Interview with Stephen Kellogg

by Alison Wood

This year I spent Mischief Night -- the infamous eve of Halloween -- with Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers when they played an intimate show at Drew University. It was just over a year prior that I first talked with Stephen, on behalf of Dreams Awake, so we decided to catch up on some of the events of the year and get updated on the future of The Sixers. The interview was done in several parts; the first part was just with Stephen, before the show.

Dreams Awake: So, it's been like a year since we sat down and did this, I thought it would be good to sit down and sort of see what's been happening over the last year. So let's start with some of the big stuff -- like touring. You've been doing a lot of touring, from Florida to North Dakota, all over the place. What have been some of the highlights of the tour?

Stephen Kellogg: Like, the last year's tour, say?

DA: Yeah.

SK: There have been lots of highlights. In general, just, gigs have gotten to be more and more fun, musically, and over the last year we've become more of a band, you know? There's been Keith and Brian, and we're like, becoming a band, which is a lot more along the lines of what I had always wanted to do. So, in a way that's been a highlight -- the fact that I now tour with the guys, just like I always wanted to. You know, a couple guys pile in a van. There are some really fun things ... last spring, I did that tour with Matt Nathanson, and that was awesome just because there was like, a lot of love there, and it was fun to play to larger audiences that were inclined to like our music. That was cool. Opening for David Crosby was a big thing, because I've listened to Crosby Stills and Nash since I was little, so to come backstage and be like, "Hi, I'm David," and like "Yeah, I fucking know, you're the best." And then just so many laughs, I've had so many laughs. I don't want to jinx it, but I've been very happy.

DA: Knock on wood.

SK: Yeah, totally knock on wood.

DA: So, last time we talked, you talked about having a good time, and that's sort of why you do it. So I guess you are still having a good time doing it?

SK: Yes. We've pushed that philosophy even more into practice. Sometimes you say that -- not you, but I, or one -- says that, and then you get out and you get caught up in like "oh, we didn't play well." And I think that stuff ... I don't know if you can ever totally shake that stuff off. But I would say that our batting average, you know, of having a good time, has grown. And what "having a good time" means exactly has changed a little bit, maybe, over the last year, but I'm glad that that's been our philosophy, and it will continue to be our philosophy.

DA: You also now mentioned, as you said, you're going out on the road with Keith and Brian. Can you tell us a little bit about how that came about, about what made you decide to take two guys on the road with you?

SK: Yeah, yeah, yeah! I wish they were here, too, 'cause they could talk for themselves. Keith and I ran into each other at a truck stop, I don't know, maybe a year and a half ago. I was coming back from a House of Blues date, and he had played like, Harper's Ferry in Boston, and we both had played and had a good time at our shows with our respective bands, but there was definitely, like ... it was cool running into each other 'cause we had seen each other around a little bit. I was like "How's it going?" He was like "It's cool." And I was like, same thing. And I loved the guys that I was playing with, because they were good guys, but I didn't always love playing with them, because it wasn't sort of their ... we weren't all on the same page, you know? And that's like ... music is so about being on the same page, especially with my music. It's not about our chops, or our voices or anything, it's about just getting focused on a vision and going after it. So, I didn't have that in my band life, and that was always a bummer to me. So then I ran into Keith, got his number 'cause I was needing someone to play some piano on Lucky Eleven. So I guess it was before even that album came out that I ran into him. And then he did play piano on Lucky Eleven, on some of the tracks, 'cause I called him up and he came and he did a great job. So I invited him up to do some gigs. And it just became clear that we were, like, we had ... he's a great guy, I love traveling with him, he's very respectful and he's a good human being and that is like, a big part of what you're looking for also, 'cause you're spending so much time together. So Keith came about there, and then Brian emailed me the day, I think, the last drummer that I was playing with regularly was like "I need to get this much money" or some crap like that. And I was like, damn, I don't want to be playing with people under that, 'cause I can't be anybody's sugar daddy, 'cause I just wasn't making any money at the time. Not that I'm making so much now, you know. So that same day, as fate would have it, Brian -- who had played on one jam session in college, like two and a half years prior -- emailed me out of the blue 'cause he'd seen an ad for some concert that I was doing, and just emailed me to say hi and be like "If you ever need a drummer..." so it was like so, like, oh my god, like, you know? And then I think ... I don't think, like, musically, the three of us got together and were like "oh, this is the sound!" But I think we liked each other so much, and Keith and Brian are both great singers, and I've always thought it would be awesome to be able to do harmonies and stuff. And so, it's been like ... making this album was a big thing in moving us ... we're finding out what we are as a band. And I think ultimately I could see us adding a fourth member, but now we have such a beautiful little thing going, with the three of us, that I don't want to, like ... I'd rather have the songs sound a little ... pared down and have that great vibe in the van, and in all of us working towards a common goal than disrupt that just to have a lead guitar. So I think at some point, we'd love to add another instrumentalist, but I think right now we're trying to build a foundation and a core that we can build upon, and just not make any rash decisions. It is a little more stripped down than I think any of us ... we all kind of want rock and roll; it's a little more stripped down than that. But it's allowing us to hear what's going on, and try to like ... right now we've got a lot of work to do, just the three of us, and then we'll get to the expansion if we want to, at some point.

