In Conversation: Whitney K
In Conversation: Whitney K
Mo Lawrance
Whitney K, aka Konner Whitney, depicts a rambling life on the road in his 2021 release Two Years. It’s a self-deprecating look at life on the move, with the parties and good times rolled into the morning-after, looking-in-the-mirror honesty of “is this who I am?" It's a garage-y blend of rock and dive bar folk that spews wit and truth and a view into a nomadic musicians worldview. It was featured as a “Pick Of The Week” upon its release, and now, to get a better look into where the songs in Two Years originated, I got a little personal with Konner Whitney to figure out where he came from and what makes him tick. Thanks Konner for being open to my prying questions.
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Mo Lawrance: I've always been interested to know the backstory of people who live in the Yukon. Maybe it's too many stories of crazy gold miners exploring the northern lands for their fortune when I was younger. Are you originally from Whitehorse and do you have a crazy backstory about how you found yourself there?
Konner Whitney: My Dad was born and raised in the Yukon and his family has been in the territory since the 50s. The wages here have always been good if you’re working for the government or resources extraction... So, no crazy story with that, just poor people looking for jobs. I was born at Saint Pauls in Vancouver, June 13th around seven am. In the late 90s my dad, being pretty over living in the big city, decided to come back to his home town and brought me with him. After that it was a grow up and get out kinda situation. As soon as I could, I left Whitehorse, not thinking I’d ever come back.
ML: There’s a ramblin-man vibe in Two Years. It seems to tell the story of a musician on the road. With you moving between Whitehorse, Vancouver, Montreal and LA, where are you living now and what do you love and hate about it?
KW: Well once the pandemic hit my priorities changed. All in all it seemed like a good time to come back and check in with the family. Not having a car here, especially during the winter, can be a challenge though. I often find myself walking on the shoulder of a highway with a 60 km headwind wondering why I’m here. That being said, as of a few days ago, April 7th, I am fully vaccinated and I feel truly lucky to live in a place where that resource is available for everyone.
ML: Kind of a full-circle type experience, being full-tour and then back to where you started. Of the places you've spent time in so far, which have led to the best life and musical experiences?
KW: Everywhere is different and everywhere is the same. It's always you wandering around doing the best you can. But I will say that Montreal in the early summer is amazing. If you wanna hangout in front of a cafe, shooting the shit, run into people without calling them, and have stuff happen without making any plans, that's the place to be. However music there always felt deliberate. Booking time, having a goal, it wasn’t just, “hey what are you doing, nothing? Ok let's jam.” When I lived in Vancouver there was always a jam space nearby. Most of my friends shared spaces that were also places to party and hangout so it was always an option. I even recorded a couple tapes in my house because we had a full set up in the living room. Of course this was just my experience and a lot more could be said however I'll keep doing my best to be concise with these answers.
ML: Two Years is a fun romp between garage jams like "Last Night #2” and the meanderings of a lonesome country-poet with a salty swagger and slide-guitar like in “Me or the Party #165”. Which persona do you associate most with and why?
KW: They’re both part of the same persona I think. When you’re out you wanna keep the tempo up. When it's getting a bit later in the day, you’re making food, maybe it's time to reflect, you wanna slow it down.
ML: What inspires your creative process in writing your songs and pulling an album together?
KW: People I know influence me a lot whether it's playing music with them, talking, or being inspired by their creative output. For example: “Me or the Party” was written after hearing The Submissives. “Cowboy City Rockers” was the name of an experimental performance project that some friends in Vancouver had going. It's just a matter of logging moments of creativity and checking the inventory every six to twelve months to see if you got an album yet.
ML: What made you revisit the songs "The Weekend" and "Cowboy City Rockers" again on Two Years?
KW: At first you do not succeed, try again right? I didn’t think those songs were fully realized in their original recording so I wanted to give them another shot. I re-write a lot. If you’ve seen Whitney K play between 2017 and 2019 you’ve probably heard at least six different versions of “Last Night”. There’s also a full hard drive of variations of “The Weekend” that’ll never see the light of day.
ML: What do you miss most about pre-COVID gigs and has this down time changed you in any way?
KW: Well to be honest I don’t really miss my experience of pre-covid gigs. Aside from the last few I played, that were amazing, it wasn’t really a thing I enjoyed doing. I guess I had convinced myself that gigs were something I had to be doing to be a musician and songwriter, that it was part of the identity yada yada. The break from live music and my life as it was for the last ten or so years, has been a welcome change. I don’t think I would have been able to do that unless I was forced to. Patience with myself and those around me is a new thing, as well as routine. The whole philosophy of daily ritual being used to keep you calm and present is something I’ve really been getting into. Living life with intentionality as opposed to just reacting and lashing out all the time.
ML: What's your favourite venue to play at and your favourite kind of crowd?
KW: Anyplace that feels intimate and blurs the line between performer and audience. Small bars and DIY venues are ideal if the sound is half decent. And I like a loud rowdy crowd, one that wants to engage and be engaged. Dancing, heckling, etc. As long as it's all in good fun and everyone feels safe.
ML: I keep seeing comparisons of you to Lou Reed in reviews. Do you find that annoying or flattering?
KW: As long as people aren’t comparing me to Lou Reed the person. (laughs) I mean I heard the Velvet Underground at a fairly impressionable age! If you’re open to stimuli and influence, and don’t make an effort to reject them, they're going to be internalized.
ML: Who would you consider to be a major influence to your music style?
KW: Once again this has a lot to do with people I know. I'm lucky to have been surrounded by folks who are pretty quick to call bull shit. There to reel you in or push you farther out. I think an awareness of my position in the world has influenced my music quite a bit. Subverting the narrative of our garbage culture is always a good thing to keep in mind when writing songs. As far as names to put into a playlist I don't know. It's hard to say who’s had the bigger influence on my music, a particular recording artist or the person that turned me onto said recording artist.
ML: In a post-COVID world, what do you hope comes back with a vengeance in the music scene and what would you want to kick to the curb?
KW: A resurgence of DIY venues please! Over the last handful of years DIY and community orientated spaces have taken a hard hit and it really is heartbreaking. The second answer to that question is directly related to the first: The gatekeeper cool club that sometimes came with those spaces. People creating their own little kingdoms informed by the same bullshit they claimed to be against. Misogyny, racism, what have you. Who’s cool, who isn’t, who does and doesn’t get to play, etc. VIP mentality, close the door behind you. It’s fucking sickening. But people have been doing a lot of work, people have thrown in the towel and people have been run out of town so we’ll see where we’re at when things start to open up again. I’m hoping for the best.
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