While still unbelievable to some, New York City’s country music scene continues to grow at a swift and steady pace. Even those who live within the five boroughs are surprised when told that there is a thriving country music culture amongst the urban streets, and it’s not just country’s megastars stopping in to play a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center. It’s local talent that are making a name for themselves and setting a new niche within the musical history of NYC.
Local bands like Bourbon Express, whose members consist of husband and wife Katie (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Brendan Curley (guitar), and Sarah Kinsey (vocals). The Brooklyn-based, honky-tonk band have been around since 2011 and are set to release their sophomore album Cry About It Later on April 20. The album features wonderful original songs that showcase a classic country sound, a welcomed trend-shift that has seen a recent reassurance in the genre.
We caught up with Katie, Brendan and Sarah to talk about the new album and playing country music in the Big Apple.
CN: Hi Katie, Brendan and Sarah! Thank you for taking the time to chat with us.
BE: Thank you!
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Sarah: I’m from Cincinnati, OH, originally, and have been singing since I was a kid. My family lives in Grand Junction, CO. I’ve studied lots of different styles of music and am also a professional actor. I met Katie and Brendan when I first moved to the city through some mutual friends, and we’ve been collaborators ever since. They’ve helped introduce me to all the good NYC honky tonks.
Brendan: I grew up in Tacoma, WA and started taking piano lessons when I was four. A few years later, I picked up the bass, and my older brother and I formed a band and dove into the local all-ages punk scene. After college, I got bit hard by the country music bug, started collecting records and playing along.
Katie: I grew up in rural western Washington State. As a little girl, I was the loudest singer in our church and the least in tune, so my mom arranged for me to take voice lessons from the organ player. My parents had a fantastic record collection and would listen to lots of country music like Randy Travis, The Judds, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson.
CN: Talk about a small world! Katie and Brendan, you met at a bar in New York City, and found out that not only are you both originally from Washington State, but that you lived 40 miles away from each other. Can you talk about the first time you met and how you discovered your common love for country music?
Brendan: We were introduced through a mutual friend at a bar in Brooklyn and ended up talking for most of the night, discovering that we were not only from the same part of the country but that we had very similar tastes in music. I gave Katie my information and told her to contact me if she was thinking of putting a band together. I had all but given up on ever hearing from her again when she got in touch a couple of months later!
Katie: After Brendan agreed to play a gig with me at The Rodeo Bar, I listened to his demo and was smitten by his guitar playing.
CN: A lot of people still don’t see New York City and its surrounding metro area as very country music friendly. But you guys are based in Brooklyn. Overall, what has been your experience with playing country music in NYC?
Sarah: It’s great to play in NYC because so many people here are transplants from other places and can recognize a little bit of home in our music. Arts and culture are so alive here, so there’s room for all styles. That’s what is wonderful about the diversity of the city.
Brendan: There’s a dedicated audience for country music in NYC as well as dozens of outstanding bands in the area, most working on the roots side of things.
Katie: It’s kind of cool to be part of such a close-knit scene in such a big city. We have our handful of go-to venues that support country acts, and we are holding on to them tight as we can.
CN: Bourbon Express. How did that name come about?
Katie: Years ago a friend suggested Bourbon Express as the name of a fictional record company. I don’t exactly remember what the context of the conversation was, but the name stuck in my mind, so when we were throwing band name ideas in a hat, it went in there and was the favorite.
CN: Earlier in March you released your first single “Pick Me Up” off your upcoming album ‘Cry About It Later’. Katie and Sarah’s vocals blend wonderfully throughout, and it’s noted that the track is autobiographical. Can you share the story behind the song?
Katie: In high school, I sang in an all-girls jazz chorus, and I loved those close three-part harmonies. Hearing Sarah sing for the first time was a little intimidating, because she has such a beautiful and powerful voice. She was trained as an opera singer and can really do anything she wants with her voice. She dials it back when she sings harmony with us, and it is a treat to perform with her, because she can sing lead on songs by powerhouse singers like Patsy Cline, Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood, and Reba.
