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"One can be reborn. Renewed. Rejuvenated" - An Interview with Kentucky

In our conversation, we talked about the gear that shapes his sound, the creative process behind his upcoming album, his inspiring message that it’s never too late to follow your passion, his aspiring collaborations, his take on AI in music, and much more.

By Chris RoditisMusicngear Lead Editor

Photo credit: Ryan McDougall - Jordan Holman

Meet Kentucky, the self-taught multi-instrumentalist and fierce creative force behind his upcoming debut 'Second Chance Music'.

In our conversation, we talked about the gear that shapes his sound, the creative process behind his album, his inspiring message that it’s never too late to follow your passion, aspiring collaborations, his take on AI in music, and much more.

Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Your music balances intricate acoustic textures with emotional power. How do you select and prepare your gear—both onstage and in the studio—to achieve this sound?

I start by having amazing instruments. I need a couple of options per instrument type, but no more than that. It helps me to stay focused on the most important task, which is the creativity itself, and it also helps me to continue to hone my own sound, so that when you hear my recordings you can welcome the sounds of my guitars as you would welcome an old friend. You know them, you missed them but didn't know it until they showed up, and so you give them a few minutes of your time to listen to what they have to say.

For acoustics, I choose mainly between a Martin Guitars D-28 acoustic and a 1976 Yamaha f-280-1. For electrics, I choose between a modified Epiphone Les Paul and an Fender AM Ultra Luxe Strat HSS FR MB - there is no sound I can't get out of those two. For the bass, I give myself no choice - Fender Jazz all the way.

I use a Fender 65 Twin Reverb Reissue amp, and on the floor, my effects are a complex mix of multi-fx processors and old-school pedals...and that goes for my electric and my acoustic. The two things I don't use are any type of auto-tuning or any type of looping. They're both tools like any other tools, and I have no issue with their use, but I have my reasons for not using them.

I sing through a Sennheiser E 935 microphone because it is very true to the sound of my voice if you were standing in a room listening to me sing acoustically, and it also seems to work my voice really well into live reverb.

Musicngear: “Runway” feels incredibly organic, with its minimalist production and one-take recording approach. What role did your gear play in helping you achieve that evocative sound?

I wonder, what is "minimalist production"? Is it the clarity of the end result, or is it the simplicity of the actual production choices while recording/arranging? I don't know. I'm glad it feels organic to people though, and it is certainly true that one-take passes of vocals and/or any instrument are near and dear to my heart.

I am looking for the right feeling in a take as opposed to the right take. To achieve that, again, I give myself a limited number of gear choices so that I can keep my creative workflow going without interruption. But I think an even bigger factor is that I have my studio set up in a way that lets me bounce around from instrument to instrument very quickly with minimal setup/waiting time.

This allows me to maintain and protect the feeling that I have inside of my body about the song itself, and not get bogged down with thinking or technical work. I think that has a lot to do with the organic feeling that you feel in Runway. Because it is. And was made that way.

Listen to 'Runway'

Musicngear: Performing over 100 shows across Ontario, Quebec, and Edmonton is an impressive milestone. How do you prepare your gear for such intense touring schedules, and what tips would you give to keep setups roadworthy?

A great nuts-and-bolts question. HUMIDITY! I keep my guitars and other instruments within their ideal humidity range at all times using some fabulous D'Addario products. I recommend this practice to everyone. It is the number one way to keep my fantastic acoustic guitars sounding their best.

Past that, I make sure that I have all of the tools, backup strings, backup batteries, and backup instruments and straps with me as I travel. Whether something goes wrong in the hotel room or on stage, I need the peace of mind that advance planning of that nature can bring.

The more I plan for contingencies before I leave, the more I don't have to think, and then I can actually be on the road, in that state of mind and all of its idiosyncratic glory and hardship.

Musicngear: Your upcoming debut album, “Second Chance Music”, explores the idea of renewal. How do you hope listeners will connect with this theme, and what message do you want them to take away from it?

I hope that people will feel and hear that it's never too late. Never ever. Especially for love, which I believe is the ultimate value. One can be reborn. Renewed. Rejuvenated. One should be.

Life can get very hard at times. 

Musicngear: You’re a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who handles every step of the production process. What’s been the most challenging part of wearing all these hats, and how do you manage it?

That's a very good question, and the answers are that it is very hard to maintain perspective and that I probably don't manage it very well! Each part of the production process (and that's to not even speak of the songwriting, arranging, and performance processes) is a crucial, valuable process in its own right. To be an expert in any one of those processes is a life's work.

I went through a period of stress last year about it, and then I let go. I decided to accept my skill and ability levels as they are, to work to the best of my ability, every day and on every song, to learn and develop my production skills.

