Joe Manning interview

Where did you grow up? Is your family musical or artistic?
I grew up in the Deer Park neighborhood of Louisville, KY. The members of my immediate family were neither artistic nor musical, though I listened to a lot of music as a child. My grandmother was a fantastic draftsperson and taught me how to draw at a young age.



What is your musical background / training?
I started playing bass when I was about 12; I took lessons and learned to play some songs by the Beatles, Zeppelin, Foghat, etc. Then I started playing in "hardcore" bands, and hanging around in the scene, trying to fit in without getting my face smashed in by older boys, or my feeble heart stomped on by punk rock women. By the time I was about 20 I'd started writing my own songs that took their cues more from the American Songbook.



Who are your musical favorites/inspirations?
yes please.
I'll choose two or three from each of these categories.
1. local: S.A. Garrison, The For Carnation, Evergreen,
2. regional: Spirits of the Red City, Elephant Micah
3. national: Gillian Welch, Lightnin' Hopkins, Hall and Oates
4. international: Nina Simone, Roxy Music, Bowie
5. extra planetary: P-Funk, Eno
6. classical compostion: Erik Satie, Beethoven
7. Country: Don Williams, Buck Owens, Townes Van Zandt



What bands/projects are you currently involved with? How did you get involved with them?
The Joe Manning Story Time Mime band, whose history spans eons and several dimensions, is too graphic to recount here, the sordid occult nature of which could stunt the emotional and psychic growth of impressionable children, and affected adults.

King's Daughters & Sons is a democratic gathering of Michael Heineman, Rachel Grimes, Todd Cook, and Kyle Crabtree and myself. Sometimes we're quiet, and sometimes we're loud, alternately very pretty and very creepy. We got together because we are all fans of one another's music, and we found that we get along very well, have a good time, and make music that WE would like to go home and listen to.

I also sing with the More the Merrier Shape Note Singers.



What do you hope to achieve with music?
Ringo Starr voice: "I suppose I'd just like to achieve global domination so that I can feed on the psychic energies of your human race... I'd like to meet girls, too, I guess."

photos above by Gary Quick



c. 2009 Velocity Weekly