When I was in high school, my guitar teacher always tried to open me up to new music. Around 1999/2000, he gave me a record by a Chicago-local band called American Football. The guitarwork was beautiful. Clean, melodic, complex without being complicated, and just created a wonderful mood. The man behind the music was Mike Kinsella, a young veteran to the Chicago music scene. When American Football disbanded, he continued writing music using the name Owen. The same great chording, phrasing, and timing I had come to know and love from American Football is there, but with a more mature, focused, acoustic singer/songwriter presentation.
His new record Ghost Town is out now, and it’s fantastic. Go buy it.
How long have you been playing guitar?
i picked up my brother’s guitar in 7th grade and taught myself how to play some (rudimentary versions of) metallica songs.
Do you play any other instruments?
i play drums and bass and can pick out simple melodies on the piano.
Is guitar your primary instrument?
yeah i guess so. i think i could’ve been a better drummer than guitar player if i ever actually practiced or pushed myself. and i think i could’ve been better at both if i ever learned how to properly play either…
You’re an accomplished guitarist.
Did you take any lessons growing up? (guitar or other)
i took three months of piano lessons in third grade and couldn’t figure out how to get my hands to do two different things at the same time so i got frustrated and quit.
What impact did that have on you as a musician?
um…prepared me for a lifetime of frustration?
Do you have an understanding of scales and music theory?
— How does that impact your songwriting?
just a little bit. i wish i knew more, although i also feel like maybe i can enjoy making music more the more ignorant i am. like i can’t get too wrapped up in stuff if i don’t even know it exists, so i just have to write stuff that “sounds good” to me.
A lot of your music uses alternate tunings.
How did you start this approach?
i think i just wanted to play a note that i couldn’t reach in standard tuning so i dropped it down and it’s been a slippery slope ever since.
Is there a method for when/why you use certain tunings?
Any personal favorites?
there’s no real method. usually i’ll just be fooling around on a guitar and come up with a riff i like and then have to figure out what tuning the guitar was in after the fact. i’m a sucker for DADGAD, DGCGAC, FACGCE…
Do you still practice instruments, beyond when you’re writing for your band?
nope.
Do you still attempt to push forward by learning new instruments or applications?
um…not really. don’t really have the time or mental space anymore. i mean, i’d like to think i’m always evolving (albeit slowly) into a better musician but i’m not necessarily actively pushing myself.
Do you have have a method for songwriting? How does it usually happen?
Start with a riff, vocal melody, beat?
i’ve usually got a bunch of riffs lying around and a bunch of one-liners lying around and eventually i get motivated to cycle through them all and put some pairs together that seem to fit. once i got something i like i figure out how to make an entire “song” out of it (extrapolate on the words, come up with a bridge for the music, etc.)
On record, Owen is mostly acoustic.
What is your go-to acoustic guitar?
i’ve got a ’67 martin that sounds pretty perfect. i’m too afraid to travel with it but it’s fun to pull it out for recording.
Do you have an electric rig at all?
If so, what do you have there?
i’ve had the same fender telesonic and twin reverb since college. i don’t play enough electric guitars to warrant any new/fancy purchases.
Does gear impact your songwriting / performing?
not really. i pretty much only play acoustic guitars that are lying around my house.
I recall reading that you tracked a lot of the Owen material yourself.
Do you have a home studio?
i used to have a DIGI001 set up and some ok monitors and mics but now i’ve just got an mbox and a couple general use mics that i demo with. i usually end up recording everything with an audio technica 4033…
Any advice for students who are trying to find success in the music industry?
um…do what you like doing and don’t do what you don’t.
Any advice for those balancing being an active musician as well as maintain a good family life?
um…don’t do what you like doing and do what you don’t.
What are your thoughts on the state of the music industry, and what the future holds?
i don’t know much about it. i’ve never had a manager and i’ve only been on (truly) indie labels my whole life. i know record labels are probably screwed unless they figure out some other service to offer. but i think people who are making music for the sake of music (i.e. not to get rich or famous) are going to be fine…
