Interview With Kenita Of CountrynterviewsOnline.net

Today is a great day! It was a wonderful experience talking with Lolene. She is a wonderful lady who is a new, rising star in Country Music. Our chat was very enjoyable.

From all of the songs on your CD, Lonely Dealin's, what is your favorite song and why? My favorite song is Me Without You, because it carries some personal significance for me. However, I think, it is probably not the best track on my CD.

Have you ever written a song with someone else? Yes, my first attempt to write with someone else was Slow Burn. A marvelous lady, Suzanne Smith who lives in California was introduced to me. Suzanne is a wonderful lyricist with many pretty words. Original words, created by Suzanne were moved round to match some of the phrasing to adjust to the tune I had in mind. People have received Slow Burn very well. Slow Burn has actually climbed to number 2 on the charts.

Can you tell me something about I Don't Mind the Rain? "I was in a very strange mood when I wrote this song." I Don't Mind the Rain is a very sad, eerie song. "It is everybody's life at one time or another. This is a song that tells you 'No matter what happens, get on with your life. Accept it and go on, even if it makes you cry.' Oh well, I guess that is often the nature of the beast in human relationships." The musicians were excellent especially the way they captured the eerie mood in the ending of the song.

This is the song that you chose as your favorite song. Will you give me some more insight into Me Without You? "The musical arrangement is beautiful!" The song speaks to the time when you realize that you are at the end of a relationship. You are not quite over it but you must go on with your life without someone that you like, but your life will go on without them. In another sense, the song is about how a person decides to treat another person. "Humans, go figure!" Me Without You is the realization of an ending with a future."

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Interview with Lolene

How did you get into C&W music and when did you start with it ?

Answer: I have been writing songs, but not really sharing them with anyone, for several years. In 2000, I prepared demo tracks for three of my songs, and mailed them to several country music publishers. Among the responses I received, Colonel Buster Doss expressed an interest not only in my songs, but also in my singing ability. During the winter of 2000/2001, I met Colonel Doss and we agreed that he would produce my first CD. We completed that project last month, and my debut CD, "Lonely Dealin's" has now been released. If you don't mind a shameless plug, people who would like to purchase my CD can do so on the internet by either visiting my website and linking directly to the sales page, or by going directly to http://AllNashvilleRadio.us/MusicStore.htm and ordering the CD there.

What does C&W music mean to you personally?

Answer: I believe that the popularity of country music comes from the way that the music touches people in their hearts and souls by speaking to them about the joys and despairs of every day living. I believe that my music does that as well. Each and every person has endured the trials of courtship and marriage. Many of us have endured the difficulties of divorce and have experienced remarriage. My CD is a twelve song anthology about the ups and downs we have all experienced in these various human relationships.

What's your opinion about C&W music made in Germany?

Answer: I believe that real country music speaks to people where they live, and touches their hearts. When the music and the singing does that, it is good country music regardless of where the song writer or singer were born and raised.

How important is the world-wide presence of C&W music in your eyes?

Answer: I have learned over the last year or two, that real country music touches people in personal and significant ways, and the music and the songs transcend many cultural and language differences. That is why country music has such a significant presence all around the world. For me, this world-wide presence has provided an opportunity for many more people to hear my music. Without that world-wide audience, I am not sure that I could have had the opportunity to share my music with any audience broader than my immediate circle of family and friends. That is why I am so deeply honored and gratified each and every time that a DJ in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere else in the world selects one of my songs for his or her audience.

What are your future plans?

Answer: My plans are to continue writing and recording in Nashville. To accomplish this goal, I am in the process of putting together a band and making personal appearances at least for the next year of so in Kentucky. I believe that these public appearances are essential because I now need to establish my music with a broader market in the U. S. If things work out on that front, and the CD sales are sufficient, I would like to make trips to Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 2003 or 2004. I have received several invitations in this first year, and I really want to meet the many wonderful people who have supported my music with airplay and had such nice things to say about my music.

Who was your model role in C&W music?

Answer: I have been influenced by a broad range of performers during my life. Artists like Emmylou Harris, POCO, Carly Simon, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, and Dolly Parton. However, I enjoy a wide range of music, and groups like the Eagles, and many forms of musical expression have also influenced my music. For example, I also enjoy listening to folk music and bluegrass in addition to country music.

Do you have a homepage?

Answer: I have a website, http://www.Lolene.net . I hope your listeners will take a few minutes and visit me there soon and often as it is constantly being updated and improved. Visitors can learn more about me and my music, listen to clips of the songs I have recorded to date, look at a variety of photographs, and find many links to other interesting music related sites. I also ask that when you visit me at the website, please don't leave without saying hello and signing my guest book. I also have an email address, and would love to hear from your listeners that way as well. People can send me an email to: Lolene01@hotmail.com.

What do you think about internet presence of C&W music?

