Kim Richey discusses her music and upcoming performances with KGNU’s Dave McIntyre. They talk about her latest album, Every New Beginning, which was released in May. Kim plays a couple songs from the album, discussing her songwriting process and the stories behind the music. She also mentions her performances in Colorado (Interview date: 9/6/2024)
Dave McIntyre: All right, folks. We’ve got some guests in the studio this morning, Kim Richey and Billy, and they’re going to play some music for you. We’re going to chat a little bit. My first question to you, Kim, is what’s a canjo?
Kim Richey: Oh, a canjo. Billy, you should say what a canjo is.
Billy Harvey: A canjo is a can of paint thinner that somebody stuck a guitar neck into, and I put strings on it and started playing it.
Dave McIntyre: I see. I saw that on the website and I thought, what the heck is a canjo?
You’ve recently come back from the UK.
Kim Richey: Yeah, that was a little while ago. I’m going back over in February, but I think we were there more in the springtime.
Dave McIntyre: How was it?
Kim Richey: It was great. I go over once or twice a year.
Dave McIntyre: You have a good following over there?
Kim Richey: Pretty good, yeah. I lived in London for about five years too. I went over there and then I came back to Nashville after that.
Dave McIntyre: So that’s where you live these days? How do you like Nashville?
Kim Richey: I like Nashville okay. I liked it better before it blew up. I moved to Denver out of college. I lived in Denver for a while, and Pueblo and Vail too. All over the place.
Dave McIntyre: You’ve been at this for quite a while. 30 years or so. I played the new record last week and I really enjoyed the first song.
Kim Richey: Oh, thank you.
Dave McIntyre: “Chapel Avenue”. Every New Beginning is the name of the CD. How’s that going?
Kim Richey: It’s going great, actually. We’re out playing shows with the new record. We got on the Billboard charts when it first came out, so that was great. It’s going well.
Dave McIntyre: Speaking of out and about playing, let’s tell them now where you’re going to be.
Kim Richey: Nice segue. We’re playing tomorrow night in Alamosa at Society Hall, and then we’re playing on Sunday at Swallow Hill in Denver. We just have two shows out here this time.
Dave McIntyre: That’s the Harry Tuft Theatre, I believe, at Swallow Hill. It’s a great little place to play. I think you’ll enjoy it. So what do you have planned for us here?
Kim Richey: You want to hear a song?
Dave McIntyre: Yes, ma’am.
Kim Richey: All right. I wrote this with my friend Aaron Lee Tasjan and it’s called “A Way Around”. I had the music for a long time for the chorus and I couldn’t figure out what the lyric was, what I was wanting to say.
One morning I just woke up and the lyric came to me. I don’t know about other people when they’re writing songs, sometimes I write songs to myself. This might’ve been one that I wrote to myself.
Kim Richey and Billy Harvey play “A Way Around”.
Dave McIntyre: Very nice. That’s on the new CD? Good stuff.
I want to ask you about the song that we’re going to play next here from the CD, “Joy Rider”. That came from the pandemic, some young fellow driving his bicycle around town?
Kim Richey: Yeah, he was on a minibike, and he’d go riding around the neighborhood and he’d come down my street. Instead of being annoyed cause there’s this kid riding around, he just was enjoying himself so much and he didn’t care. Pandemic, shmandemic. He was like, whatever, I’m on my bike. And he’s just riding around, and whenever I’d hear that sound, I’d go run to the window and go, it’s the kid! ‘Cause I just wanted to see somebody having a good time.
Aaron Lee came over and we decided to write a story about the kid and call it “Joy Rider”. So we did that and wrote him a song and he has his own theme song. I don’t know if he knows yet or not, I haven’t met him.
In my neighborhood, I went to see a little street fair, and I was walking home. I was getting ready to cross the sidewalk, and a guy came and stood beside me. All of a sudden I heard a noise coming from the side, and I was like, oh cool, it’s the kid! ‘Cause I hadn’t seen him for a long time.
He rode by the both of us, and as soon as he got by both of us, without looking back, he flipped us both off. And we laughed so hard. The guy was like, oh my God, I’m so glad somebody was here to share that with me. So that’s the kid. Yeah, I’m not sure if he’s an angel on a motorbike, but he’s on a motorbike sometimes.
Dave McIntyre: Sounds like he’s having fun. Let’s hear that tune.
Alright! There’s “Joy Rider”. What’s the name of the next one you’re going to do for us, Kim?
Kim Richey: This is “Chapel Avenue”.
Dave McIntyre: Oh, okay. I love that song. We played it last week.
Kim Richey: Cool. I thought we’d play this one for you. I wrote this with my friend Don Henry. It came about because we were talking about what it was like growing up, and all the things that we remembered from growing up and stuff.
Dave McIntyre: Seems like you write songs with a lot of different people.
Kim Richey: I do. I have certain people that I love writing with. We were talking about it coming over here, Billy and I. I love writing songs with people and it makes me think differently. I’ve made some of my closest friends because you’ll sit down with no distraction to work on a song. In just a few minutes, you’re talking about really important things that you wouldn’t get to when you’re just making a friend.
Dave McIntyre: Yeah, great. Here’s “Chapel Avenue”.
Kim Richey and Billy Harvey play “Chapel Avenue”.
Dave McIntyre: That’s a nice one.
Kim Richey: Thank you.
Dave McIntyre: Thanks for coming in today. We appreciate having you. Kim Richey here with us, and Billy on the trash can and folding chair. We can’t let out the folding chair. Again, let the people know where they can see you this weekend.
Kim Richey: Okie doke. Tomorrow we’ll be in Alamosa at Society Hall, and then on Sunday we’ll be at Swallow Hill in Denver.
Dave McIntyre: All right. Thanks again for coming and bringing your nice music to the people here at KGNU. We appreciate it.
Kim Richey: It’s nice to meet you.
Dave McIntyre: Likewise. Hope to see you again. Have a great weekend.
