Listen Up: Kenny Huffman
Fayetteville Observer
Published: 09:47 AM, Mon Apr 12, 2010
Listen Up: Kenny Huffman
By Jessica De Vault
Staff writer
The last time we checked in with alternative rock singer Kenny Huffman in 2008, he had just premiered the music video for his single, "Magic Street."
Since then, Huffman has been writing and compiling new material.
Over the course of his 17-year career, he has released three solo records and distributed numerous singles on his Web site.
But fans were ready for a tangible album, he said.
"As I get older, my demographic gets a little bit older," he said. "And they don't really download music. They'd ask how to get it because they hear it live. So I knew I needed to get a compilation of those singles."
So Huffman released his latest work, "3." The thematic thread of the 10-song album is about the search for authenticity, he said.
"Whatever it is that you do, there's an authenticity to it. I wanted to convey that to the listener, to instill in them the sense that whether you're a teacher or a waitress or a parent, whatever you are, there's an authenticity to that," he said. "Hopefully, listeners will relate to the journeys that I'm talking about in the lyrics and relate them to their personal experiences."
Huffman shared the details of "3" and his musical evolvement with the Weekender Street Edition.
Weekender: How did "3" come about?
Huffman: I released some of the songs on the Internet, like "Magic Street" and "Pirate Days," so that it was accessible to fans on the Internet. But we also wanted to get a physical copy that we could sell as an entire CD or album.
So I fleshed out some of the songs. I just wanted to add some new music and the music that fans had already been experiencing in live shows and online. There are some new relationship songs, like "I Suppose." And there's "The Middle" that's about achieving some middle-class satisfaction.
Weekender: What direction did you want to take this album?
Huffman: I have been consciously moving towards more acoustic-based music. In the past, the songs have been band-driven, and now I'm starting to gravitate towards two- or three-man acoustic shows. So I wanted the music that I take to those performances to be reflected on the album, as well. More like a folk-rock genre.
Weekender: So where did the theme of searching for authenticity come from?
Huffman: Part of it was personal. I was looking around and seeing a lot of the evidence of the middle-aged, middle-income folks, and I started to examine that more. I grew up in a working-class environment that at times was wary of the middle and upper class.
But at the same time, my parents instilled their values of hard work and perseverance in me. I was taught that if you do those things, maybe you'll succeed. And if you find yourself a little older, and you do start to succeed in your career, life, relationships, you can still be authentic to the roots and values you grew up with. I try to reflect that in the lyrics of a few of my songs.
Weekender: Will you be shooting any videos for the "3" album?
Huffman: Actually, I'm looking at doing some filming this month for a song called "All Over Again." Hopefully, we can release a video for that, maybe in the early summer.
Weekender: What's "All Over Again" about?
Huffman: It's about leisure time, about communing and just enjoying life.
Weekender: Are you planning to shoot the video downtown like "Magic Street?"
Huffman: I think we'll do some of the filming at a wedding, but we're not ruling out downtown. I guess we'll get a theme of people enjoying themselves and life as it comes to you and celebrating the moments that you can share with other people.
Weekender: So what's next for you?
Huffman: I'll continue writing, kind of see how this effort pans out. I'll release the video in the summer, continue to play live acoustic shows and see what grows out of that. At this point, it's about creating more opportunities, creating some buzz about this record the best we can, and directing people towards that.
Weekender: Your sound has evolved quite a bit during your career, from hard rock to folksy, acoustic music. Do you suspect that you'll get the creative urge to change genres again in the future?
Huffman:
I was just thinking about that today. I'm really comfortable with this acoustic-rock genre. I don't want to say it's country. It lands somewhere between country and rock. I really enjoy the genre, and I want to see where it takes me.
But the one thing is, when you interact with other musicians, they can help influence you and move you in new directions. So I wouldn't close any doors right now.
Want more? Visit kennyhuffman.net
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Published on Thursday, September 11, 2008
WSE: Listen Up with Kenny Huffman
By Jessica De Vault
Staff writer
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Staff photo by Rachael Santillan
Kenny Huffman’s latest single is ‘Magic Street.’
