Photo Credit: Berkley Burch Photography
It pays to network. Over his years in the music scene Milwaukee songwriter Kyle Feerick has built up an impressive Rolodex of musicians that he records and performs with, including prominent players from the local rock and jazz scenes. “When I started, I sought to play with as many musicians as I could,” says Feerick, who now draws from a pool of about 15-20 players when he performs.
“I spent a lot of time in my 20s going to shows and constantly networking,” Feerick says. “My thing always was I would go to a show or see a show at the Jazz Estate and I'd hear a trumpet player and I'd say, ‘That guy has great tone and I want to pay with him.’ So after the show I’d just talk to him a little bit. It just takes time.”
Feerick’s friends help bring to life the music on his latest release, Light All Around. Blending Feerick’s love of classic soul with contemporary indie-rock, the EP was recorded with a cast including Fever Marlene drummer Kevin Dunphy, De La Buena keyboardist Dave Wake and former Soul Low bassist Sam Gerkhe. It’s a brief EP, just four songs, but it teases a lot of range.
“I really like this release, because you've got the first song, ‘Moving On,’ which is like the Kyle Keerick version of R&B,” Feerick says. “Then you've got an indie-rock song, ‘Like a King,’ then the third one ‘Light All Around’ is something very different. And the fourth one is an epic song with this epic outro where this choir comes in that at the end. Getting 30 people together to sing in my dad's basement for that was incredibly fun.”
Feerick says the release is indicative of his approach to music going forward. “I call it the Brian Wilson approach, where you write a song then recruit the right musicians to play all the different parts,” Feerick says. “That’s something I want to do a lot more of going forward. I’m writing something on piano right now, for instance, and I’m thinking it would be great to have an oboe play that melody. So I’m starting to think a lot more in that vein, moving away from just doing music on a guitar.”
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Feerick will play a vinyl release show for Light All Around on Friday, Dec. 14, at Boone & Crockett, where he’ll be backed by guitarist Sean Williamson, guitarist/violinist Lodewijk Broekhuizen, saxophonist Aaron Gardner, bassist Peyton Lencho and drummer Matt Liban. He’ll also perform on Radio Milwaukee’s 414 music on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 p.m.
