| Kyle Hollingsworth |
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For more than a decade, as keyboardist for Colorado’s beloved String Cheese Incident, Kyle Hollingsworth has consistently proven one of the most innovative and virtuosic musicians on the American jamband scene. Now, with the Sept. 15th release of Then There’s Now (SCI Fidelity Records), his first album since the band announced a hiatus in 2007, Hollingsworth extends his reach into areas that will both delight longtime admirers and lock in countless new ones. Emphasizing his considerable songwriting skills and incorporating a plethora of surprises, Then There’s Now marks the true emergence of Kyle Hollingsworth as a solo artist. For Hollingsworth, who has recently been more prolific than ever before, the title of Then There’s Now offers the first clue as to where he stands today. “It’s very much where I am post-Cheese,” he says, “both in my career and also personally. After becoming a father I realized the importance of living in the moment, in the now. So the title has multiple meanings to me, the literal meaning and the more introspective meaning of being in the present.” Then There’s Now undeniably draws on Hollingsworth’s past affiliation with “The Cheese,” using his previous work as a jumping off point—yes, there are some intoxicating, if more concise, jams to be savored. But the album’s “now” component—irresistible melodies, poignant lyrics and fine-tuned song construction, plus a willingness to infuse the tunes with elements of pop, jazz, electronica, hip-hop and more—transports Hollingsworth into musical realms he’s never before explored at length. Citing influences from Beck to The Beatles, Hollingsworth has always been drawn to sonically interesting albums. “I love those CDs that you can play in the headphones over and over and still hear new stuff every time,” he explains. “And with this new release I feel that I am evolving and saying something that I’ve always felt, but had been unable to express.” Recorded both in his own basement studio and at Boulder, Colorado’s Immersive Studios, Then There’s Now features Hollingsworth on vocals and, of course, a vast array of keyboards. The core band on the album consists of guitarist Ryan Jalbert, bassist Garrett Sayers and drummer Dave Watts, who also appeared on Hollingsworth’s first solo release, 2004’s critically acclaimed Never Odd Or Even. Several guests augment the tracks, including singer/songwriter Dar Williams as co-vocalist on “Don’t Wake Me,” Liza Oxnard on background vocals, DJ Logic spinning turntables, and several drummers, one of whom is SCI’s percussionist Jason Hann. From the first seconds of the opener, the observational “Way That It Goes,” with its über-funky rhythmic hooks and scintillating electronic colorings, it’s apparent that Then There’s Now is like no other music Kyle Hollingsworth has ever created. Throughout the album, Hollingsworth displays the breadth of his influences and the myriad directions in which he is now traveling. At one extreme are the chill instrumental “Phat Cat” and “Wide Open,” which Hollingsworth describes as “a heavy instrumental track that harkens back to my previous disc.” “Piece of Mine,” meanwhile, a reimagined song from the SCI repertoire, is a burner that takes aim at rampant commercialism. Several other tracks are deeply introspective, the artist’s statement on who Kyle Hollingsworth is in the year 2009. “She” marks “a personal search for inspiration,” he says, while “Too Young,” a New Orleans funk inspired groove, is a tune about “coming to terms with getting older.” And “All Inside,” the album-closing tour de force on which Hollingsworth utilizes stacked guitars, keyboards, turntables, vocals and no less than four drummers, “kind of brings it all around again,” he explains. “The final chorus says, ‘You keep it all inside, but from you, you cannot hide,’ so it is in a sense the search for happiness in yourself.” Happiness is certainly one emotion that Then There’s Now conveys. It’s a warm and organic-feeling recording, and the liberal use of electronics, rather than projecting sterility, only adds to the album’s celebratory, electrifying atmosphere—the sense of liberation felt by the artist as he crafted the album is palpable throughout. Most of the material on Then There’s Now was written by Hollingsworth over the past couple of years, but assembling the album is hardly the only thing that’s kept him busy during that time. A multitude of diverse projects has occupied him, including collaborations with Speech and DJ Logic and a tour with alt-rockers the Fiery Furnaces. “When playing with Fiery Furnaces,” says Hollingsworth, “I made a conscious decision to step outside of the jam scene. I felt I wanted to get out of my comfort zone a bit. They are amazing songwriters and performers. The experience was mind-blowing and it ultimately helped my songwriting move in new directions.” Hollingsworth also spent time on the road with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and with George Porter of New Orleans’ legendary funk pioneers the Meters—he even sat in with the Meters at last year’s Democratic National Convention—and he’s made music with various assemblages around Colorado. “All of this diversity has helped me grow as a musician,” he says. That growth is amply reflected throughout this exhilarating new effort from Kyle Hollingsworth. On the one hand, the consummate musician says, it’s a summation of all the places he’s been. But on the other hand, he reminds us, once again, there is the past and the future, and “Then There’s Now.” Click images for a larger view. Right-click images to download high resolution file.
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Artist: Kyle Hollingsworth