When it comes to performing, Kenny Huffman doesn’t see a need to be too flashy. With his acoustic guitar in hand, Huffman seeks to entertain, but also to tell a story.
“I hope my show is engaging,” Huffman said. “There’s not a lot of theatrics or smoke and fog. But from the very start, we want to build a connection with the audience. When the audience is singing along with you, you can’t beat that.”
Huffman, an established alternative-rock singer, has spent more than 15 years performing his folksy songs across the region. He will perform some of his latest work Sunday at The Dog House on Owen Drive.
Huffman’s music, often labeled as simplistic and relatable, has become a popular staple in Fayetteville. The singer has three albums. He recently debuted his music video for the single, “Magic Street,” at Huske Hardware on Aug. 22 to a warm response.
“People like to see clips of the place they live,” Huffman said, of the video that showcased Hay Street and the Huske restaurant.
But the song, he says, wasn’t meant to describe the popular downtown street. Instead, “Magic Street” was meant to symbolize something far more general.
“It was a culmination of different places,” he said. “I wanted to create an enchanting place and allow people to conjure up their own idea of ‘Magic Street.’”
Huffman talked to the Weekender Street Edition more about his music, his roots and whether he’ll be releasing a fourth album in the near future.
Weekender: So what first attracted you to music?
Huffman: Well, as a kid my parents would take us on cool road trips and vacations all the time. We’d have the radio on, and my brother and I would be in the back seat. My mom would sing along with the radio, but she’d never sing the melody, only the harmony and that always sounded pretty to me. And later on, I got into my early teens and like most teens, I wanted to be a rock star.
Weekender: You used to play with the local rock group Rattler that was more along the lines of alternative rock metal. Now you’re more into acoustic, folksy rock. What made you make the switch once you became a solo artist?
Huffman: That’s crazy, because I was just talking about that. Like what do you call our music? Some people call it folk rock, and some people call it alternative. And sure, it’s radically departed from what we did 10 or 12 years ago. But the music is a little more personal now, a bit more “roots-oriented.” It’s the kind of music I grew up listening to.
Weekender: But were you ever hoping to go in this direction during the early part of your career? Or did the desire to do a folksier sound develop over time?
Huffman: When you’re in the moment with the band and you’re experiencing a little bit of success, you just sort of go along for the ride. But it’s something that evolves over time. As I developed my writing skills, I kept coming back to the foundation of what I grew up on.
Weekender: The one thing I notice about your music is that I hear the harmonies first, way before I ever hear the lyrics or even the instrumentation. Has that been your deliberate signature?
Huffman: I like the sound of voices blending together. It’s the thing that always attracts me to a song. In a subconscious level, I pay a lot of attention to creating a hook, something you sing along with. And I guess to reinforce that, I add a lot of harmonizing voices. I think that plants a seed in your head. I think it reaches a lot more people.
Weekender: Is your most recent single, “Magic Street,” tied into an upcoming album?
Huffman: “Magic Street” is available for free on the Internet but is not affiliated with an album. We’ve been taking a look at the market, and people aren’t buying CDs like they used to. People are downloading music and singles more, so we’re trying to tap into that new medium.
And it works out pretty well since the “Magic Street” video was downloaded 130 times, which is good. Because even on our best days or weeks, we’ve never sold 130 CDs. The advantage of putting things on the Internet is that you can market songs as one piece and keep your material fresh for people.
Weekender: What do you feel sets you apart from other local artists in your genre?
Huffman: I hope I tell a great story. I hope to create songs that people can relate to. I try to write some common themes.
Weekender: Themes like?
Huffman: People always write about love and loss, but I think people like to reminisce. Sometimes, when I write songs, I’m reminiscing. I may be reminiscing about a really wonderful, enchanting time in my life. Like escapism, thought-provoking songs, getting away from it all.
Weekender: So you’re a teacher in the local school system. What have your students had to say about you being a local rock star?
