TJ WEST

TJ West: LA Songsmith, Kip Boardman releases Boardman

BOARDMAN on Steel Derrick Music
By Kim Grant

Kip Boardman isn’t given nearly enough credit for the amazing body of work that he has produced.  Adept at creating imagery with his lyrics, he also has a gift for melody and a unique tenor voice that quietly separates him from the crowded field of singer-songwriters.   With folk, pop, and a thread of 70’s SoCal country rock running through all of his records, Boardman also weaves in his wry sense of humor to create a signature sound.

BoardmanBoardman has released three previous solo albums; 2003’s Upon The Stars, 2005’s Hello I Must Be…, and 2011’s The Long Weight. Now, in 2015 he releases his fourth studio album, Boardman.   Produced by Nelson Bragg (percussionist for Brian Wilson) on his own label, Steel Derrick Music, Boardman was recorded live in the studio by Rob Campanella who has worked with artists, Beachwood Sparks, Dead Meadow and The Tyde to name a few.

The album’s inception was attributed to a random live performance that Bragg stumbled upon. In an introduction to the record Bragg said, “In 2013 I saw Kip Boardman and his great band blow the doors off of a dive on the Westside of L.A. with only 15 people watching.  I asked Kip if he could replicate that set in a studio with this band.  He did, lead vocals included.  This record is what I heard on that amazing night.”

Boardman’s band for the record is comprised of well-known Los Angeles players, Dave Gleason, Eric Heywood (both on guitars with Heywood doubling on pedal steel), Rob Douglas on bass, Steve Mugalian on drums and Boardman, who plays Wurlitzer piano.  Boardman is more rockin’ album than its predecessors kicking off with two songs that have previously been released; “Running Right” off of The Long Weight and “The Truth and The Idiot” off of Hello I Must Be…which Boardman claims, “…was always meant to sound more like this version.”

“Where Does the Night Go” is an elegant tune that features a mysterious chord shift in the main verse riff.  “Holding the Bag” features some lovely lead trade-offs between Gleason and Heywood while “I’ve Got Time For You” is a peppy number that was written and arranged on the spot.  “O the Ache” features a wurly pedal throughout the song and is the song Boardman declares his personal favorite,   “Syd Barrettish work from Gleason and stratospheric pedal steel from Heywood over a kraut rock denouement with psychedelic engineering from Rob Campanella.”

Boardman will have an April 28th release on vinyl and digital and Bragg will be presenting a live performance in Los Angeles May 7th to celebrate the release.  Let’s hope that with the sublime, Boardman; Kip Boardman might finally receive the wider recognition that he deserves.

Boardman album release party May 7th at El Cid as part of the Honky Tonk Hacienda series
1911 Sunset in Los Angeles, CA    8:30 pm

kipboardman.com  |  nelsonbragg.com  |  buy  |  fb

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