The Ken Oak Band has independently built a national fan base that continues to grow exponentially. 

Through their aggressive touring schedule and innovative online self-promotion, the Ken Oak Band is already drawing major label interest and have placed the song "Inda" from their debut album Symposium in the Dreamworks film She's the Man.

With their unique acoustic sound and captivating live performance, the Ken Oak Band is not just a band with a novelty instrument (cello); they are a "must see" act featuring frontman Ken Oak singing while playing cello, backed by left-handed rhythm guitarist Ed Gorski. Often described as "the most unique live act to come along in years," the Ken Oak Band seeks to infiltrate the music industry like a thief in the night

 

 

For more info on the Ken Oak band, please visit: www.kenoak.net/

 

 

 

 

 

The Interview::
conducted by
 JiZO Jewles


 

PA: So Ken, Do you have a favorite track and why?
 

Ken Oak : My favorite track on Symposium is probably "Long Ride". It is a song about commitment. Many people will take it to mean a romantic relationship, but when I play it I think about the people around me...my band, my manager, the team that is going through the difficult early stages of my career with me.

 

 

 

PA: It seems a lot of your songs are inspired by a girl, are they drawn
from personal experiences?
 

Ken Oak : I would say most of our songs are drawn from a real experience, or sometimes more than one. I could put a name and face to most of the songs I've written or co-written.
 

 

 

PA: You have great chemistry with Ed Gorski, who's on the guitar and vocals with you.  What is the history between you guys?
 

Ken Oak : I met Ed through a girl named Helen, whom I met while performing at Yale University a few years ago. Whilst visiting LA in fall of 2004, Helen introduced me to Boomer, Ed's roommate at the time. I hung out with Boomer
and Ed that weekend, found out Ed played guitar, and the rest is history.

 

  

PA: Ken, I've never quite seen anyone rock the cello like you bro but you also have a great voice.  Do you do a lot of vocal exercises and how do you prepare before a show?

 

Ken Oak : You know it's weird, I never really warm up my voice before a show. I just kind of go out there and sing. I did take some classical lessons in college, like German art songs and broadway tunes, so that helped in the technical aspects of singing. But for the most part, I try not to think about it too much.

 

 

 

PA: You are currently on a very grueling tour.  Do you ever find it hard to perform night after night with the same kind of passion and intensity?  What keeps you going?
 

Ken Oak : Touring can get very repetitive, and it's easy to fall into a routine. The crowd makes a big difference. If the crowd is loud and responsive, it brings something out of us. We play our best shows for enthusiastic crowds. And when people tell us, in person or via email, that our music is making some difference in their lives, it makes us want to keep doing what
we're doing.

 

 

 

PA: What's the craziest thing that's happened to you on tour?
 

Ken Oak : One morning we were driving through Wyoming when we hit a "white out". The road was covered with ice, wind and snow were blowing all around, and a line of trucks were stopped with their flashers on. To the side of the road, we saw an SUV, much like ours, with a Uhaul trailer exactly like ours. Both car and trailer were completely flipped over. It had slid off
the road and looked like some helpless animal. We all thought we might die that day. We didn't.

 

 

Ken Oak : "End Credits" Video
 

 

PA:If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be?
 

Ken Oak : Probably Brazil. I hear the women are beautiful down there.


 

PA: What's playing in your MP3 right now?
 

Ken Oak : We listen to CDs mainly. There is a new band called Augustana that I'm a big fan of. I also like the new Deathcab for Cutie record. His lyrics are amazing.
 

 

PA:You appear to be such a nice, down-to-earth kind of guy.  Is there anything that just really gets under your skin?
 

Ken Oak : I guess people who judge our music without really listening to it. Like, they will notice we have a lot of female fans and group us together with boy band pop. The truth is that we couldn't be any more different. Also, people who are closed minded about food. Just eat what's in front of you!


 

 

PA: By the way, congratulations on your song Inda being on the soundtrack of 'She's the MAN'.  How did this come about?  Do you think it will help you reach a bigger fan base?
 

Ken Oak : This is an interesting story. Inda is actually our manager. We met her almost by chance during the summer of 2005 and later wrote a song about her. There is sort of a mother/son relationship because she used to be in a girl group that was big in Europe, and has been through the hoops of the entertainment business. Inda set up a private concert where her film and television friends would be able to hear us. One of the attendees was Andy Fickman, director of She's the Man. He was immediately drawn to the song and the story behind it, and decided to put it in the movie. I suspect that it is going to help us immensely.


 

PA: You're signed with an independent label called Jd8 records right?  Do you feel any pressure from the label to go a different route with your music?
 

Ken Oak : I was with jd8 records for my solo album, Half Step Down. I am no longer with them. Instead, we have started our own independent label called Unknown Rockstars. So we can basically decide what to do, when to do it, how we should look, etc. I like being able to make our own decisions and plan to do it for as long as possible

 

PA: You win a Grammy tomorrow, who do you thank?

Ken Oak: Haha, umm.. there are probably too many to list. The first people would be the people closest to me in my career. Peter Ghobrial, our tour manager who's put in countless hours with us on the road. And of course, Inda.


PA: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

Ken Oak:Thank you for listening to our music and supporting us. It means a lot, especially in these early stages, because without you, we would not be able to continue.


PA: who's you worst critic?

Ken Oak: It sounds cliche, but my worst critic is probably myself. I hear my voice and cello playing and all I can think of is how much better I would like to be in a year. Hopefully you're all still around then.