DA: You mentioned having a vision: is there some specific vision that you could articulate, for your music?

SK: Um, well, today I was, or yesterday I was talking to my aunt, and I feel like the vision -- the mission, sort of, for my music, maybe not the vision. There isn't a vision because I'm just taking it song to song: that's been a huge part of this past year is just like, I don't want to be held to playing music business and be like "well, this next album needs to take it up a notch." We're not on a major label that's pressuring us to have a hit single, so I just want to write tunes, record them, play them, let the fans have more tunes. I'm not at all concerned at this point with record deals and hits. And this record doesn't need to be better than the last one, and the record after that doesn't need to be better than this one, you know. You're always doing the best you can. So in terms of vision, you know, there isn't a vision except to like, "let's make the music right now." And focus on, song to song. But in terms of one of the missions I feel like we have is, I feel like we have a mission to build a band that works hard and has a great time and is nice. It's not that everybody doesn't try to do this, I don't mean to sound pretentious about it, but like ... I think it's cool, I really admire the working man's band. And I'm looking at my own life, and things that used to make me sad like, "oh, why don't I have more fans or why do I not play well ..." Those things used to totally bum me out. And it's not that they don't at all, but I also feel like, no, our mission is just to go out there and show that even if you aren't the best singer, or the best guitarist, or the best songwriter, even if you don't have any discernable reason that you should be making a living playing music, that you can do it anyway. You know, for right now, that's kind of what we've taken on as a vision and a mission. Just like, following your dreams and being ... I don't mean to sound preachy, but this is where we're coming from. Because I don't think any of us have felt that we were the shining stars, but when you put the three of us together, we're having such a good time in the band, and such a good time on stage, and I'm really excited about this music, so I feel like ... god damn.

DA: You say "why don't I have more fans," whatever, but I've seen you playing larger shows, and I've seen girls sticking around trying to get your phone number, and ... do you feel like you're verging on rockstar territory? Are there certain cities where it's like that, like when you're closer to home? SK: Well it's cool, 'cause right now, especially to me, I don't know ... yeah, on a night to night basis, you could verge on what would be considered rockstar territory in a teeny little way. But the things is, is that might have been why I was doing this a couple years ago, partially, but none of us are doing this for that reason anymore. So a girl asking you for your number, or if you want to go party or whatever ... it's cool, but it just doesn't really ... it doesn't affect the music. We don't really think about it, other than like, typical guy conversations when you're driving away from the gig, like "man, did you see her?" But then we get in the car and we start talking about the set, and I feel happy. I think if we were playing in front of ten thousand people right now, it just doesn't ... that element is not ... we're not focusing on it at all, we're letting it be a by-product of what we're doing. So I don't know, I don't mean to be obscure, but you know me pretty well 'cause we've talked before and you know that I'm just long-winded ... and the rock star thing is just like, I don't know, I don't really care. I'm just trying to make a living, and I think the other guys have adopted that same philosophy of just like, we're just doing what we're doing. And it's cool. It's cool to chat with people, and it's cool when people are really enthusiastic. But it's not at all important right now, in what we're doing or what we're focused on.