Huffman: They’ve been cool with it. Kids like to see their teacher outside the classroom. They like to see their teacher be a little human.
Weekender: Are you content with just being a long-standing, local performer or do you still have higher aspirations?
Huffman: I think when you’re younger everyone wants (fame), but ... I’ve got 15 years in the school system. (Laughs) I’ve got things some of my peers don’t have, like a health care plan! But I think we all hold that dream. So what’s the end game? I would love to write a song and put it in a movie or sell the song to a star who is already prominent. And I do love performing, but I’m pretty happy with the regional scene.
Kenny Huffman
When: Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 p.m.
Where: The Dog House, 3049 Owen Drive
Want more? Visit www.KennyHuffman.net to download his single “Magic Street” for free.
Staff writer Jessica De Vault can be reached at devaultj@fayobserver.com or 609-0610.
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Huffman Sings Earnest, Folk-inspired Rock
by Jim Washington
Fayetteville Observer
Kenny Huffman writes songs in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp telling stories about laid-off factory workers, cars, girls, and how things used to be.
The songs on Huffman’s just-released debut CD “All That They Say” range from the spritual (“With You Always”) to the sexual (opening track “Show Me Your Love”) to sepia-toned portraits of the past (“’47 Dodge”).
For Huffman, there’s always a story behind the story. “ ’47 Dodge”, for example, sprang from an old photograph of Huffman’s grandmother and another young woman. The friend is barefoot and perched on the hood of a 1947 Dodge.
The song, a mellow rocker, has the two women driving to Topsail Beach on a Friday night, stopping to pick up some shrimp and wine.
“I just made up a story about that photo,” Huffman said. “I figured they were hanging out and flirting with guys. Turns out that wasn’t the case, but it made for a good song.”
Huffman grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Fayetteville 9 years ago. He teaches history at Pine Forest High School. For seven years he sang with long-haired local rockers Rattler, branching out on his own when that group folded.
Today Huffman sings earnest folk-inspired rock and cuts his hair military short.
Growing up, Huffman listened to his rock heroes—Springsteen, Mellencamp, Van Halen and Bob Seger. But his grandparents exposed him to country music. “I had to switch the radio to country sometimes to soothe my grandma’s nerves,” he said.
His Own Direction
While Huffman’s brother became a musical prodigy (playing piano at age four, growing up to conduct the touring production of “Beauty and the Beast”), he didn’t begin playing and singing until high school.
After moving to North Carolina Huffman played bass in a country house band at a club in Angier. Then he hooked up with Rattler. They started out as a Southern and classic rock band and morphed into a alternative and metal group.
That band played consistently for over six years, but slowly came apart after bass player Dave “Thumbs” Johnson broke his wrists in a fall. Huffman took the opportunity to follow his muse.
“I branched out in my own direction,” he said. “It gave me the freedom to play and write some different stuff.”
The songs on “All that They Say” were written over the last year and a half and recorded in January at Daxwood Studio. The band includes Art Williams, Steve Holder, and Cliff Bender.
Huffman uses his father’s experience getting laid off from a coal mine, combined with the decline of the textile industry in Dunn and Erwin, to write “Factory Song”. The song’s chorus goes “People live simple/working in the factory/Ain’t no North and South/Just American you and me.”
“It’s a different industry and a different world down here, but a lot is the same,” Huffman said. “It seems like every day you pick up the paper and there’s another story about a factory closing or something else.”
As long as the stories keep coming, Huffman will have songs to sing.
