Douglas Kent Q&A- Part 3 of 3

RB: Back to the process of making the album. We talked about what was the most difficult aspect, but what was the most fun part of making your first record?

Douglas Kent: My favorite part about making the record was that I got to work with my friends every day. I feel very fortunate to have had their expertise, input, and….sarcasm.

RB: As I understand it, many of your friends and roommates actually play on the album. Can you tell us about all the musicians who played on the album with you?

Douglas Kent: Mark Henne is playing drums on the record. He’s out of Phili, and is one of the best drummers around. He’s toured all over the country with numerous groups, and I’m fortunate to have him on board with me.

Morgan Patrick Thompson is playing bass and did most of the engineering for the album. I am so grateful to him for all of his tireless efforts, and the amazing bass playing that he added to every song. He’s truly one of the best bass players that people have never heard of…not for long though.

Geoff Queen…well what can I say? The guy is a bad ass. He’s a good friend of mine who used to play pedal steel for Bonnie Bishop and Sunny Sweeney, and he’s currently on the road with Seth James. For my record, he not only played the pedal steel, but also supplied his talents on the lead guitar, lap steel, dobro, and rhythm electric. He had so many great ideas that really added a lot to each track. Geoff really made a huge difference.

Shawn Dean played fiddle. Believe it or not, I actually met Shawn through Craigslist…and no, it wasn’t a missed connection. He was looking for a country singer, and I was looking for a fiddle player. Neither of us had any idea that, years later, we would be such good friends or that we’d still making music together. He’s an amazing player out of Twin Falls, Idaho, and he is well on his way to becoming one of the premier names in the world of country/bluegrass fiddle.

Brennen Leigh is also on the record. She sang with me on the song “Where Did the Good Times Go”. She is an amazing talent, and I am very lucky to have her incredible voice on my record. I would HIGHLY recommend getting her new album, “The Box” which she recorded at Cherry Ridge Studios with producer Tommy Detamore.

RB: To support the album, you and many of the musicians named will be playing all over the state. Playing shows is nothing new to you, though. So are there any shows that you have played in the past that are particularly memorable?

Douglas Kent: I recently performed at Austin’s annual Buck Owens Birthday Bash. It was really an honor to share a bill with SO many amazing musicians. Right before I started my performance, I looked around the stage, and realized that not only was I about to perform with some of my musical heroes, but these same guys are also personal friends with some of our country music icons...I think the whole room could tell that I was nervous, but I didn’t care. That was a great night, for me.

RB: One last question then we will let you go. When people come to see you play live, what can they expect?

Douglas Kent: I’ve been a fan of live music for my entire life. By this point, I know what I like, and I make sure that my shows are something that I would want to watch. When people come to see me, they can expect a rowdy, energetic performance that is laced with dancing songs and slow ballads….the shows are ALWAYS fun.

That was Douglas Kent everybody. His album “The Way I Am” comes out this fall. Make sure to stop by his home page, www.douglaskentmusic.com, and his MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/douglaskent to hear live versions of some of the songs off the album and to find out when he is playing near you. You can also get this information at http://www.roofbeamrecords.com/Artists.html.

Til next time.

jmp