Catch Marty Kolls at an intimate (and free!) house concert this Friday
Apartment613: If we were to go into a restaurant and order a ‘Marty Kolls’ off the menu, what might I get?
Marty Kolls: Some really tasty and slightly tart pulled pork, and a good green salad with beats and goats cheese.
The ukulele plays a prominent role in your songs. What is it about the uke that brings out the sound you’d like to convey?
I came to the ukulele while I was working as a singer on the beaches of hotels in Thailand. Not only did it fit the scene so nicely, I wanted to sing out the messages of the songs over its sweet and simple sound.
It says on your homepage that you were raised in a musical family. What kind of music was playing in your house growing up? Did your parents ever rehearse or have jams sessions in your home?
My mom sang and played piano classically, but she was also an elementary music teacher, so there was a wide variety in our house. Paul Simon and Madonna would go to class with her. My dad loved Jazz, and also introduced me to Joni Mitchell. He played clarinet and sax more as I got older, and Paul Desmond was often on rotation. We sang a lot in the car, especially in harmony. Kinda geeky but awesome.
By the end of your teens you had performed on stages in Japan, the USA and Australia. Who were you working with? Looking back on those experiences, what did you learn about performing, as well as the world of professional music?
At this stage in my life I was touring with a song and dance troupe out of New Brunswick. It is still the greatest learning I’ve ever had. It taught me how to practice hard, to eventually let go of the motions and to truly connect with your performance and your audience. With over 100 shows a year, it also taught me the reality of a tour and the not-so-rock-star stuff that goes into it.
Are you still a dancer now? Any personal favorite dance scenes from movies?
I love to dance. Yes. Am I a dancer? No. Definitely not on my resume. Favorite dance scene would probably be from Coming to America at Prince Akeem’s engagement party.
We also read that you’re a classically trained vocalist. Can you shed some light on what it’s like to study to be a vocalist? How much physical training goes into developing one’s pipes? Is it anything akin to vocal-cord body-building?
I did train classically, and I would never take that back, but I also felt that I spent a lot of time in my head trying to control my body. There can be a lot of physical training as well as tricks to keep ones voice healthy, but I don’t really follow them. I just sing because I love to sing. And I try to drink a lot of water.
Which side of music do you find the most rewarding: playing live or recording in the studio? How active are you on the production side of your music?
I love to perform. I also love to perform with others and to experience that amazing moment when everyone felt how great the performance was as a group. There is a silence that often comes after the end of a song that compliments that great energy so perfectly.
I found this production to be a real learning experience. There is so much that I don’t know, but what I do know now is that there is an art to being a recording artist. The bits and pieces are so much more subtle and need to be so tight to make the listeners stay engaged. I find the live setting much easier.
Home concerts are becoming more and more popular. Last year, Califone played a living room show here in Ottawa. We see that this is not your first home concert. What is the attraction of playing home shows? How does playing in a home differ from playing in a theatre/bar/club?
Playing in clubs can be tough. When the expectation is to help them do business and sell beer, it can add stress to the performance. This is fine for a big party band. I play in a Bluegrass cover band, and it’s great fun to chug it back and jump up and down with the audience. But playing in someone’s home, while it is very intimate, can be more casual and comfortable and you get to know the artist more.
What can people expect from your house show on Friday?
Intimate, personal and comfortable. The great thing about a house show is that you’re literally in someone’s living room, so it’s a great way to enjoy a personal performance and get to know the artist as well. Since I’m traveling for work, I won’t be bringing all of my gear, but I have the opportunity to play the piano at this house. I’ll be bringing my ukulele, of course, and my new favorite, the banjo. I look forward to meeting and hanging out with the guests. Sometimes the cord winding and gear packing after a show inhibits me from enjoying the crowd afterwards, so this will be a treat.
Listen to Marty Kolls here.
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