DA: Now you've mentioned the album a couple times. What should we expect from the upcoming album? Any word on when it's gonna be out? How much new stuff is on it, how much is stuff that we've heard before?

SK: There's like three or four tunes that we've been playing out a bunch for the last year, like Thirteen, See You Later See You Soon, and Scorpio. It'll be some stuff we've never played out, some stuff that I've probably got like mp3s out of, around, and some stuff that has been like, mainstays of the live show. I think the thing to expect is that it's the first album that was played by this band. It's like, our stepping stone. We did this album with Keith, Brian, myself, and Dave. And I've never done a band record. It wasn't like, oh let's get the best backup singer we can find to sing this vocal, it was like okay, we're a rock band, with Dave the producer being sort of lead guitarist guy. And so, you know, I don't know ... the record is probably a little less, it's a little more rootsy than the last record. I've been listening to a lot of -- and I don't know if anyone's gonna like this, especially the Dreams Awake crew, but -- I've been listening to a lot of like, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, seventies rock you know? And I love the stuff that was on the radio, that was a big hit, like "Take it Easy" by the Eagles, I love a song like that because it had radio catchiness and it was great, it had like this pop thing, but it was very organic sounding. And I just feel like I can't keep up right now with my peers, who are making these major label records with like [sings] "doodlooo doo doo deee doo" and they've got like, rappers ... there's just so much shit going on. That's not really what's in my heart anyway, so those records, those very produced sort of radio-friendly records aren't really what I think this band is about. We're not that slick, we're pretty rough around the edges, and that's, I think the album's gonna reflect that. Maybe to the chagrin of some people. But I think the songs are still just like, more of the same. It's mostly my stuff, with some touches from these guys. So it's still gonna sound like me, but I think you'll find that instead of trying to sort of be something that we're not, we've definitely gone back a little bit toward the seventies. I can't get my hair to stand up, and so I've kinda given up on that. That's symbolic, I think, of the music too. Hair gel ... I'll keep putting it in, but it's just ... you know what I'm saying.

DA: Any word on when it's gonna come out?

SK: February 10th. It's kind of a ways off, but the main reason we're doing that is, we just signed with a new manager a month ago, and he's the best. He's awesome. He's so great, it's made our life so much better. And we talked to him and we got this idea to make an enhanced CD with like, film some live footage and have that be on the CD. So after our Paradise show on December 11th, Passim offered to let us -- because Paradise is Clear Channel and they were charging us all kinds of money -- so Passim is letting us use the space for free, we're gonna have like a VIP rep concert at, like, 1am, after the Paradise show, and we're gonna have like three cameras there. And the new album will have video footage from that show. So that'll give, also, people who care to be there a chance to be part of the new CD.

DA: And then is there any hope of it getting picked up by a larger label? Or are you just going to do it yourself, do it the way you want it...?

SK: Well I just hooked up with a lawyer on the way here today, we met with all these lawyers, who are the people who generally get you the record deals and stuff. I mean, you get yourself the record deal, but they kind of ... we met all these lawyers who were really competent, and nice guys, and good ... but this one guy was talking about how he ... just, the bands that he had worked on their behalf when nobody had believed in them. He had all these great Cinderella stories, and he had like ... we walked into his office and he was dancing around to the, I think he represents the White Stripes, so he was all excited about their new video, and we were like, man this is like ... we're trying to build a whole team, including a label -- when and if we do something with a label -- we just want people who are like, that would take care of their families ... we just want to build, because we're normal people, and we want to live a normal life, as musicians. So we're screwing up our pop world, but we're totally happy about that. And this lawyer just hooked up with that. So the label thing, in answer to your question, is definitely something that, at some point, it would be cool to do. Because I'd like to get ... my music still is out to such a relatively small audience, and I would love to have a little bit easier time going into new markets and being able to reach more people that I think might like the music. So at some point I would like to sign with a label. But again, we're gonna kind of keep surrounding ourselves with the right people, and keep working hard and just see where that goes. And that will eventually, probably, lead us to some relationship with somebody who distributes music, a record label. But this record we're just gonna put out. And we're gonna record again in January. I'm hoping to record another, sort of live album. Not in front of an audience, but go into a nice studio and do it live. Because I figure, while we're not on a label, I'm realizing what a blessing that is in the sense that you can record ... if we want to put out two or three albums next year, we can do that. We're certainly writing the songs to do that. So I would love to keep putting out albums, I think that would be awesome. If I was a fan of a band and they did that, I'd be psyched. So we're gonna take advantage of our time when we're not on a label right now to just keep independently pushing lots of music.

