Wes Kirkpatrick
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2007 | INDIE
Music
Press
De verleiding bestaat om Wes Kirkpatrick in te delen in de categorie Zachte Mannen. Hij is namelijk ook zo’n romantische ziel met baard en mooie stem die zijn liedjes het liefst ’s nachts in de trein schrijft, en ook hij keert op zijn titelloze tweede plaat (eigen beheer) zijn ziel binnenstebuiten. Maar toch is er iets wat hem onderscheidt van die die schier eindeloze rij van singer-songwriters. Deze man uit Chicago schrijft namelijk zeer toegankelijke liedjes, maar weet daarin vaak wel juist iets bijzonders te doen. Een afwijkende melodie, een a capella intro, handclaps waar je ze niet direct verwacht en prachtige achtergrondzang. Het is niet zo dat hij dit in ieder van de 11 nummers op dit album doet maar wel vaak genoeg om te kunnen spreken van een afwisselend album. Dit is des te opmerkelijker omdat in de meeste nummers van hetzelfde instrumentrium gebruik gemaakt wordt, akoestische gitaar, toetsen en (meestal) spaarzame percussie. En het mooie is dat het Kirkpatrick daarmee lukt om gedurende de gehele speelduur de aandacht vast te houden, om de luisteraar mee te zuigen in zijn universum. Kirkpatrick laat zijn niet geringe talenten zien en dat mag niet onopgemerkt blijven.
Dit album van Wes Kirkpatrick is te verkrijgen via de bandcampsite van Wes Kirkpatrick. - Hugo Vogel
Kirkpatrick’s a singer-songwriter whose lyrics are full of wisdom and advice in a sense. Don’t take life for granted, don’t let friends down and love what you do, because with every note and with every verse you can tell Kirkpatrick is doing exactly what he should. - WordKrapht
When discussing great albums, one can pretty much boil everything down into two categories. There are those you can listen to anywhere, anytime and they never lose their luster (for me this would be anything by Thrice, the new Owel album, and even a darkhorse album like the début from Panic! At the Disco) and then there are those that truly embody a mood and can only be maximally enjoyed when one is in that mood / wants to be put in that mood (Radiohead’s Kid A, The Animal Years by Josh Ritter, and anything Sigur Ros). Both categories have places in my collection but I must admit that those slow burning, mood setting albums hold a special place in my heart. It is a powerful thing when music can take you out of your current mindset and completely transport you to another time or place; Wes Kirkpatrick’s self-titled album does just that. - Type In Stereo
Not all acoustic singer songwriters are created equal. Because there are so many in the music world today, we spend a lot of time sorting through the ordinary and the exceptional. I’m here to say that Wes Kirkpatrick is in that category of acoustic artists that can usher listeners into a comfortable place. More influenced by country than folk, Kirkpatrick gives us a welcome relaxing sound on his self-titled album out this year.
- Ear To The Ground
I found myself a delightful little Colorado/Chicago connection that is too good not to share. Wes Kirkpatrick, out of Colorado, moved to Chicago in 2009 and shortly thereafter began recording his first solo effort, “Naps & Nightmares” in near-by Minneapolis at Chad Weis’ studio, “The Devil’s Workshop” (Mason Jennings, Ben Kweller). Previously playing with his brother (“The Kirkpatrick Project”) all over Colorado, this album marks Kirkpatrick’s solo departure and takes the listener on a melodious trip through the repercussions of leaving a familiar and comfortable past and embracing unknown beginnings. Far from a woe-is-me reflection, Kirkpatrick reminds me of one of my favorites, Blind Pilot, hitting on the inevitable pains of leaving old relationships and finding new ways to fly. His wide-eyed exploration pours favorably into each song and allows the listener a glimpse into how it feels to pack up and start a new. Knowing that nagging and overbearing feeling of needing to leave a place despite I still consider it my home, Kirkpatrick’s lyrics sing to my never-satisfied soul and spark my continual longing for a new adventure. Smoothly bouncing between folk, rock, and blues, Kirkpatrick delivers a catchy grouping of songs begging to be sung along to on a road trip to anywhere. The move from Denver to Chicago seems to have musically suited Kirkpatrick and I am ecstatic to see what his next adventure holds for him and our ears. Clean. Smiley. Hopeful. - Jennalee Battson
The world of singer/songwriters is going strong, and with musicians like Wes Kirkpatrick, there is no sign of them disappearing. This musician has tremendous talent that just needs the audience to find him. - Mike Reuther
MR: Wes, since Naps & Nightmares is your solo debut, how does it feel to have a your own project?
WK: It's a great feeling to finally have it finished. Going into the recording process there was definitely a little extra pressure knowing that if it didn't go as well as planned there was nobody to blame but myself. Luckily I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted everything to be going into it and there weren't really any big objections which made for a pretty smooth process.
CM: What's the story behind the making of Naps & Nightmares?
