With heart felt lyrics and a creative spin on classic bluegrass sounds, Korby Lenker will perform at The Overall Company Wednesday, July 24. Doors open at 7 p.m. with music starting at 8, and tickets will be sold for $7. Though he's no stranger to the Opelika music scene, Lenker has hit stages all over the country - including opening for names such as Ray Lamontagne, Nickel Creek and Willie Nelson. The Plainsman recently had the opportunity to catch up with Lenker and get to know him better as an artist through this Q&A session.
What was your first introduction into music?
My first introduction into music was when I was 8 years old. My parents bought a piano from my uncle and it was crazy becauseIi didn't know that my parents knew how to play music, and maybe they really didn't, but when the piano was delivered my mom promptly sat down and played (a rendition of heart and soul) and I was totally blown away. It gave me this new perception of my mother. That was the first impression I had with music and it made a really strong impression.
If you weren't playing music what would you be doing?
If I wasn't playing music I would probably be a writer of some kind. I love books and I like to read a lot.
Does that play into you as a lyricist?
for sure. i love language and trying to say something, you can't really say anything new but you can say something in a new way and that challenge is really a fun one for me. i spend a lot of time thinking about words, trying to make things just so.
What's the most important part of the song writing process for you?
It's got to be authentic. It's got to be believable. If I don't believe what I'm saying then the song is no good. It doesn't matter how clever it is.
What do you remember about your first gig?
It was when I was 15 and it was me and my guitar player friend and we played in a tennis court for my little brother's all-star baseball team. It was just moms and little kids, and me and my buddy played Cure covers. Nobody knew what to do, everyone was kind of embarrassed and then somebody spontaneously formed a congo line and everybody felt good. That's what happened the whole time we were playing and I was just like, 'Yeah this is something I could do.'
What's one of the more memorable experiences you've had with someone you've opened for?
I opened for Willie Nelson last year and that was pretty memorable. He's very generous and open-hearted, it was really cool. It was an outdoor show that was sold out, and there was a huge huge crowd. That was really exciting too.
Do have anything coming up as far as new albums or tours go?
I do, I just finished a record and it's being printed right now at the factory and it's going to be coming out later this year. I'm really excited about it and it's super awesome.
What brought you to the Opelika music scene?
I've played down there a couple times and met Richard Patton (owner of The Railyard) that way ... He brought me to Overall Company in April of this year and we worked out another plan to come back down, and it's just great. I like him, I like the town and I really like that venue.
How do you think Overall is going to contrast from places you've played before?
Every place is sort of different but what I like about The Overall Company is that it's kind of a listening room. What I do is sort of careful song writing so it does better there than in a noisy bar for instance, so it's cool.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
