We recently had an interesting chinwag with bluesman C.W. Stoneking - here's what he had to say:

 

 

LUM:  I recently read a quote from Seasick Steve saying “You gotta check this fella out named C.W. Stoneking, this boy’s lost in the 1920’s and 30’s, he not kinda, he really lost.” Would you say that’s a fair assessment of you?

 

CW:  I think Steve "Ocean Potion" Leach was quoting, in his 'Faux'rest Gump vernacular, the late BBC radio DJ, Charlie Gillet, I'd say that would be a fair enough statement to make from the point of view of someone hearing me for the first time, however it's incorrect from the standpoint of physics and musically as well. 

 

 

LUM:  You clearly have a love of the old blues/jazz sound from that era – how did you get into that type of music in the first place? What drew you into it?

 

CW:  I knew if I got into it that people would ask me how I got into it for the next 30 years and that sounded like a fun idea, I'm about 23 years in now, and boy, I was right, the novelty never wears off.. if I could bottle this and add it to chewing gum flavor I'd be a millionaire.

 

 

LUM:  Do you think that blues music is becoming more revived again in recent years?

 

CW:  What the World needs is iBlues then you will certainly see a revival.

 

 

LUM:  You’re playing here in Manchester (at Academy 3) next week – how would you describe your show to tempt someone along who doesn’t know of you?

 

CW:  I'll be giving away 50 pound notes to the audience all night long, and good drugs, my band is all girls, beautiful naked girls, we will absolve all your sins from this life and all lives preceding that you may return unto the original Source and be freed from the twisting coils of the Ouroboros.

 

 

LUM:  How do you find playing your songs live & what reaction do you get from your audience?

 

CW:  I like playing my songs to a really big room of people but always there's this cricket (a little chirping bug) who won't shut up in between songs, I think he spoils it for the other 10 people in the joint.

 

 

LUM:  There’s a good sense of fun and humour in your songs – do you enjoy writing? What makes you laugh?

 

CW:  I get very small sparks of pleasure while writing but on the whole it is difficult and unenjoyable, I like finishing a song that is the good bit.

 

 

LUM:  I found listening to the songs on Gon’ Boogaloo, the recording was a nice clean clear sound, but also quite warm – was that a conscious decision? Do you concentrate much on getting the right sound to your recordings to compliment the style? I particularly enjoyed hearing “vintage” sounding songs but with them not being muffled and crackly in some kind of fake nostalgia.

 

CW:  The record was made with only 2 microphones so there actually wasn't really much I could'a done with the sound. It's basically the unvarnished sound of a band in a room as heard by two mechanical/electrical ears, one in front of the band, and me shouting into the other one, this puts the record into a small club for this day and age, in fact I don't know of any others like that, it's testament to the fact there never was a man wanted to get a record done and over with as much as me with this one.

 

 

 

 

More info on C.W Stoneking can be found:

 

www.cwstoneking.com

www.facebook.com/cwstonekingofficial

 

 

 

C.W Stoneking will be playing in

Manchester at the Academy 3 on 

Friday 1st May 2015.