Kathleen Edwards- UK interview 2003

 

 

Back at the beginning of the year (January 1, to be exact), someone on the Kathleen Edwards Fans page on Facebook posted a link to an eBay auction selling an interview cassette of Kathleen Edwards recorded in 2003. The poster suggested there must be a die-hard fan that would want this unique item and hinted maybe Kathleen herself would want it. Long story short, I bought the item and with shipping it cost the equivalent of about $20 cdn, so it wasn't a huge gamble. Just over a month later the cassette arrived (it shipped from the UK) and it took me another couple weeks to have a listen. I directly transferred the recording to my digital recorder as I listened and despite the typical cassette hum it sounded good. One problem was that almost all the sound was to one channel, which I fixed after the transfer to produce a listenable mono recording (see below). 

 

The interview is fascinating, it is a raw interview with just the interviewer and Kathleen and is clearly intended for a written publication, as opposed to a radio interview. The sounds from the street (cars, sirens etc.) are audible, (probably the window was open) and it's a candid interview discussing her new album, Failer and other interesting subjects. This interview cassette was from the collection of a journalist for "The Face" and "Arena" magazines UK based style, culture and music magazines. Later, he was a correspondent for the "Sunday Times". Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the journalist or where this interview ended up appearing, if at all. If anyone has a clue or any further information, please let me know. Shortly after listening to this tape about a month ago, I attempted to reach out to Kathleen (through Instagram) regarding this recording. I was hoping she might provide more insight, more details surrounding the circumstances and the exact date of the interview. (I'm still waiting for a response) I'm guessing the date is sometime around May 7th (?) since she was touring the UK around this time and playing London on the 7th and in the interview she mentions playing on the Late Night With David Letterman TV show earlier in the year (January 17), so we know it's the right year. 

 

On the cassette tape, the audio was all to one channel (L). I used Audacity to convert the poor "stereo" to mono so the sound was equal on both channels and amplified the volume to compensate. A much more pleasant listening experience! I don't usually post audio interviews, but Kathleen Edwards is a favourite of mine and I find this piece of nostalgia offers added insight into her early career and it is worth sharing with her fans and the readers of the blog.

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

Please share!

 

 

KATHLEEN EDWARDS
UK Interview
May 2003 (?)

Cassette tape> Aiwa tape deck> Tascam DR-07> wav>
Audacity> Wave track splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Lucinda Williams comparisons
02. Springsteen
03. Dedicated to Grandma
04. Tea
05. Writing Songs
06. Serving Tables
07. Cowboy Junkies/Blue Rodeo
08. Big Break
09. Band
10. TV Appearances
11. Relationships
12. Radio Play
13. Drinking
14. Publishing Company
15. Traveling Childhood
16. Violin
17. Violin 2 (after tape flip)
18. Listening To Music
19. Irish
20. Canadian Artists

The recording is divided up into subject segments for easy access. This is an interview, there is no music.

KATHLEEN EDWARDS- 2003 Interview UK FLAC. rar

 

Day 3: Rilo Kiley Live In Minneapolis 2003

I was looking for something more random to post for the third installment of the 12 Days Of Trouble. I already had an idea of what I wanted to post for about 75% of the posts when I decided the take the challenge, but I left open a couple of days to decide later. Most of the posts will have a connection in some way to each other and a clue to what's coming is that "I am stuck in the 90's", you'll see what I"m talking about next post.

I chose a Rilo Kiley show from 2003 for a couple of reasons. It's no secret, I'm a big fan of their first four albums (including their first album) and I have posted some shows in the past, including a Jenny Lewis set at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. She really is so sweet especially on the band's earlier shows (pre-2004) when they were much more low-key and less polished performers. There was something kind of charming about them that said "indie" on smaller labels with less attention and focus just on Lewis, but more on Rilo Kiley the band, if that makes sense.

Another reason I chose this show is because it is recorded at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, a smaller intimate venue that I've seen a couple of great concerts at. This show has a quiet intimate mood to it that is perfectly matched with the venue and I now regret not making the trip south to see the show. (Unfortunately, the 400 Bar closed it's doors on January 1, 2013) The sound quality of the recording is fantastic taken from the soundboard and thanks to whoever recorded and posted the show on Dime. The setlist leans heavily towards The Execution of All Things album, but also includes early workings of It's A Hit and Portions For Foxes that would appear on their next album, More Adventurous which would be released a year later. The band would gain wider indie success with that album and the days of the small venues like the 400 Bar would be left behind when they signed with the majors with Under The Blacklight. Anyways, here's a look back 15 years ago at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis.
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or convert to mp3 (except for personal use)
Please share!

