confined to the barometers of their distinct musical ethos, thus neglecting the unique stylistic aspects of my work that can't compare to anyone else's. I don't deliberately break the rules when it comes to songwriting but when I do and something quirky and outrageous is born, and it works, I am happy to be the proud owner of a song that is unlike any that has come before. There's so much emulation, hackneyed lyrics and clichés out there that the world doesn't necessarily need another formulaic songwriter. Though I've been influenced by many great songwriters I don't think I'm like anyone else. In terms of genre-let's call it "Defiant Literary Folk Scat," that doesn't always follow the rules of conventional songwriting but works and I hope is refreshing and enjoyable for the discernable ear.
Commitment: When did you first start writing songs?
Kaydi: I wrote my first song in my head before I could write with my hand. I've been making stuff up as long as I can remember. I was always singing to myself-stringing words together. I found an old guitar in the attic when I was about ten years old. It was cracked and had three rusty strings on it. I started plucking at it, a song came out of me and the rest is history. I got the guitar strung and taught myself how to play it. I've always been a writer.
Commitment: You released your third CD, Peasant of the Wreck, in 2008. What themes run through Peasant of the Wreck?
Kaydi: It's probably my most political album; not blatantly political but metaphorically political. There are themes of the dark plight of a contemporary American family in "Mary." Themes of unrequited love, "Injured Angel" and "Bonsai." The theme of the desire for connection and the inability to completely connect. The theme of addiction is present in "Small God." It's versatile and universal and I hope each song explores and delivers something worthwhile.
Commitment: You site Shakespeare and cars as influences! Can you elaborate on that?
Kaydi: I've always been drawn to language. The rhythm of words. The way they are arranged and the music they can create alone on the page. Shakespeare's sonnets and plays have always been favorites of mine in terms of language and character. There are always two or more sides or faces to his characters and just when you think you admire and know a character, things shift and turn-that person is suddenly not the person you thought you knew and revered. It's so much like that in real life. I love the universality and timelessness of Shakespeare's portrayal of human nature. Conventions have changed, but people are basically the same throughout time. And his words of wisdom continue to resonate. The sonnets. Delicious. "Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds." is a line of Shakespeare's that I used in "Bonsai," one of my songs from "Peasant of the Wreck." He does such acrobatics with the language and I am influenced by that aspect of his work. As Shakespeare's lines often resonate with me, I strive to write songs that will resonate with others. I love it when a stranger comes up to me after a show and recites a line from one of my songs. Now that's awesome. I also love his vindication of women-they are so fearless and powerful. Thanks, Bill.
Commitment: How have your own life experiences influenced your music?
Kaydi: As a child, I was pretty much left to fend for myself. Music became a place for me to hide. A place for me to learn the world, leave the world or create a new one. Music was my light. I derived material from my pain. I derived material from my pleasure. Writing was and is my salvation. Without it I don't know how I would have survived.
Commitment: Where can we learn more about your music?
Kaydi: Email me: kaydi@telltalerecords.com
Visit my website: www.kaydijohnson.com
www.myspace.com/kaydijohnson
To purchase Peasant of the Wreck, click here.
