Banjoetry: My Conversation with Kevin Chesser
The Thomas-based poet and musician speaks about bittersweet humor and default fonts
Wizard Clipp in Thomas, West Virginia
Last week on a pilgrimage upstate to the small town of Thomas I was lucky enough to sit down and speak with the incredibly talented Kevin Chesser, who just released his debut book of poetry, Relief Of My Symptoms. The book is one of the most engaging collections of poems I’ve ever read, and after two laps through it my copy is filled with underlines and margin-notes. It wasn’t until after reading that I discovered he was a banjoist who releases under the name of Wizard Clipp. His debut album [below] is a great way to spend thirty minutes.
Kevin welcomed me into his home and we spoke for nearly two hours. He played a handful of songs and read some of my favorite poems of his, as well as a couple unreleased ones. We nerd out on Richard Brautigan, Michael Hurley, David Berman, talk about writing in Times New Roman, about the role of pain in the creation of art, about why a poet decided to make an instrumental album. I couldn’t get a question past Kevin, and the conversation continued long after we stopped recording by the snowy banks of the Blackwater River.
Check out our interview here (keep in mind I haven’t recorded an interview, or anything, in four years, so the sound quality is actually pretty good, considering):
mouse-car radio hour— Playlist, 11/21
Ought— Today More Than Any Other Day
MGMT— 4th Dimensional Transition
PAPA— Ain’t It So
that marks three debut albums in a row, there’s something raw about tonight’s programming pay attention
Shiro Sagisu— Misato
Nirvana— Breed
Deerhunter— Desire Lines
Cigarettes After Sex— K.
Deerhunter and Cigs After Sex, two bands that a lot of people I trust really respect, though I can never seem to commit to
Liz Cooper & The Stampede— Outer Space
I saw this band on shrooms right before John Croagie. Later at the festival I was on a ski lift and we passed Liz and her bassist making out
R.L. Burnside— Goin’ Down South
Master Of Illusion— Let Me Talk To You
Static Fur— Mosshaus
Go off Scott
Pom Pom Squad— Popular
this one has been doing it for me lately. some high-level spoken lyricism, people!
Andrew Bird— Olympians
Portishead— Glory Box
Alice In Chains— Man In The Box
My Morning Jacket— Thin Line
The Fruit Bats— Absolute Loser