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10 questions with Karla Bonoff
by Kara Longo and Paul Grosso
Note: This question and answer session was compiled by its authors via email and phone calls, late 1996 through early 1997 for Bryndle.com. In March of '97, the questions were sent to Karla and in September, she responded. Karla was not as comfortable with a computer in 1997 as she might have been with a phone call or a face-to-face conversation, and the basic concerpt left no room for followup questions. We were braving new technology and we hoped for the best. Good concept - questionable outcome.
1. At the age of 12, you were taking guitar lessons from Frank Hamilton of The Weavers. Who was encouraging you at such an early age, and what were you listening to as you were growing up?
Actually, I did not start with Frank Hamilton until I was around 15. I had some lessons with a variety of teachers. My parents encouraged me to try any instruments that I showed an interest in. Piano, violin, and guitar. I was exposed to a really wide variety of music growing up, obviously what was on the radio at the time had a really powerful influence. The Beatles.. the Stones.. and Motown. Later I started listening more to things like Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro.
2. In high school, when many of your peers were playing in garage bands, you were cutting classes to sign up for open mic nights at the Troubadour. What made you go in that direction?
The Troubadour at that time was a hub for the "singer-songwriter." I was in a duo with my sister and we were trying to be songwriters. It was a lot more fun and exciting there for me than it was in school. I knew at 16 that I would spend my life in music.
3. It must have been a pretty heady experience to make that first (unreleased) Bryndle album for A&M and to come so close to that kind of success when you were barely out of high school. What did you learn from that?
Well, we learned what is involved in making a record. We also learned that a lot of the game that we had to play was political as well. We really were not ready to make a record yet, and I knew that I had a long way to go as a songwriter. I spent the next five or six years after that trying to become a better songwriter. (and singer).
4. You're known for being if not shy, reticent, yet you chose a very public career. Is there a connection?I think many performers will tell you that they have an easier time performing for a thousand people than they do talking to one. There is an invisible wall between you and your audience and I guess it creates a safety zone.
5. You've been referred to as a singer-songwriter, as a performer, and as "primarily a writer." Which of those labels are you most comfortable with? Do any of these roles present more problems than the others?
I think of myself as being all of those all of the time. I don't know why people feel the need to separate them. They all create each other. The writing is the most difficult for me...once you have a song it is not hard to sing and perform it.
6. Since the late 80s, there's been something of a boom in singer songwriters on radio and in clubs and coffeehouses, especially on the east and west coasts. Much of these artists' work is influenced by yours, and by others who were working in Southern California in the late 60s and early 70s. What do you make of the renewed popularity of singer songwriters? Do things just happen in cycles?
Yes, I think it is just cycles. Also, I think there is one thing that will never go out of style...a good song. People really want to hear melodies and good lyrics that come from the heart. I think they want to be touched by the music. I know I do.
7. Do you have favorite artists who write in the same genres as you? What do you listen to at home and in your car?
James Taylor is a big favorite of mine and has been since 1969. I have been listening to Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, and some classical music. I really don't listen to a lot of music in my spare time.
8. Your first three solo albums have never been out of print in the US, and all four still get radio play. _New World_ disappeared because its label went under, and it's now back in print domestically. There's a market for your albums, especially since the reincarnation of Bryndle has drawn so much attention. Are you thinking of doing a new solo album? How would it differ from what you've been doing with Bryndle?
I will do a solo album as soon as I have enough songs!
9. You've talked in interviews about how music comes to you more easily than lyrics, and that you tend to have a good melody together before you can come up with a lyric. Do you have a routine work process, or do different songs happen in different ways?
I have no discipline, unfortunately, and I wait until I feel like writing which can be a long time sometimes! My best songs come from a place where I just let them come out and don't judge them.
10. There are plans for a second Bryndle album this year, and there have been rumors of a new solo album and a "best of" compilation for you. What would you like to do in the next few years?
Well, all of those things sound good. The most important thing for me to do would be to write a lot of songs that I am really proud of.
