[INTERVIEW] Ken Newman Talks New Album What Am I Afraid Of? + Upcoming Release Show

San Francisco’s Ken Newman is combining music and art to help the lives of people living on the streets. Through his charity, Blanket the Homeless, Newman has used his musical talents to inspire change and take action.

Newman’s philanthropic efforts have been featured in the media, including the San Francisco Chronicle and Grammy website, and we’re thrilled to interview him in celebration of his new release, What am I Afraid Of?

Through their musical events and compilation releases, Ken and Blanket the Homeless raise money to bring food and essential items to shelters in the homeless community. We talked to Ken about creating change through music and how other musicians can get involved.

Musical Notes Global: Congratulations on your upcoming album, What Am I Afraid Of? Can you tell us a little bit about it? It sounds like it’s been a long time in the making.

Ken Newman: Yeah. You could say that :) About 6 years ago, I walked into Scott Mickelson’s Mill Valley studio with a few rough songs and said I wanted to make an album. And here we are. The road here was a fun, if somewhat circuitous one. Scott isn’t one of those producers that says. Great song!! Let’s start recording. He pushed constantly, “This needs a bridge” “Not so sure about that chord change” “You need another verse or two.” “Not sure I’m crazy about that one.”

Sometimes my feelings were a bit bruised, but I found that more often than not, he was right on the money.

I tend to think of Scott as less a producer, than a collaborator. Or, as I often refer to him, my personal, “George Martin.” He’s also become a very dear friend.

And DAMN, the guy sure knows his way around the studio as any artist he’s recorded will attest to!

Regarding the extra two years, in spite of the fact that the album was pretty much wrapped pre-covid, I had no intention of releasing an album on Zoom :)

So I waited…and waited…and waited…

MNG: Your new single “Talk To You” was originally a sarcastic dig at social media and written before the pandemic. I have to imagine since then, its meaning has changed. Can you tell me a little more about that?

KN: This is a great question. Yes, the song was originally VERY sarcastic. And the original version was definitely on the ‘punk’ side of the rock and roll spectrum. Loud, vitriolic, and fast. My producer, in his typically delicate fashion, suggested that I take a different approach entirely. So, one evening I found myself singing the lyrics with a ‘swing feel.’ I re-chorded it a bit and came back to the studio (Mickelson Sound) with it. Did a rough track with acoustic guitar and a drum loop and we built it up from there w/ drums, bass, keys, horns, additional vocals, etc.

During the pandemic, I began to realize that the song was taking on a new meaning, as the very thing I was lampooning (social media) became the only way we could connect with each other. In fact, during some ‘FB Live’ performances I did in 2020 I changed the lyric to “I’m just dying for some face to face conversation”

And as the music video was coming together, my editor and I talked about how we could underscore that new ‘meaning’ with our selection of footage; contrasting the social media obsessed images with the more human interaction that we’ve all so dearly missed.

MNG: With such a strong focus on in-person connection, and many struggling to re-connect in person, what do you hope they’ll take away from the song?

KN: I’m hoping that if we take away anything from the last few years, it’s that real ‘face to face’ connection is precious and that we should never take it for granted.

MNG: “Talk To You” is very unique amongst other songs on What Am I Afraid Of? it has more of a blues tone with infectious melodies and blaring horns. What made you decide to switch up your songwriting?

KN: As I mentioned, it was my Producer / Collaborator, Scott Mickelson who told me that while he liked the idea of the song, he felt that the shrill and strident approach I had taken, didn’t really serve the story all that well. Also, as I have rather eclectic musical tastes, once I found this approach, it seemed to make a lot more sense.

MNG: Speaking of the variety of sounds on the album, the title track is such a thrilling invitation into the album with its motivating lyrics and catchy guitar riffs. How was it decided that would be the album name?

KN: That was a last minute change, actually. The original title was, “Dreaming of Guns” since ‘guns’ are a recurring theme in a number of the songs. As we were finishing the final tracks, I decided that “What Am I Afraid Of?” might be a better ‘umbrella,’ as there was more of a thematic connection to all the songs.

