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We haven't converged on the southern end of the state for a bit to see what's going on musically, so the latest studio release by the Kelly Richey Band, "Speechless," gives us an excuse to put our ear to the ground in Hamilton County. Tough to track down, because they tour so much, OhioOnline music correspondent Peanuts finally caught up to the guitarist/leader of the act, Kelly Richey, to get some insight on where's she's been and what is the next stop for her on the yellow brick rock and roll road. |
| OO: |
Are you an Ohio native? |
| KR: |
"I was born and raised in Lexington, KY. I lived in Nashville in the late 1980's. I've spent quite a bit of time in New York City. I relocated to Cincinnati ten years ago and call it my home." |
| OO: |
What were the musical influences of your youth? |
| KR: |
"I've always loved music. From the time I could touch the keys of our piano, I was playing music. I grew up playing piano and took lessons for many years. I loved playing piano by ear much more than practicing my lesson, so, by early teen years, I only played for fun. When I was fourteen, I borrowed a drum set from a neighbor and began to play non-stop. After months of drums being beaten in my bedroom, my Dad said he would buy me anything I wanted, if I'd give back the drum set. I selected an electric guitar and received it for Christmas when I was fifteen." |
| OO: |
Were you in any other big name bands before this? |
| KR: |
"I was in a band called 'Stealin' Horses' on Arista Records in the late 1980's. We toured the country non-stop." |
| OO: |
What national artists have influenced your songwriting? |
| KR: |
"Neil Young, Joe Walsh, Cream, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, David Grey, Jimi Hendrix." |
| OO: |
Since that's quite a range, describe your music. |
| KR: |
"Acid blues." |
| OO: |
Who have you matched up with in concert? |
| KR: |
"Johnny & Edgar WInter, Lonnie Mack, Average White Band, Walter Trout. Two acts I'd love to open for are the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule." |
| OO: |
Onto the release. What number is this for you? |
| KR: |
"This is number nine and our latest studio release. We just came out with a live disc that was recorded at the Thirsty Ear in Columbus, but 'Speechless' is our newest one out of the studio." |
| OO: |
Where was it recorded? |
| KR: |
"I've spent the last two years building a wonderful recording studio in my home, that allows me to write and record whenever I feel inspired. The reason it is called 'Speechless' is, the nine tracks are all instrumental. While building my studio, I decided to put together a mobile recording studio as well. In May of 2006, we begun recording a series of shows in Columbus at the Thirsty Ear, that became the live disc that was just released." |
| OO: |
Long term plans? |
| KR: |
"I plan to keep writing and recording both studio and live discs, while touring year round. Playing and recording go hand in hand. I love to play, so creating a schedule that enables us to do both without burning out is the long term goal." |
| OO: |
Final thoughts? |
| KR: |
"The landscape of live music has changed throughout the years. It's important for each of us to support live and recorded music, any way we can. When people stop listening, there is so much less music to be heard." |