I cannot expect to be able to create the sounds I hear in my head as I am simultaneously teaching myself how to engineer, produce, mix, and master...so I don't! I let go, and I do my best while maintaining a high standard of quality for myself. If it's not the BEST I can do at the moment, then I keep working on it. If it is (which can be hard to figure out), then I move on with relative peace.

Musicngear: You mentioned your amazing guitars and basses, each with its own story. Can you share the story behind one of your favorite instruments and how it’s shaped your sound?

 Yes, and it relates to the themes of SECOND CHANCE MUSIC. In early 2020 I had just got out of detox, then inpatient rehab, then detox again, and decided I had better fly across Canada to stay with my parents for a while in an attempt "to not die". About a week after I arrived, we all started hearing about this new virus called "Covid" that was spreading rapidly.

Late one night that week, I was restlessly pacing around the house while my Dad was watching an NBA game, and in the middle of the game they came out and canceled not only it but also the entire league "for the foreseeable future". That stopped me. I knew that a business that generates millions of dollars per day in revenue was not going to shut down said business for no reason...I knew that they knew something we did not.

So, I woke up in the morning, drove straight to Long & McQuade (Canada's incredible music chain), and laid down cash for a beautiful brand-new Martin D-28. If the world was about to stop, then I was going to go out playing a beautiful, meaningful guitar and doing what I loved.

The world stopped alright, but not only did it start up again...so did I. As you can tell, I achieved my goal "to not die", and my debut album tells the story.

Musicngear: Cool microphones often come with equally cool stories. Can you tell us about one of your mics and a memorable moment or session it’s been part of?

Yeah, one of my condenser mics is a U87 clone made by a guy in Nashville called Shannon. My friend found his name on the internet, a low-key mad scientist who'd been making these incredible microphones for Martina McBride and many others for years. And when I say "made", I mean he made every single party by hand. Machined it, everything.

My friend and I drove down to Nashville from Canada and drove out to his house to meet up with him and test the microphone. He was literally a mad scientist -  I don't think he'd slept much in months, and the ideas coming out of his mouth were endless and endlessly fascinating. He took us out to fly drones, showed us his metal lathe and other tools of creation in his basement laboratory, and sold us this precious microphone, all in the Tennessee heat.

According to some gear-based chat rooms, he disappeared shortly thereafter and I haven't looked him up since. I want to shout him out today to say he made a great microphone, and that whether he's still with us or not, he did a great thing and his work lives in my music today.

Musicngear: Collaboration often sparks creativity. If you could work with any artist, past or present, who would it be, and what kind of project would you envision?

James King. He is a rock and roll singer/songwriter in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, and I think he is the greatest living musician in the country. I am lucky to be able to call him a new friend, and I cannot wait to create an unbelievable album and hit the road with him.

Listen to Kentucky's latest single "No More Tomorrows"

Musicngear: Many artists struggle with promoting their music. What’s been your approach to getting your songs heard, and what advice would you give to someone just starting out?

I put in a lot of effort behind the scenes to sincerely and organically collaborate with like-minded people in and around the arts so that we can all amplify each other's voices. I also recently hired V13 Promo, a division of V13 Media, to handle my press releases, playlist pitching, etc - that's how you heard of me. I lack both the time and the expertise to do those things.

For those just starting out...so am I. I've played in bands my whole life, I've been on a major label, I've had radio support, on and on. However, this is my first time solo. And more significantly, the music business and information technology landscape and culture at large has changed and is changing so much, that anyone who tells you that they know what's going on or how things work at the moment is not being honest.

I am constantly experimenting with what promotion works and what doesn't, trying working with new partners, keeping my personal values above my goal-oriented values, and above all else, I am making the writing and recording of my songs sacred. Nothing touches them.

Musicngear: AI-generated music is becoming a growing trend. As someone who creates deeply personal and organic songs, how do you see AI fitting into the music world, especially in production?

I think that there are two worlds. One world, which we are in right now and may not last much longer, is the world before the Singularity. The other world is after the Singularity. The Singularity is the point at which technology and technological growth (ie. AI) becomes uncontrollable and irreversible and either meets or exceeds human intelligence. We naturally see this as a threat, and quite rightly so. No one knows what will happen at that point, and that is why it is the subject of so many deeply moving movies and books.

However, since we are in the world before the Singularity at the moment, and I cannot control that outcome, I would actually have to say that an amazing example of AI benefitting music positively is the advent of the "Mastering Assistant" in Apple's recording software Logic Pro X. Many mastering engineers (whose work I greatly respect) would tell you that it's not the same and will never be the same. I probably agree. But since when did something new become the enemy of art? Something new IS art. I'm into it.

Connect with Kentucky
Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Spotify

About Chris Roditis

Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.

Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com

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