Beck Song Reader Interview: Park Chisolm

Hey, it’s us again… still bringing you insight into our  Two Year Anniversary Party this Saturday (May 25th) at The Basement. We’ve already brought you articles/interviews with Ben Elkins of EL EL, Jared Corder of *repeat repeat, Milktooth, and Daniel Ellsworth who will also be bringing Beck’s “Song Reader” sheet music to life.  Not to mention the spotlight we did yesterday of headliners Colorfeels.  We’ll be spotlighting more of the folks that have joined our bill as we round out the week. But, right now, let’s talk about Park Chisolm.

Admittedly, I’m a good friend and a huge fan of Park Chisolm.  Park was one of the first friends I met upon moving to Nashville, and we have spent hours trading musical favorites in our limited free time since then.  Park has spent time as a singer-songwriter, sitting in for session work, recording artists in town, and performing all over the world playing guitar for Kevin Costner & The Modern West.  However, for a guy that some would attribute to the country music world, he has some of the most diverse musical tastes that you could possibly imagine.  To exemplify, the day I bought my (first) copy of Beck’s Song Reader, I took it straight to Park’s house to share my party idea with him.  We couldn’t be more excited to have him on board, and to see what he is going to do with his songs.

Our interview with Park Chisolm and some tunes are after the jump. There is more info about the party at this link here, or you can hop over to the Facebook page if that is more your speed. This thing is surely going to reach capacity, so make sure you get there early to celebrate this special night of music with us!

Tell us a little bit about what you have been up to?

I’ve been in a band with Kevin Costner (yes, the actor Kevin Costner) for about 7 years now. It is a blast–we’ve travelled all over the world, most recently to Russia and Austria, and we’ve recorded four albums. I write a lot for that band, and I co-produced the last album, Famous For Killing Each Other, which was a collection of songs written for and inspired by Hatfields and McCoys, the mini-series Kevin did for The History Channel.

I’ve also been recording and producing some really great people in town.  Jim Reilley is an artist I’ve been working with whose songs just rip me apart they are so good. I did a song for Angel Snow recently, and she blew me away too.  I’m doing a really interesting project with Tommy Keenum right now–just bass and vocals. It’s been a challenge to stick with those two instruments alone while still making the songs have movement, but it’s a fun challenge.

What about made you want to be a part of the Beck Song Reader?

Honestly, I hadn’t heard anything about the “album” until Matt from No Country told me about it. He’s my pipeline for all the cool stuff going on, and I’m glad to be sneaking on the bill with some of his favorites in town. Also, I love the Basement and will take any excuse that comes along to hang out there.

What songs are you doing, and why did you chose them?

I’m doing “St. Dude” and “America, Here’s My Boy.” I don’t know why I picked them… I watched a lot of the songs on Youtube, and just felt like I wouldn’t mess these up too badly. [laughs]

Brutally honest, and we’re excited to hear what you do with those songs.  Who is playing with you?

It’s still floating around a bit, but Sara Beck is going to sing “America” with me. I’m biased because I’m married to her, but I’m a big fan. She’s a really cool songwriter and singer, and I’m excited to see what she does with the song. Ben Elkins has been a real trooper coordinating a lot of the musicians, and I think his buddy Alex might be playing drums.

Who are you most excited to see perform at the party?

Honestly, everyone. That’s one thing I love about Nashville–you think you know what’s going on, and then all of the sudden there’s a whole new group of folks you’ve never seen who blow your doors off.

Are there any bands in town that you are digging on that folks should be on the look out for?

Man, there is so much good music in this town right now, it’s hard to keep up…

Thanks and see you on Saturday.

We hope to see all of you on Saturday too.  If you haven’t already checked out the rundown of events, all of the details are here!  You can have a listen to some clips from Famous For Killing Each Other below, which was co-written and produced by Park Chisolm and features vocals by Sara Beck.