Answer: The growth of the internet in recent years has revolutionized how we do business and communicate with each other. The internet has probably done more to bring the idea of a single global community to reality. This has been especially true for independent country music artists and the world-wide family of country music professionals and fans. The internet has allowed me to keep up with the many DJs around the world who find my music interesting and suitable for their listeners. I have been honored by the opportunity the internet has given me to get to know each of them, on more of a personal level by exchanging emails. On a broader and less personal level, the internet has been an important channel for independent artists to share their music with a broad audience and build a base of fans and supporters. This is essential for independents because without that exposure, it is difficult to sell sufficient copies of our music to sustain our life in this music world. However, my short time in this business suggests that this use of the internet by independent artists such as me has become more restrictive with the elimination of services like Napster, and the acquisition of MP3 by the major music industry groups. For some reason, the majors seem to fear the independents rather than view us as their pool of future talent.

Why do you prefer making C&W over other music-styles?

Answer: I prefer to record my music as country music because I want to touch people in their hearts and souls, and write and sing about life rather that some abstract idea. In addition, country music is usually produced in a way that features the vocals and allows a listener to understand a message without straining to hear the words, or to understand their meanings. I believe that some of my music, particularly a couple of songs on "Lonely Dealin's" could also be produced and sung in a different style. In addition, some people have expressed to me a certain preference for one song over the others because it may have more of a folksy sound, or a rock beat. While this may be true, I wanted the overall productions to be true to country music traditions, and Colonel Buster Doss produced the music primarily for country music fans.

Will you make a tour through Europe in the year 2002?

Answer: I probably will not be able to schedule a tour of Europe during 2002. Previous commitments and my concentrated efforts completing this CD project and getting it to market here in Kentucky have consumed my time. However, I certainly hope that CD sales in Europe in 2002 will be sufficiently strong to make a tour of Europe not only possible, but essential for me in 2003.

What do you think about mixing C&W music with pop?

Answer: As I said earlier in this interview, my music has been influenced by a wide variety of musical styles, including folk, bluegrass, rock, pop, and country. There are artists from each of these genres that have influenced me and my musical expressions. Some artists over the years have been successful with some songs that have made the jump between two or more of these genres. However, my experience has been that this is a rare occurrence, and my focus to this point has been to produce my CD in a way that would appeal primarily to the country music fans around the world. If there happens to be some cross over appeal for one or two of these songs, that is OK with me, but it was not my goal when I started working on this project.

Which arguments would you use in order to convince someone that C&W music is the best music there is?

Answer: I am not sure that I want to argue with people about which music they should like best or listen to exclusively. I wouldn't necessarily want other people trying to convince me that I should be listening to the music they prefer, either. However, one argument that I have used relative to my own music is that I simply ask people to give my music an honest listen, focusing on the message of my music and the musical presentation of that message. If they enjoy it, then I hope they will buy my CD and continue to listen. If they don't enjoy it, that's OK with me also. I am glad that everyone in world doesn't like only one flavor of ice cream, too. Many people who have taken the time to listen to my music more than once have told me that the more they listen, the more they appreciate the message and the sounds that convey the message. For example, in my song "I Will" the song culminates with a bridge that ties together the expectation of a marriage lasting forever with the reality that we often face challenges that can bring us down from our joy. At that crucial point of the song, there is a pedal steel part of a falling, sliding note that dramatically emphasizes the point of the message. When listeners to my music discover these subtle details, I am thrilled and elated. This feedback from my listeners, more than any other, has been most satisfying to me. There is a difference between C&W music made in USA and Canada.

Can you explain it. What is in your eyes the biggest difference between the "old" and the "new" world of C&W music?

Answer: I can't address the question of the differences between US and Canadian country music, but I see many significant differences between the "old" and "new" brands of country music. The obvious differences include the intrusion of rock and roll presentation styles, the movement away from the more traditional sounds of the fiddle and pedal steel, and difference in the nature of the messages. On a more subtle note, I find that today's country music professionals, primarily in the US, are more concerned about the quality of a singer's voice than the nature and sincerity of the message. As my fans know, my voice is not the crystal clear, or perfect pitch like so many of todays major artists. Some people have described it as "strange," "unusual," "different," and "sultry." But, my fans are often attracted by these very characteristics of my voice, while those people who focus on the "new" country music may conclude that my voice is not pure enough to suit their tastes. I often wonder if many of the old country music standard setters of years gone by would have gotten a second listen from the modern breed of country music industry decision makers.

What has been your greatest success in C&W music so far?

Answer: On a purely superficial level, my greatest success in my music career to this point has been the movement of "Slow Burn" up the charts in Europe and Australia. It reached #2, and stayed near the top of the charts for several weeks. However, the greatest success I have enjoyed to this point is getting to know so many great people who love good country music around the world. When a DJ says that one of my songs is a "real killer song" as Mr. George Peden said of "Slow Burn." When a fellow independent artist writes to me and says that reading my biography at my website made him weep silent tears, I am deeply touched in ways that would never be possible if my music had never existed. These are but two examples. My list of touching experiences could fill pages and volumes.

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