The Lone Bellow is a name that stuck out prominently after 2013’s folk fest. “Did you see them come out into the audience?” or “Man, that set was INCREDIBLE!” echoed through the walls of Fort Adams after they departed the stage. Its those kinds of performances that leave an impression on folks. Further solidifying for current fans that they need to see you again and creating new fans in the process…who will also be along to that next show on tour. This has been something that the group has proven themselves to be masters of. The fans are dedicated ones of Bellow, and rightfully so. They always deliver a passionate live show and their records supplement the need when they aren’t in your region. I was lucky to catch up with Kanene Pipkin (vocals and mandolin – a gal after my own heart!) and ask her our 9 Questions to Newport…check it out.
RLR: For the fine folks who may not be as familiar with your work, how would you sum up your sound in a short phrase?
Kanene: Dynamic rock and roll with three part harmony born from Country Gold Saturday Night and 90’s R&B.
RLR: What projects are you currently working on or have you recently released?
Kanene: We just released our sophomore album, Then Came the Morning, back in January 2015. We’ve had a blast touring it, and we’re writing for upcoming projects while we’re on the road.
RLR: Newport Folk is celebrated for its collaborations, community and bringing folks together for a weekend where they may not see each other otherwise. How do you feel about that preservation of unity and family sentiment in the folk music community? How does it play into your own music and where you come from? Is there a “scene” or community that you feel especially attached to?
Kanene: That sentiment of unity and family, to me that IS folk music, much more so than any one style or instrumentation could be. It’s so much more than simple songs on acoustic guitars. It’s music for the people, championed by the folk who care about it and want to see it thrive. That value runs through the veins of our band, as a group of musicians that were friends long before we started playing together. The very act of singing in harmony involves a kind of trust and camaraderie that invites anyone listening to join in, to contribute their own voice and experiences. We found that to be true from the very beginning, when we were coming up in the Rockwood Music Hall scene in New York.
RLR: Do you have a favorite moment on stage from your career? Something that just stands out as special and has given you the urge to keep on going.
Kanene: The first thing that comes to my mind is our last show in Nashville this past spring. Now, I love Nashville, and our shows there have always been something special, but it is a city notorious for its hard-to-impress, seen-it-all crowd. We were almost done with the set, when the spirit hit, and we launched into a cover of 1995’s greatest country ballad, ‘Strawberry Wine’. The crowd absolutely exploded, and we watched an entire room of people forget themselves and get lost in the sweet, sappy magic that is a great country song. Nobody was trying to be cool, everyone was creating a moment together.
RLR: If you could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive) musically, who would it be?
Kanene: Nina Simone or Harry Nilsson.
RLR: 1 record that shaped you when you first started playing and 1 ‘lesser known’/independent record or artist that you are now/are listening to now that you think folks really need to hear about?
Kanene: “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” made me want to be a singer. I was maybe 12 or 13 when it came out, and her voice just opened me up. I’d never heard a singer who could articulate such power and range of emotion, and it lit a fire in me. As for new artists, we had the privilege of sharing a tour with the ever-ethereal Odessa, a wonderful human and incredible musician.
RLR: So, why is creating music important to you? Why do you hit the stage night after night, pull out the old song notebook every day, or whatever else you do to let loose your creativity?
Kanene: Has anyone ever answered this question with, “I’m insecure and need to be constantly validated”? Because that’s a sure fire way to make yourself miserable but I think it’s something all performers deal with. For me, on a good day, I do this simply because I love it, and because I want to make moments that matter with the people I love. I want to inspire other people to try things that scare them, and commit to the people they want to live life with, two things that being in a band require of you in spades. I want to abandon myself to unleashing beauty on the world.
RLR: Aside from music, do you have any other pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?
Kanene: Let’s see… I love running, linguistics, coffee, and dogs. I moved to New York to get a degree in professional pastry arts, and I was working as a pastry chef when we started the band.
My husband Jason (who plays bass and keys in the band) and I both studied Mandarin Chinese at university and lived in Beijing, China, for about five years. We’re always scheming on how to take the band to China.
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The Lone Bellow play Newport Folk on Friday. After the over the top crowd pleasing set last year, I think its safe to say this is going to be a packed stage. Who knows, maybe we will even get a “band in the audience” situation again?