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Strange Days.....
by Chris Keenan, Athlone Topic
They outclass Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan, but local duo Kerbside are adamant that they have no interest in the rock 'n roll lifestyle. They spoke to reporter Chris Kelly in the lead up to their first album launch.
They came all the way from San Francisco and ended up in Athlone. But Sean and Kim Lightholder aren't planning any Irish-American takeover - unless you count the music scene. With their first album, "Anything Strange", set for its launch this Friday, the husband and wife duo will certainly be creating waves on the live music trail.
Sean and Kim (who play under the title 'Kerbside') spoke to the Athlone Topic in the hectic days leading up to the launch party. Many of those who follow the scene in and around Athlone will be familiar with the pair, who seem to be behind every musical gathering in the town. "I can't say what the scene was like before we got here, but live music in the Midlands is really picking up. It's certainly more musical than where we're from."
The Lightholders, both aged 30, arrived in Athlone almost three years ago due to a twist of fate. "My father is from Dublin, so we both came to Ireland, and were going between Dublin and Galway for job interviews. We already had some friends in Athlone and they suggested that we try it out here, since it's halfway between both cities. And we've never left!" Sean said.
Hailing from the Bay Area of San Francisco, the American state is much more synonymous with heavy rock and punk such as Metallica, Faith No More and Green Day than Kerbsides blend of folksy acoustic melodies. "There is some diversity, but it's hard to find support for indie music in the Bay Area. There aren't many venues, except for stadium type gigs, and to find people playing alternative music, well, they're few and far between," the pair explained.
Citing the Athlone Folk Club, Sean Lightholder believes that there is a lot of opportunity for people who want to play on front of an audience. "Most pubs in the Midlands have some guy in the corner - there is a real place for it here."
Kim describes a gig they played recently in Shannonbridge. "We had been told not to play any Irish traditional type music because the venue was right on the river and that kind of music is the last thing that tourists want to hear. Halfway through the set we realised people were leaving, and we put it down to the fact that we had played a traditional CD as pre-show music and our songs don't really reflect that. But Kim asked a bunch of guys where they were going halfway through and they said they were going to get their wives! Sure enough, loads of them came back in a few minutes later!"
This is the kind of appeal that Kerbside have. Thier music is uncomplicated and emotive, and an instant draw from the first track. Although some of the songs were penned by Sean (the main songwriter of the duo) while still in the States, he remarks that they didn't play much while they lived there. "It was more of a hobby then to be honest. I had a handful of songs in my head since I left my last band, but they have evolved a lot from when they were just a thought. When we were picking songs for the album, I could really tell the songs that had reached the point where they had matured. Kim's bass and vocals had a lot to do with that."
Kim mentions one of the songs from the album, "Travelling", which was written just a week before the albums recording. "It is definitely one of my favourites, It was formed out of a moment, and it was written and recorded and we didn't have enough time to over analyse it. I think you can feel that from it".
Sean agrees. "We were just messing around at first, and we weren't going to keep it, but Eamonn Hatten added his harmonica to the end and suddenly the song came together. It just made it."
Another song on "Anything Strange" is one that fans of Sean and Kim will have heard before. "Talk" was the first song that they ever sang together and it has become a favourite of both of them. "That song was first on a friends compilation album about five years ago, but I think our album version is the best one we've ever done." Another of Kim's favourites is "The Ex Patriots", a beautifully moving song which is sandwiched between the outstanding "How Far", and "10 Minute Anniversary".
As for Sean's favourites, well, the artist is always the worst critic. "I suppose 'Talk' would have to be the best. The vocals and guitars stand alone, and I don't cringe when I hear it! I think it's a bad thing to be ever completely satisfied with a song that you've written. If you're satisfied all the time, you shouldn't be doing it."
Kim sings backing vocals on many of the tracks and takes the lead completely on "Departure".
Despite the signature sound of her remarkable voice, Kim is reluctant to take the mic. "Kim is very shy - if I could get her to sing the all of the songs, I would", Sean explains. Between them, Sean and Kim have dubbed "The Ex Patriots", "the Spanish Song", and Sean says he wrote it with Kim in mind.