DA: Well that's probably a good place for us to pause, so you can go play this show.

When we reconvened after the performance, we had all three Sixers in the room to chat.
DA: So before we broke for the show, Stephen was telling me about the "vision" or "mission" for the band, and I wanted to hear from you guys what you have to say about what the mission of this band is, if you would say you have one.

Brian Factor: There are a few missions, probably.

Keith Carlson: Yeah. I think mission number one is to just have a really good time. Because when the day is over, I mean, that's all you really have, is all the things that you've done. And I think that if you can go through life having a great time, no matter what you'll always be happy. So that's mission number one. Mission number two is to listen to as much eighties metal in the car, at any given time.

BF: That's true.

KC: And then, I dunno, I think mission three is to truly be thankful for everything that we have. That I wake up every day and it's like a dream come true. That's my mission. Brian?
BF: Along the same lines as you, Kit ... you're like one of those kids who chose like, "C, all of the above."

[laughter]

BF: What you said. No, we play every show like it's our last show. So that our mission, is just to put on a show we can't top. We have this thing, before we go onstage ... we leave our balls on the stage, and we say that we can die after the show and it could be our last show. That's our mission.

KC: Yup.

BF: And to watch as many DVDs as possible.

KC: Brian particularly ...

SK: That's Brian's mission.

KC: ... he finds his way in the back a lot ...

BF: And to take as many naps as possible.

KC: ... we're in the front trying to listen to, like, "How to win friends and influence people" and make ourselves better, and Brian's like, "Could you pop in The Wedding Singer?"

DA: So tonight we were treated to Keith's harmonica debut ...

KC: It was a special night for everybody.

DA: Yes, we had a lot of antics onstage. So I was also wondering how the two of you feel about Stephen's propensity to do things like make you wear umbrella hats, and things like that. KC: I think it's great. I think that ... it's your first reaction to just sort of like, curl up in a little ball and be like, "well, that's weird," or "that's silly." But I've found that, actually ... [laughter] ... well it is, it's very silly. The cool thing is though, it's like, I was out the other morning with one of my roommates, we were at breakfast, I was just chatting with the waitress or whoever it was and he was like "oh, you're a really friendly person." And I think that -- I'm not saying that to give myself props -- I think that when you do stuff like that in a show, when you open yourself up to ... being open, to things like that, I think it makes you, like ... I feel like I've become a better person because of it. It's interesting, because they seem like really silly things; but in a way, you become more comfortable with yourself, which I think is a great skill, and a great thing to have in life.

DA: Very cool.

KC: Yeah! So, that's what I think about umbrella hats. [laughs]

SK: That's good. You've got a positive attitude, Kit.

KC: Yeah, I know. And, uh, I'd get fired if I didn't put it on ...

[laughter]

KC: [laughing] ... so there's fear. There's a little bit of fear.

DA: Good to know. Now, when we were talking to Brian before, he said that he thought creative people are always sort of assholes, and I'm really curious as to why you said that.

BF: No, I didn't mean it like that. I said, you know ...

DA: Or that there's something necessary ... some sort of link between creativity and being an asshole ...

BF: No, I think it's special when you come along towards people that are really nice, and genuine -- especially in the music business -- that are also creative. That's what I was trying to ... 'cause you were saying how nice we were, I was like, "Thank you," you know? I guess some creative people can be, I don't know, very immersed in themselves, and stuff like that ...

