Commanding Softly

by Robert Dunstan

Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies) has just released a new solo album, Soft Commands, and we spoke to him over the telephone. He was in the twin cities of St Paul, Minneapolis, touring, as he frequently does, as the unofficial fourth member of US rock supergroup R.E.M. after having toured with that band in the past and having also played guitar on their new album, Around The Sun, as well as on some of the band's more recent offerings.

What's the deal with St Paul being known as the twin cities?

"Well, it's two cities - St Paul and Minneapolis which are adjacent," Ken kindly explained.

I had first heard of the twin cities via Garrison Keelor's syndicated US radio show, A Prairie Home Companion.

"Yes, that program is still going strong," Ken declared. "It's done here in Lindburgh Theatre, I believe, which is said to be haunted."

Ken managed to squeeze in a quick US tour to promote Soft Commands before hitting the road with R.E.M.

"It came out in July and I did a three-week solo tour which went great," he said. "But I must say that I've been a little disappointed with the sales. But, hey, what can you do?"

(Read more...)

Birthday

Happy birthday to Ken Stringfellow!

PROGESS - KS.com update

Nothing truly newsworthy regarding KS this week, but the REM tour has been marvelous. We had a storming show at one of music's holiest sites, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and in my 2 day visit to the town I was pleased to discover and meet dozens of KS and Posies fans. Unf. I couldn't fit a TN date in on the Soft Commands tour, but there is a sense that a future visit by the Posies or KS would be a large time.

I'm in Chicago, always a great town for music, playing tomorrow and the next night (25th and 26th October) at the Auditorium Theatre. Indian summer seems to be in effect, and thus if anybody happens to read this...I need a tennis partner here in town--email me via this site's contact page if you wish to volunteer...

I'm going to throw a couple of new pics on the photo page this week...

Love
KS
Chicago IL

Stringfellow Takes Command

Channel 4 Teletext
20/10/04

In the late 80's, Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer formed The Posies, loosely an American equivalent of Teenage Fanclub with perfect acoustic melodies.

A decade later, the band split, only for both singers to get the ultimate accolade of being invited by Alex Chilton to join the reformed Big Star.

In between, Stringfellow became REMs regular keyboard player. He tells PS how he finds the time for all three bands, a solo album and fatherhood.

Ken Stringfellow says his attitude to his career is based on a speech by Nicolas Cage in Adaptation.

"When Cage's character calls himself 'Writer:fat, old, bald, pathetic', that summed up exactly how I feel about what I do," laughed Ken.

"OK, so I've got hair, I'm not too fat and 38's not so old. The stupidity of what I do applies anyway. If I think 'Musician: fat, old, bald, pathetic' it stops me becoming a jerk."

(read the rest at murmurs.com)

Ken's European tour dates

12/7 Paris, FRANCE--Le Tryptique (w/Cristina Dona)
12/8 London, UK--the Borderline
12/9 Glasgow, UK--King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
12/10 Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS--Paradiso
12/11 Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS--Rotown
12/12 Stockholm, SWEDEN--Debaser
12/13 Gothenburg, SWEDEN--Pusterviksbaren
12/14 Oslo, NORWAY--Betong
12/15 Bergen, NORWAY--Garage
12/16 Köln, GERMANY--MTC
12/17 Berlin, GERMANY--Bastard
12/18 Frankfurt, GERMANY--Nachtleben
12/19 Geneva SWITZERLAND--Chat Noir
12/20 Brussels, BELGIUM--Botanique
12/21 Helsinki, FINLAND--Tavastia
12/23 Milan, ITALY--La Casa 139 (w/Cristina Dona)

SOFT C. COMES TO THE FORE - KS.com

Soft Commands has been released in Europe, Australia, and many other territories, on Rykodisc Int'l, with two fantastic bonus tracks. It appears that it will be released later in the year in Japan, on Rykodisc as well, perhaps with some alternate mixes? Keep posted.

The Vote For Change tour came to a successful conclusion in Washington DC, with an all star-ish lineup (my stepdad, age 79, preferred Jurassic 5!) on Oct. 11. Televised on the Sundance Channel, and streamed on Real Networks, I think we can say that, we did what we could with what we had access to (in other words, no thank you very much to the major networks—I mean, I am sure they could have given fair and balanced equal coverage to a pro-Bush concert... yeah right—two skinhead bands and a couple of country western dudes puttin' boots in an Osama doll's ass). With Vote for Change and its supporters, substantial risks were taken, and that earns my respect, at the very least. And I think it will have an impact on the upcoming election, we'll see if it helps tip the egg over the roof. Cluck.

I would also like to add that Bruce Springsteen, his band and crew, were nothing less then people of the highest order, kindness and generosity. It was a blast and and an honor to get to know them and share the stage with the Boss and co.

REM's headlining tour begins today, highlighted by the fact that BOB WEBER did something for me, personally, today.

Still getting those KS tour dates together... looking good tho'.

Best
KS
Greek Theatre, Los Angeles CA

Soft Commands is released internationally

Today on Rykodisc - the release contains two extra tracks, covers of "Never My Love" and "Down To The Wire."

Theposies.net is currently experiencing technical problems

Hopefully it will be resolved soon...

VOTE FOR CHANGE - KS.com update

I am writing from the dressing room, backstage at Cobo Hall in Detroit, tonight being the third night of the Vote For Change Tour, featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, REM (with me on keyboards etc.), and Bright Eyes, plus special guest John Fogerty (of CCR and beyond). An extremely diverse group of musicians, whose origins lie in the 60s (JF), 70s (BS), 80s (REM), and the 21st Century (BE). The Bright E lineup for these dates includes M. Ward on guitar, you may have seen the W. Coast tour that he and I did (along with Freedy Johnston) in 2002. He’s a superb musician and songwriter in his own time, and the BE lineup I must admit is even more solid than that which supported the Posies at Reading and Leeds in 2001.

The tone of the evening has been uplifting, exuberant, hopeful and fun. Bruce and Michael each say a few words in support of John Kerry specifically and in support of a change in the administration in general in the next election, and urge everyone to register and vote (and yes, I support these views wholeheartedly—the deadline for registration differs from state to state but generally it's this week). I generally do not speak about politics, but, I have a number of reasons to endorse Sen. Kerry. I believe the current administration's policies are too often one-dimensional and inflexible. I believe the invasion of Iraq was done with some good intentions but carried off in such a way as to create deep divisions between our allies and ourselves, and certainly without acknowledging all the possible outcomes, many of the worst of which have come to pass. And the massive spending increase and tax cuts combo is, I believe, ultimately hazardous. And so on. It's in the papers.

I certainly don't expect my readers and listeners to think like me, act like me, etc. I wouldn't dislike someone who shares a completely different opinion, like many of my friends and family. My music is for everyone. It's meant to cross boundaries and communicate across the many existing demarcations that subdivide social groups and push and pull us in different directions and thru various shifts in our identities.

This week: REM's Around the Sun album will be released by Warner Bros. I can be heard on several of the tracks, playing various keyboards. It's a lovely and gentle collection songs of hopes, questions, and dreams, relevant to living in these times, and in this country especially.

See you all on the tour! Check the tour page for REM's dates near you.

Love
KS
Detroit MI

Search The Posies

Upcoming Shows

new releases

e-mail updates

news archives