There is an obvious 'vibe' which flows between the husband and wife team, and this transmits easily in their songs and their performances. Kim clearly inspires Sean in many ways, and he appreciates the perspective that she gives him. "Being in a band really helps", he explains. "When you are only one voice, you can only speak for yourself. As part of a duo, we can be thinking the same things, but say it in different ways. We are both on the same wavelength, both emotive and being with Kim enlightens the depths of the song".
Being part of a musical team, as well as husband and wife, is not often a recipe for success. Through history, the Sonny and Cher's and James Taylor and Carly Simon, have been victims of their creative success. But Kim Lightholder believes that music is a bond for the pair, and will never become a hindrance. "Music is not something that we were pursuing to a particular end. Even when we were dating, we would sit around and sing. I think its an asset that I'm not really that much of a musician - I never played rock, instead I played the flute, timpani and stand up double bass. I don't have the instincts of a rock musician. I can sing and harmonise, and put melodies to a tune, but I don't have the same instincts as a person in a band, like Sean would. We are around each other so much that the line between our musical and normal lives isn't really there. I do like to contribute, but if I was a member of a different band I wouldn't be able to. I wouldn't be able to do the same with anyone else." To Sean, having music as part of his relationship is integral. "I can't imagine not having music with someone I love", he admits.
Although the influences on Kerbside are wide and varied, Sean cites the Beatles as his biggest inspiration. "I don't sound like the people I admire, but the Beatles would top the list of people I admire. My parents listened to them when I was growing up, and I started my first band because of them. I met another guy in school who felt the same way I did about them - we wanted to move to England and play in little clubs!"
It wasn't all easy though, he was a couple of decades late for Beatlemania, and none of his peers appreciated them. "All my friends were listening to hip hop and the Beastie Boys; my parents said I should have been born in the '60's!"
Kim attributes her amazing voice to Billy Joel. "I learned how to sing by singing along to his records", she said. "I loved him since I was really young, but it was only recently I realised that I sound exactly like him!" Kim also name checks the "Indigo Girls" as her musical reference point. "Whenever I'm composing a harmony, I always think, 'What would the Indigo Girls do there?' They have wonderful harmonies and melodies. My taste is fairly eclectic - but has improved greatly since I met Sean!"
"Anything Strange" has evolved from an initial 18 songs, to the current 11. The style, while impossible to pin down, is a heady mix of funky country guitar with folk, pop and rock thrown in for good measure. The duo agree that it was hard to choose just 11 songs. "We have a whole knot of other songs, but they just didn't fit the feel of this album. Already, we have some of the unreleased songs laid down and begun for the next album."
With several days to go before Friday's release, the album is already gathering well deserved acclaim. Kerbside have two radio slots lined up - one on Midlands Gold where they will play live on air, and another on Irish Music Radio. "We have never played live on radio before, so we're really looking forward to it". They are also invited to play at this year's Cambridge Folk Festival in November and already gig up to five nights a week.
"The whole idea of a record deal doesn't interest us. We are already doing what we love - what more can a record company give us?" Sean says. Kim agrees. "I used to daydream about fame and that kind of thing, but the more we play the less of a priority it has become. When you look at something like the Cambridge Folk Festival - there are independent artists packing out tents. I realised that you don't need a record deal to substantiate your art, or even to get an audience".
Having recorded "Anything Strange" in the comfort of their own living room, it is hard to disagree. This album has the sound of a E10,000 a week recording studio. It is the love and care that Sean and Kim so obviously attended to this record that ensured technically brilliant sound, and Sean adds that it is simple attention to detail which makes thier album stand out from the crowd. "So many people don't even know where to position thier mics to get the best sound. That is all it is about really. We just worked on it until we got the best sound that we could."
Sean and Kim feel they have found thier home in Athlone. "We certainly hope to be here for the foreseeable future, and have no plans to leave. I really feel at home here - I'd be very sad to leave", said Sean.
"As my Dad is from Dublin, I have loads of cousins quite close by - they've even been giving Kim Dublin lessons!" Kim laughingly agrees. "Sean's relatives all say that I'm getting a Midlands accent!"
"Anything Strange" will be launched at the Shack in Athlone this Friday, 26th August. Fergal Cox (playing as Sunny) and My Fallen Empire will appear, as well as performances from the brillinat Kerbside. For more information, check out www.kerbside.ie. "Anything Strange" will be avilable from usual outlets following its official release.