MNG: We wanted to touch on “I Can’t Breathe” which was a song you wrote for Eric Garner and has an incredible essence behind it. Eric’s daughter Erica personally reached out to you about it and invited you to play at his memorial. Was that something you imagined when you first wrote the song?

KN: Not in a million years. I happened to be in Houston and was walking back to my hotel when I came upon a ‘Black Lives Matter’ march. There was a young boy carrying a sign which I realized was a transcription of Eric Garner’s final words. I asked him if I could take a picture of the sign. I then ended up carrying it for him for a few blocks as the wind was practically knocking him down. When I got back to my hotel room. I wrote down the words and then started imagining the rest of what would become the song, “I Can’t Breathe.” Three days later, I recorded a ‘down and dirty’ version on my home recorder with just voice and distorted electric guitar. A filmmaker friend of mine offered to shoot a video of the performance and we posted it on YouTube. It was several months after that, I received a phone call from Erica, who had discovered the video. She asked if they could put it on the family website and if I would perform it at a family memorial in Oakland, CA. I was deeply moved by that offer and by the event I attended.

I took that song into Scott’s studio and we reworked it a bit and came up with the first, rock version that appears on the album. In several live shows that I did subsequently, I would perform a much gentler, acoustic version of the song. A friend suggested that this version was ultimately more moving and more effectively told the story and that I should include it on the album. So, taking that suggestion, we did a very simple acoustic guitar/voice version as the final track on the LP.

MNG: Your music has already made an impact on people. For musicians who want to do the same with their music and create change, what would you say to them?

KN: I happen to be in a very fortunate position, as I have a successful production company that affords me the freedom to donate all my musical earnings to charities. But I suppose that any musician (or any ARTIST for that matter) can let their work reflect their view of the world, and their desire for positive social change. I find myself thinking of singer/songwriters like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others who have given voice to societal ills. And frankly, it costs nothing to offer our talents in service to a cause. I have been honored to work with many local musicians who have dedicated their time and talents to causes I care about…

MNG: Tell us a little about your upcoming release show on April 24th in the Bay Area. It’s already nearly sold out! What can attendees expect and where can they buy tickets?

KN: The album is being released on 4/22. On 4/24, I am having an album release birthday party at Hotel Utah, a wonderful historic music venue in San Francisco: The show is a mixed bag of entertainment, A 20 minute set of magic by an award-winning magician, Robert Strong. Then a round-robin of singer/songwriters, EG Phillips, Joyce Lee, Jeff Desira, and Bob Hillman. Then my producer, Scott Mickelson does a 30 minute “Mickelson-Solo” set. And then my four-piece band takes the stage to blast through as many album tracks as we can in an hour.

Tickets, if still available are available on the FB event page here. And this ticket link here.

MNG: Blanket The Homeless is an incredible cause and is helping heal the community. You’ve mentioned you feel so fortunate that you’re able to utilize your talents so that you can help others, what motivates you to give back like that?

KN: Truly, I have been very fortunate in my life. I have a family that I adore. Love and support from them and my friends. A son I’m crazy about. An ex-wife who I’m very close to. An amazing girlfriend. I get to do what I love to do and I get paid well for it. But I am acutely aware that many others are not nearly as fortunate. And while I cannot singlehandedly solve our homelessness crisis, I can do something that will make a small difference. I was told once by someone living on the streets that, more than the cold, more than the hunger, was the feeling that he was becoming ‘invisible.’ If I do nothing else, I can help provide a mechanism (with our Blanket the Homeless care packs) that will let people on the street know that, no matter their circumstances, they are still entitled to love, to compassion, to understanding, or at the very least, to be seen!

MNG: More than anything, what do you want people to remember about you, and this album?

KN: I know it’s rather cliched, but ‘follow your passion’ comes to mind. I also believe that in my life, the decision to ‘lead with my heart’ has led to some of the biggest successes I’ve had. And, of course, I want people to hear it and say, ‘Damn … that shit rocks!!”

For all of Ken Newman’s latest news and updates, follow him on social media:

Instagram: @ken_newman

Facebook: facebook.com/kennewmanmusic

Twitter: @KenNewman

Website: kennewmanmusic.com

Blanket The Homeless: blanketthehomeless.org

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