Live's Ed Kowalczyk is now solo, and the tour's acoustic, Article from The Morning Call Options

[dangum]

Live's Ed Kowalczyk is now solo, and the tour's acoustic
By John J. Moser
OF THE MORNING CALL

October 18, 2009

Shaven-headed singer Ed Kowalczyk is known for delivering impassioned rock music as lead singer of his band Live, which in the mid-1990s had hits such as ''Lightning Crashes.''

And Kowalczyk -- who's on the phone from an Austin, Texas, recording studio -- says the solo album he's putting together while the band takes a break will be ''definitely in the rock vein.''

So what is Kowalczyk doing playing songs -- including Live hits -- in a small-theater, solo acoustic tour with Sixpence None the Richer singer Leigh Nash and Everclear singer Art Alexakis? The Open Wings Broken Strings tour stops Friday at Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg.

The idea for a tour came out of a series of small shows Kowalczyk did in April with just an acoustic guitar.

''I was really just for the first time -- really ever -- connecting with people at this incredible, intimate, yet visceral level in these smaller shows with the acoustic guitar,'' he says.

''And I thought, 'This is really inspiring because this is where the songs come from,' and it's almost like inviting people into that space where the songs initially are born. And it's a really powerful experience for the fans and for me.''

Kowalczyk says of the new album: ''It's going to be a rock record, as opposed to something that's really stripped down. There are going to be, of course, moments in it that are very intimate. But the main tenor and the arc of the album is definitely rock.

''But then I was also writing the record in the midst of it,'' he says, laughing. ''And some people knew I was doing it, so they were a little bit like, 'Oh, well, what kind of record is it going to be?' But no, it's definitely rock. The acoustic thing has been throwing people off a little bit because it's something I'm really enjoying doing.''

Kowalczyk, 38, has the opportunity to do the solo album and tour because Live, after more than 20 years together, announced in June it would take a two-year hiatus.

Live, which Kowalczyk formed in his native York, has sold more than 12 million copies of its eight albums, including 1994's ''Throwing Copper.'' That release went eight times platinum, had five Top 15 Modern Rock singles and kept one song, ''Lightning Crashes,'' on Billboard's Rock Album Track chart for 10 weeks.

But this spring, Kowalczyk did a series of acoustic shows at small theaters, began to write solo material and created his own Web site, http://www.eddieklive.com .

''I just got to the point -- I think all of us did -- where we said it's time to branch out and do some different things,'' he says. ''I wanted to explore this acoustic dimension, because it was invigorating me as an artist in such a way that I was surprised, actually, when I went in this direction. And that became the songwriting process for a solo record, then became me being in Austin. ... [It] just sort of became pretty obvious where, OK, this is the moment where, it's been a long time, let's spread our wings a little bit.''

Kowalczyk played one of those solo shows in Phoenix with Alexakis, whom he had met several times over the years. Alexakis has been the only constant member in the 17-year history of Everclear. But he had recorded several albums and toured solo, and was doing acoustic shows similar to Kowalczyk's.

''I watched his show and then he watched mine and we thought, 'Well, we're on the same page here,''' Kowalczyk says. ''And so it just made sense when I had this idea for Open Wings Broken Strings to reach out to Art and ask him if he would like to come, and he said he would love to.''

Kowalczyk added Nash to the bill because, even though they had never met, he admired her work with Sixpence -- whose biggest hits were 1999's ''Kiss Me'' and ''There She Goes.''

''She's just an amazing singer and songwriter,'' he says. ''I'm just a big fan of hers and we reached out to her and said, 'Hey, we're doing this thing.' And she jumped at the chance, too. So everybody's really excited to do it.''

Before the tour, which starts Thursday, Kowalczyk holed himself up in the Austin studio to work on his solo album, which he hopes to release in spring.

He worked through each song he had written, ''saying, 'OK, this is a rocker, this isn't, this I'll want to be more ethereal in.' ... I think it's a sound that people will be really happy with. I think the most important thing is they're going to get the emotional impact of the music in a way that's very refreshing.''

