Thursday 14 April 2016

August Wells Q&A

Your name: 
Kenneth Griffin.

Where are you from? 
New York City.

Name of band: 
August Wells.

Who else is in your band?
John Rauchenberger.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?
Well that's for others to decide. It's been described to us as "other worldly chamber music, and a secret marriage between Willie Nelson and Lee Hazelwood, Frank Sinatra singing Lou Reed songs.

Who are your main influences musically?
It's hard to say. I find if you talk about your influences it effects people's ability to hear your music honestly and without prejudice. I love many many artists. I tend to stick around the greats like Nina Simone and Bill Withers, Dylan and Leonard Cohen, no true surprises, maybe my love of Sun Ra and John Coltrane might be less obvious.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 
To be as good an artist as I possibly can be, and to find my true voice, which sometimes seems like an endless search.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Touring now, because the songs seem to be really coming alive for audiences, and the responses are intense. Playing Beacon theatre in New York last year was lovely. The protagonist in a hard boil mystery novel "Slaughters Hound" quotes my lyrics, and listens to my songs,seeing your name written in a novel is quite strange and fun.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Oh it all informs you of something, I have probably forgotten.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
I suppose "Here in the Wild"  encompasses a lot of what we do, but you don't want one song to sum you up. Some are grand dramatic romantic gestures, others are much more intimate and lyrical.

Where can we listen to it?


Where can we find out more about your music?
Instagram: @AugustWellsBand

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?
 'Here In the Wild' is released in the UK on the 22nd of April. Visit the website for more.

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