SK: Can be jerks, as I'm like "You asshole, would you just get the fuck out of here?" And then these girls walk by I'm like "Get out of here, you whore!" I'm like, the total fucking asshole, slimebucket, cantankerous guy ... [referring first to someone who sat in the front row during the show and talked the whole time, and then to some girls who tried to walk off with his license plates]

BF: But we're not, and that's ...

KC: That sort of brings up an interesting, gives an interesting slant on it too. Because if you've never seen anybody before and you see like, one thing, and you make your judgment on what they're like, then you could have that impression. And I dunno, I have some people that I probably have met, and I was like "oh, they're sort of..." whatever. But I guess you never know what people are thinking. So, I think a lot of artists can be very testy, but I think a lot of times people just catch them at one moment and then decide for the rest of their lives that that's what they're like. As with this band, I mean, we're just three happy, fun-loving guys. You want a picnic?

SK: Camera cuts to like, a year from now, it's just like "Screw you, you asshole!"

[Keith left the group briefly at this point, which accounts for his absence in the following dialogue.]

DA: So we can talk about ... perhaps you guys have some stories about crazy fan encounters? I know you that you have some very dedicated fans, who travel long distances to see you, and things like that. Do you have any good stories about any of your crazy fans?

SK: Yeah, I mean ... crazy. Crazy, good? Crazy, bad?

DA: Interesting fan stories.

SK: Oh, god, so many fans are so interesting. I think ... well, just because it's the most recent thing doesn't mean it's the best thing, but ... when we played in Iowa, recently -- we did a gig at a bar in Iowa -- and it was ... we didn't go on till so late it was obscene. And we were like, "Nobody at this place is gonna know anything..." And these two girls had driven from Chicago. So they had driven like, seven hours, and they were going back that night, and they sang along to every song. And Keith and I were literally getting heckled on the front line so hardcore, but we were like ... we saw these people singing along and we were like, "we owe it to these ... we owe it to them to keep playing" and stuff. It was one of things where if it had been in The Wedding Singer it would've been particularly funny because it was like "You guys suck!" and we're up there singing, but it turned out really cool. That's a horrible story. I don't know ... crazy fans, you know. We've had people give us cool stuff. We had a girl pull down her pants, recently, show us her thong -- her mullet-man thong. That was pretty crazy.

BF: I missed that one.

SK: Yeah, that was in Vermont. I dunno, you know ... crazy? Nobody's really that crazy. We have very, I think ... our fans ... one thing I'll say is, I feel like our fans are more secure than like, then some of my peers' fans. Our fans ... you have to be willing to be like "okay, it's okay to be silly. And I think that our fans can dig on serious music, but are not afraid to be silly. So it kind of weeds out the uninteresting people that are afraid to be more ... real. Yeah.

DA: Now, why do you call yourself The Sixers? There obviously are not six of you.

SK: Good question. I don't know.

DA: Did it come from somewhere? Or is it just a cool band name?

SK: Brian has an awesome shirt, and we ... our band name was changing nightly.

BF: What were some of the good band names that we didn't use? Like The Stones.

SK: The Stones was a little more of a joke. We're like, "I'm going to see The Stones," and then they get there and we're like ...

BF: Kellogg and the Stones.

SK: I don't know ... our band name kept shifting, and the thing is, is like, over the course of this year we've become a band, and it's not just Stephen Kellogg. So on the one hand I've been working for three or four years to sell the records and the songs, but on the other hand we're very much a band. So we needed a band name, and you know ... it's early enough that there's no guarantees that The Sixers will stick, but it seemed like a cool name. Brian had a cool shirt, and we thought it was kind of funny that there were three of us and we're calling it The Sixers, and that it's a professional basketball team, which is ... there's a lot of sketchy things about this name. It's a little early to comment on that, yeah.

