By Kathy Sands-Boehmer
Accolades keep coming forth for Kelleigh McKenzie’s debut CD, Chances. Typical of these rave reviews is one from Performing Songwriter which said that “McKenzie’s versatile chops (she’s a student of jazz and bluegrass) and her unique voice, sometimes channeling the Appalachian melancholy of Dolly Parton or the Texas twang of Nanci Griffith, should carry this adventurous project far.”
Here’s a video of Kelleigh performing her award-winning song, “Gin” on the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour.
Your debut album, Chances, has gotten quite the buzz. Some artists produce many records before they get the kind of attention and praise that you have garnered with your first effort. Has this been a pretty heady experience or do you take it all in stride?
Well the making of Chances was truly a labor of love. I didn’t have big aspirations; I just wanted to fully realize the songs in a studio setting. So it was a lovely surprise when the album started getting so much attention. For me, the songs I write are kind of like my babies and I wanted to record them and give them a chance to go out and be in the world. I must say it’s been very satisfying to know that they are loved by others. . . . I guess I feel kind of like a proud mama.
Has the fact that you won a couple of Independent Music Awards had an impact on your career?
I think it has, in that it’s helped me to get noticed amongst the many, many, MANY independent singer-songwriters making albums these days! But to set the record straight — I only won one Independent Music Award, which was for best Americana song. (I did receive two additional nominations for best cover and best Americana album).
Which instrument did you first learn how to play?
As a small child, I began plunking on a neighbor’s piano and when my parents noticed me playing songs from the radio by ear, they got an old upright for me and gave me lessons. My first stringed instrument came much later in college when I picked up the banjo.
How long have you used an amplified stompbox as part of your act?
I have always been a big foot stomper when playing and singing. About four years ago I finally decided to make it official and plug in. I found a great instrument called a PorchBoard which has a low frequency sensor in it and a sound bar to tap with your toes. I’m more of a stomper than a tapper so I built a platform around it to hold my weight. It feels SO GOOD to make such a deep, thumping sound with my feet!
Other than music, do you have any other interests that you feel passionate about?
Oh where do I start? It seems I’m always feeling passionate about something! Cooking is a love of mine, and just a few weeks ago I started volunteering to help save a single-screen movie theater in my small town in New York’s Hudson Valley. The theater has been there for more than 60 years and when news got out that the owners were going to sell it, a bunch of us in the community started raising money to purchase it and run it as a nonprofit. I’m also really into all things dog. . . . My boy is an Aussie named Roark and he’s my sweetie.
Do you have plans to record a follow-up CD at some point?
Yes indeed. I’m working on the songs right now and I just bought some home recording gear for pre-production. I plan to work out all the arrangements this spring and summer and head into the studio in November. I absolutely LOVE the recording process. It is endlessly fascinating to me.
Like many of us, Kathy Sands-Boehmer wears many hats. An editor by profession, she also operates Harbortown Music and books artists for the Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead, Massachusetts. In her spare time, Kathy can be found at local music haunts all over New England. This and many previous Q & A interviews with artists are archived at www.meandthee.org/blog, as well as in the Features section of AcousticMusicScene.com.
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