WK: Naps & Nightmares was many things before it was Naps & Nightmares. I think it went through at least three other album titles, songs being added, songs being dropped, songs being added again after being dropped just to be dropped again, and so on before settling on the final project. The actual name Naps & Nightmares came from the recording process itself. Spending the evenings at Chad's former studio, the kind of building that you were always looking over your shoulder as you weaved down the long creaky hallways, I would have this recurring dream that I woke in a dark black room to the silhouette of someone standing over and staring at me. After the dreams, I'd just lie awake for what seemed like hours. So, during the day, I'd have to nap during any downtime in recording to be able to make it through the day. A few months following the recording, my guitar player asked about the writing of several songs, and it led to us talking about the crazy nightmares. We would refer to the recording as a bunch of naps and nightmares, which stuck.
-Read full article at the link below - Huffington Post
Discovering new artists is part of what makes my life interesting. And discovering new folk/rock artists, like Wes Kirkpatrick, with a connection to my home state here in Colorado just adds icing to the cake. I find it amusing, however, that it was an album he released after leaving Colorado that has caught my attention.
Though he performed with his brother Ryan and their band The Kirkpatrick Project for several years in Colorado, Wes just released his solo debut, Naps and Nightmares, and evidently it's true that change can be a good thing sometimes. The album explores the emotional ups and downs of leaving everything behind and starting fresh, but even with a few slower tracks it's not all doom and gloom.
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-wes-kirkpatrick-naps-nightmares/#ixzz1JVroESPj - Brian Fitzpatrick - Blogcritics
Chicago singer-songwriter Wes Kirkpatrick will release his solo debut, Naps & Nightmares, on March 1st. The album is a welcome mix of dusty Americana and rock. Certain tracks hint at Ryan Adams or Jeffrey Foucault without losing Kirkpatrick’s own distinctive sound. - www.muruch.com
http://www.ourstage.com/blog/2009/12/21/download-of-the-week-wes-kirkpatrick/
Wes Kirkpatrick has been one of the stand outs on OurStage. Wes has the distinction of earning the top channel prize in our Alt Country/Americana, Soft Rock, Pop and Acoustic channels this year. This week’s download is the OurStage fan favorite “Superstition”, which earned him his #1 spot in Acoustic this past August. Hopefully he’ll continue to keep up his track record with the fans! - Ourstage.com
Wes Kirkpatrick has always been a go-to artist for this OurStager on those seemingly endless days. His previous albums, recorded with his brother, have been a staple to the Folk Channel for months now. Wes Kirkpatrick seems to make anyone’s day a little better.
Now recording with Chad Weis (tour manager and sound engineer for Ben Kweller) in the windy city, Kirkpatrick recently released a few tracks from his upcoming album, due this fall. The tracks are very promising, showcasing his raw talent with more emotion than ever. And the production quality on the released songs is a few steps up from his previous work. “Away From You,” found on Kirkpatrick’s Facebook page, is a great listen. Featuring strings and a captivating bass line, “Away From You” builds layers as it picks up. Needless to say it’s a new favorite. “Home” is even better. A faster paced song, the lyrics are charming and well sung. The final product is excellent and a great preview for what’s to come for his first solo album. - kathrynoh
Discography
Short Dream (2015)
Wes Kirkpatrick (2013)
Naps & Nightmares (2011)
Photos
Bio
It is a powerful thing when music can take you out of your current mindset and completely transport you to another time or place; Wes Kirkpatricks music does just that. Its moody, its dense, its powerful and its smooth as hell. If you havent hopped on the Wes Kirkpatrick train yet, you should do so immediately.
TypeInStereo
-"As its been simply put, Wes Kirkpatrick is hard not to like. A singer-songwriter of the truest sense, Kirkpatrick writes poetic Americana/folk-pop songs that you hear once and start humming along, hear twice and cant get them out of your head for days. With an already loyal following, its only a matter of a time before well all be singing along".
-Relix Magazine
Following the successful release of his sophomore solo album, Wes spent a good amount of time on the road. Touring with bands such as The Milk Carton Kids, The Wood Brothers, Martin Sexton, Sea Wolf, Bobby Long and Ben Taylor along the way.
That time on the road inspired many songs for his follow up EP. “I like to write in hotels, planes, trains etc.” explained Kirkpatrick. “I travel by train as much as I can. I love the atmosphere on trains. It’s laid back and friendly during the day, and at night it makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. In a sleeper car at 2am, sipping whiskey, listening to the train whistle and watching the world roll by, that’s when I would write”. With new songs piling up, Wes reached out to his fans to help fund the record, and they came through, exceeding the goal with time to spare. The uneasy feeling of loss or heartache haunts songs such as “Down” and “Begin Again”. “Without You” carries a chorus that you won’t forget. The production features acoustic, electric and slide guitars, keys, upright bass, banjo, percussion and harmonies leaving clean lines for Kirkpatrick to get from point to point. Musically, Wes both polished and expanded his approach making Short Dream a successful leap for this Nashville based singer- songwriter.
Band Members
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