The story of the song is that the night Brendan and I got back from our honeymoon, we were completely broke except for a generous check we’d received as a wedding present from a relative. We looked at the check, and we were like, it’s lucky we have that or things would be really tight. The next morning, we woke up and couldn’t find the check. We looked everywhere, but it was gone. It so happened that that relative was leaving the country and couldn’t mail us another check for several weeks. After one of the highest points of my life, things felt suddenly low, and I wrote Pick Me Up, because I felt like I needed one.
CN: Katie, you actually wrote each of the 12 tracks on ‘Cry About It Later.’ What was the songwriting and selection process that went into producing the album?
After Pick Me Up, I wrote Devil’s Angel and Ten Gallon Hat very quickly and then just sort of held onto those three songs for a while. I felt like they were the kernel of the new album, and I wanted to take my time building the rest of the songs around them. By the time I met with Eric Ambel to discuss production, we had more than enough songs and it was a matter of selecting which songs would not make it because we already had enough waltzes or drinking songs or because a certain song wasn’t that exciting to play live.
CN: There was a fourth member of your band who was included in the production of the album and led the decision to name the album ‘Cry About It Later.’ What happened?
Brendan: I wish we had a story to rival Fleetwood Mac’s, but in truth Andrew was just filling in initially after our previous bassist moved to L.A. We got on a bit of a roll, and he ended up filling in for three years and playing on our album. Eventually he wanted to do his own thing and go back to playing guitar. It ended on good terms, and we wished him well.
CN: The album reflects back to such a classic era in country music. Who are some of the artists that influence you – both past and current artists?
Sarah: Patsy, Loretta, Tammy, Emmylou, and The Judds for me.
Katie: Current country artists I love to listen to are Lee Ann Womack, Alison Krauss, Margo Price, and Pistol Annies. The list of classic country songwriters who have influenced me is endless, but some of my favorites are Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Cindy Walker.
Brendan: So many. In terms of country guitarists, I of course admire the original Tele twang masters like Luther Perkins, Don Rich and James Burton a well as contemporaries like Kenny Vaughan, Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert. NYC is full of greats too! How about Keith Yaun of Bakersfield Breakers! Jim Campilongo! Boo Reiners!
CN: Speaking of classic country, what do you think about the growing desire of country music fans longing for that classic sound, and the fact that there may be a larger sway coming into the industry?
Brendan: I think it’s great that it’s seemingly easier than ever to find whatever kind of music appeals to you thanks to social media and the Internet. As far as the classic country sound, it seems to me that there will always be an audience for honest and relatable music.
Katie: I second that last part. I also think that as far as trends, these things go in cycles, and it is nice to see a wave of more traditionally influenced country music artists getting some attention lately.
CN: If you could describe yourselves – both individually and as a group – in one word, what would it be and why?
Brendan: Bourbon…?
Katie: Express…?
CN: Do you have a dream collaboration in mind?
Brendan: It was already a dream working with Eric Ambel and having Jonny Lam on pedal steel. We’ll see what’s in store next.
CN: ‘Cry About It Later’ drops on April 20. How excited are you?
Sarah: We’ve worked hard on this album, and I’m so excited to release it into the world.
Brendan: Very excited! And I’m not an excitable person!
Katie: It took about as long to make this record as it takes to make a batch of straight bourbon. Sharing it is definitely the most exciting part.
CN: What’s next on the horizon for Bourbon Express in 2018?
Katie: We are going to release this record and try to enjoy every moment of it, because it was such a long time coming and required every drop of our pooled resources. We’re looking forward to doing some touring this spring and summer. I keep writing, this year Sarah has started writing, and Brendan and I have done some co-writing, so hopefully we have more collaboration on the horizon.
For more information Bourbon Express, visit their website at: www.bourbonexpress.com