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Free Flight Playlist by Jim Graves at 91.9 FM WFSS
This weeks studio guest was Kenny Huffman, a Fayetteville resident whose first solo CD, “All That They Say”, was released at the end of March. Kenny is originally from coal country in Pennsylvania, but has been teaching in local high schools and playing in bands for most of the last decade. "All that They Say” is a collection of observations, some grim, as in “Factory Song”, a look at jobs, careers, and industries going South, some much more upbeat, like the title cut, about being happy doing what you do. Kenny’s songs range from very electric to very acoustic, with a spoken word piece in there as well. Kenny’s singing voice is resonant and high, and on some numbers sort of resembles a young Bob Dylan, but with better enunciation. He can be contacted for CDs or other info at Huffmani@hotmail.com
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Thursday Java Jams Presents: Kenny Huffman
The Coffee Scene Culture, Vol. 2, Issue 7
Kenny Huffman is a singer/songwriter/musician currently living in the Fayetteville area. Kenny grew up steeped in the sounds of Rock Americana from Springsteen, Mellencamp, and Seger. This is the sound he perpetuates today, writing about themes people can relate and respond to.
Receiving encouragement from a chance meeting with Buffalo Springfield legend Richie Furay, Kenny began playing bass. But it wasn’t until his move to North Carolina that he got a shot at being a frontman. Rattler formed in 1994 and steadily rose to prominence with its blend of southern rock, hard rock, and stage energy. Rattler released “One Size Fits All” in 1997, and received modest airplay with the song “Sandi”.
By the year 2000, the Rattler lineup was changing frequently, and Kenny saw the opportunity to get back to his roots. Borrowing musicians from local rock bands and country groups, he began crafting songs of heartland flavor, stories of love, desire, hard times and hope. In the Spring of 2002 he released his solo CD “All That They Say”, which received successful reviews and steady airplay for the title track, and “Factory Song.”
The bottom line? “I guess my work could technically be called alternative rock. Mainstream rock has evolved toward angst driven music, and I guess I’m the alternative.”
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Huffman’s First Solo CD Shows Similarity of Working Classes
by John Jennings, Blairsville Dispatch
Life is different in Fayetteville N.C. than it was growing up in Black Lick for Kenny Huffman. For one thing, he teaches history in the local high school, instead of playing trumpet in the Blairsville High School band. As the home of Ft. Bragg, one of the largest military posts in the country, and right off of I-95, Fayetteville is a considerably more bustling community than Indiana County, and he sees a far more diverse group in his classrooms.
But in many ways, Huffman says, the area is much like his home neighborhood, especially in the hard-working people who have taken a battering from the economy. The son of a miner who lost his job when the local coal industry began to shrink, Huffman also saw the textile industry in North Carolina shutting down and moving overseas.
That led to Factory Song, one of 12 original Huffman songs on his new CD, All That They Say. The song’s chorus states, “People live simple/working in the factory/Ain’t no North and South/Just American you and me.” Huffman noted that there are many similarities to the two areas. “It seems like every day you pick up the paper and there’s another story about a factory closing or something else.”
If that sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song, it’s meant to. Huffman, in his first solo CD effort, said his songs are story-driven rock with an edge in the tradition of The Boss and John Mellencamp. His music is becoming more introspective since his hard-rockin’ band “Rattler” folded last year. But that gave him an opportunity to grow. . “It gave me the freedom to play and write some different stuff,” he said.
He now performs two our of three weekends in club dates, mostly acoustic sets on his guitar, which he never touched until age 14.
He says his mother and father encouraged their children to take up music, but while his brother Brent was a true prodigy, playing piano at age 4, “I had to slave at it.” (Brent has a thriving musical career; last year at this time he was in Pittsburgh as the musical director of the touring production of Beauty and the Beast.
Brent was the classical music fan in the household, Ken the rock and roller, listening to Springsteen and Mellencamp along with such story-driven rockers as Van Halen and Bob Seger. (He used to come to Blairsville High School dressed as half of the Blues Brothers.) Before he headed south to teach he was part of the rock band “Oliver Sudden” with fellow Blairsville resident Bob Iachini.
Huffman said his grandmother was the inspiration-after a fashion-for one of the songs on his album, ’47 Dodge. An old photo of his grandmother and another woman posing with that car sparked his imagination to invent a story about the women driving to the beach to flirt with guys. “Turns out that wasn’t the case, but it made for a good song.”
He said his CD will be available at Brozeski Music in Blairsville.
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