RILO KILEY
400 Bar
Minneapolis, MN
July 20. 2003
Soundboard

01. It's A Hit
02. Always
03. The Execution Of All Things
04. My Slumbering Heart
05. The Good That Won't Come Out
06. August
07. Paint's Peeling
08. Jenny, You're Barely Alive
09. A Better Son/Daughter
10. Bulletproof
11. With Arms Outstretched
12. Salute My Shorts!
13. Hail To Whatever You Found In The Sunlight That Surrounds You
14. Portions For Foxes / Spectacular Views
15. Capturing Moods

RILO KILEY- 2003-07-20 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

Kathleen Edwards- Utrecht, Netherlands April 26, 2003

When some people walk away from a career in music, they may explore other endeavors in the arts such as art, film or writing. Others may want to stay connected with the music scene, manage bands, host a radio show or open a bar or pub to double as a small venue to play whenever they feel like it (I'm thinking maybe someone like Jeff Healey) and drink for free. Others want to settle down in their hometown away from the spotlight and the rigours of touring to open and run a cafe called, quite fittingly, Quitters Coffee. Quitters isn't just a cafe, it's also a place to eat for lunch with events in the evening (theme trivia nights, Sens games on the tube) and a cozy great place to hang out in the suburb of Ottawa, Stittsville. If I live in or around Ottawa, I would seriously be a regular customer. If there's anyone I would like to have barista the shit out of my latte, it would be Kathleen Edwards.

Always humble and always a proud ambassador for Canada, Kathleen Edwards has been of a favourite of mine since first hearing songs from her debut album, Failer. Who names their debut album, Failer? (well...the Posie's debut album, Failure, for one) Seems doomed from the beginning fight? But if you've followed Kathleen's career, you come to know her sense of humour and casual self deprivating personality that truly separates her from the pack. When you're at a Kathleen Edwards show you always feel welcome, entertained by her off-cuff comments and it's a pleasure to spend the next hour or so in her presence.

In reality, Edwards is only stepping back from music, just a bit. In the past year, she has played more than a handful of gigs in and around Ottawa and was noticeably visual during the Junos (see the video on the TDIT Facebook page) this past spring in Ottawa and more importantly (at least to me anyways) she performed during a visit from Rogers Hometown hockey on March 19th. Hearing that Kathleen has played more gigs this year than previous years, it's a good positive sign she is more interested in performing more and who knows, maybe recording a new album wouldn't be out of the question. Not being controlled by a record label or pr agencies much be a refreshing change when you've spend a majority of your adult life dedicated to music. It's like pressing the pause button, taking a look around you and discover what is really important in life and pressing the refresh button to pursue what feels right. There are many veteran artists that have bypassed record labels and independently released music with the help of crowd sourcing sites and their fans (Juliana Hatfield for one) and recording from their home studios (Paul Westerberg). I could see in the near future, Kathleen possibly pursuing this route that allows her to control the process so she can make music on her terms. Fingers crossed!

This summer when I was preparing (downloading/ripping) music for my annual roadtrip, I added Kathleen Edward's, Failer to my iPod. I've had this on CD for years, but since it wasn't on the pod I hadn't listened to it as much as her other albums that were previously ripped. I must admit I listened to that album more than anything else all summer and rediscovering it's brilliance was wonderful. I was recently digging around my live KE shows and found a number of shows from earlier in her career. The show I'm posting is her second ever show in Europe and it showcases songs from the Failer era and like most artists, songs that aren't performed regularly anymore. When someone in the crowd requests, Hockey Skates, she responds that this is probably the only song they know. Does she underestimate her fanbase or is she right? The "hit" single might in fact be the only song they would recognize. Anyways, the sound in this recording is remarkable and as the notes indicate, I'm not sure if this was a radio broadcast, soundboard or audience recording. It's a good one and if you like her early stuff, this is a must hear. As a bonus, there's an interview and in-studio performance of Independent Thief at the end.

I know Quitters is only the name of her cafe and it's all tongue n' cheek fun, but trust me she'll be back. If you're in or around Ottawa or better yet, Stittsville, drop into Quitters Coffee and say hi to Kathleen Edwards from TDIT.
Enjoy!

SHARE! Please do NOT sell or convert to lossy mp3!

KATHLEEN EDWARDS and Band
Muziekcentrum Vrendenberg
Utrecht, Netherlands
Blue Highway Festival
April 26, 2003
FM or AUD?

1. Independent Thief (solo acoustic)
2. National Steel
3. One More Song the Radio Won't Like
4. Westby
5. Copied Keys
6. Hockey Skates
7. The Lone Wolf
8. 12 Bellevue
9. Mercury
10. Six O'Clock News
11. Changes (Black Sabbath cover)
12. Maria
13. Interview
14. Independent Thief (live solo acoustic in studio)

KATHLEEN EDWARDS - 2003-04-26 Utrecht . rar