But that doesn't mean it will be drastically different from Live.

''As the songwriter and, of course, singer and melodist in Live, it's obviously got that thread running through it,'' he says. ''That'll be very familiar to people. The songwriting style, the lyrics are very searching and, I think, really passionate, and have spirituality in them that I'm known for. So that's going to be something people recognize right away.''

While Kowalczyk undertakes his solo projects, Live's other members -- guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey -- teamed with Kevin Martin and Sean Hennessy of Candlebox to form The Gracious Few. They reportedly are preparing to record an album with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads as producer, also for spring release.

Even if his solo projects are successful, Kowalczyk says Live intends to resume at some point. But he says he can't promise it'll be in two years.

''At this point, being the kind of person and artist that I am, I like to put myself 150 percent into everything,'' he says. ''So as much we may have said a few months ago 'a two-year break,' or a break with a definitive time, I'm also going to put my heart and soul into this for awhile and it's going to be what it is.

''I'm following my heart on this, and wherever it leads, really.''

john.moser@mcall.com

610-820-6722
http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/music/a...0,1360303.story

[Wambangalang]

glad to hear he's making a rock album

[OutToDry]

Nice find there, I missed that today when I was on mcall doing the daily scan of the news

This post has been edited by OutToDry: Oct 19 2009, 11:38 pm

[river_rage]

Good read.

I'm not sure I quite believe him about the album being a rock album, but I guess we'll see soon enough. Looking forward to it

[SecretInsomnia]

Good read.

I'm not sure I quite believe him about the album being a rock album, but I guess we'll see soon enough. Looking forward to it

I really hope it will rock (I mean, he must have brought that Les Paul to the studio for at least some reason! ), but Í think he sees 'Forever' as a rock song as well, so I dont keep my hopes up for something really rocking.

Aside from that, I'm glad the man finally had the balls to talk about the "two-year-or-longer-break". In all previous interviews(both written and audio/video) he seemed to avoid the subject.
He really seem to think Live isn't over. I guess he says that because he just really don't know at this point.

This post has been edited by SecretInsomnia: Oct 20 2009, 4:09 am

[river_rage]

Yeah I'm not sure his definition of rock is the same as a lot of people's here on this board.

Proove us wrong Eddie

[zmanpga]

Ill ask him Friday night...front row and backstage passes!

[Wambangalang]

if its not too uncomfortable for you can you also ask him to respond to chad graceys twitter diss? You would officially be the awesomist most wicked poster in the history of this board. Nick has already agreed to make a new site skin with you as the theme in your honour.

[Pokey]

Ill ask him Friday night

And then brag about what he told you and not tell anyone else?

[+Ed+]

Sure! Can not wait for a new wave of I-KNOW-AND-YOU-ALL-WILL-NEVER-KNOWism

[zmanpga]

okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.....like Im really going to ask...HEY ED....WTF happened????
no....sorry..will be the last thing I ask him...cant you figure it out by now??? do you really need it explained??the questions will be

more like....Thanks for all the inspiration......Looking forward to new music.....best of luck whatever your future holds....can you sign this for me....how was Adams wedding??..see ya!

This post has been edited by zmanpga: Oct 20 2009, 7:53 am

[Pokey]

pfft how boring, he probably hears that from every single person and will give you the same answer as anyone else in that room. You don't have to be in your face about it but saying "hey dude, really looking forward to the solo stuff and to see how different that is from Live! Speaking of which, what's happening with you guys? Are you still on speaking terms?"

[zmanpga]

lets come up with a variety of questions I should ask ED...then we'll pick the top 2 and I will get ya some answers...

[crazy1]

lets come up with a variety of questions I should ask ED...then we'll pick the top 2 and I will get ya some answers...

I have a really serious question you can ask him for me!





boxers or briefs?


LOL!! Only kidding!