DA: Okay. [Here Keith rejoined us for the remainder of the interview.] DA: So we've talked a lot about being on road, and what the mission of the band is, and stuff like that ... what part of the job do guys like best? Being on the road? Being in the studio? Working on new material? What's the thing that really makes it all worthwhile? SK: Who wants to start? KC: I will. I like the playing part. That's my favorite part. Sometimes you kind of lose that, because there's so much other stuff involved, but I just like playing instruments. That, to me, is the most enjoyable thing. [silence] [laughter] SK: Well. I like, uh ... let's see ... [laughter]

SK: I am kind of a big fan of the ... uh ... laughter] Well ... my favorite part of all this is ... I dunno, two of my favorite parts -- I have dueling favorite parts -- one of them is writing a new song and then playing it for the first time, before anybody really knows it, and they just start playing along and you start hearing the song kind of come to life. And then these guys, one of them will start singing harmonies to it and then ... in the very beginning, when it's so fresh and everybody just kind of means it and it's not at all autopilot. It's just like, here's this song, and it's sort of like the birth of a song, and that's my favorite musical moment. And my favorite part of job is probably that feeling that we get when we all pile into the van after a really great show or something, and we're all laughing and driving along, and you're just like, "Wow, you know, we went in tonight, we had a really great time ... we played, we sweated ... we did our job and then we got paid to do it and we get to ... we're going somewhere..." Just these special little moments where you're like "Whoa, this is my job, this is awesome." And that's what it is for me.

BF: Yeah, I think realizing that it's your job is definitely the best thing.

DA: Okay, now I have the "fun" questions: everyone's favorite color?

SK: Blue.

DA: What shade of blue?

SK: Uh ... darkish blue. Cobalt.

DA: Okay.

BF: Green. Dark green.

KC: I'm like, "Uh..."

[laughter]

KC: Puce? How do you spell that? No, I'm like a navy blue kind of person.

DA: Okay. Favorite ice cream flavor?

SK: Black raspberry.

BF: Mint chocolate chip.

KC: Chocolate chip cookie dough, but with chocolate ice cream.

DA: Okay. And do you like the green mint chocolate chip, or the white mint chocolate chip?

BF: Uh ... both?

DA: Fair enough. Okay, if you were going to be an ice cream flavor, what flavor would you be?

BF: Is this like the dating game? Like, the next question's gonna be "If I were an ice cream cone..."

[laughter]

KC: Vienna mocha chunk ice cream.

SK: Nice. I believe that. I would be, from Ben and Jerry's, that Everything But The dot dot dot.

BF: What ice cream flavor would I be? Um, like, Chunky Monkey or something like that, one of those combinations.

DA: Okay. NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys?

KC: Oh NSYNC, definitely. Hands down.

SK: Okay, we're gonna let Keith field that question, 'cause he knows the most about it.

KC: I mean, Justin Timberlake is in NSYNC.

DA: Well, that's the next question: NSYNC, or Justin solo?

KC: Justin solo.

DA: And do you have, like, rationale behind that?

[laughter]

KC: Direct it toward me. I'm like "Beyonce, and..."

DA: Okay, Britney, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, or Mandy Moore?

KC: You mean, as an artist? Or, uh ...

[laughter]

BF: Yeah, what are we talking about here?

KC: ... or as sort of a crush?

SK: I don't think it even matters, right?

DA: You can give as many answers as you like.

SK: It's Britney across the board, right? [silence] Right?

KC: Well ...

[silence]

SK: I thought you wanted to like, marry Britney.

KC: Well, I do. But I do think that Christina Aguilera does sing better than Britney. But I'm willing to let that go, with regards to marriage.

DA: Okay.

SK: He's pretty lenient, when it comes to Britney Spears and the marriage subject.

DA: One thing that we should know about Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers?

SK: We are not pretty boys. We are hairy ... well, I'm a hairy man. [laughter] And ... they should know that Keith has a chocolate problem, Brian has a sleeping problem, and I'm a hairy man. I think that's ...

KC: That pretty much sums it all up. It's three things, but ...

SK: That's three things. Yeah.

DA: And then I would just love to see what you have to say about this question that Lindsay [a Rellogg poster] suggested. (Because it's my signature on your message board.) Would you settle for fantasy, if it's the best you could do?

SK: Um ... no. No, I would rather have the real thing, even if it sucked.

KC: Say it one more time?

DA: Would you settle for fantasy, if it's the best you could do?

After much discussion of what the question actually meant, The Sixers all agreed that no, they wouldn't settle for fantasy.

For more information on Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, visit their website at www.stephenkellogg.com.