Twilight Frequencies » Interviews

They’re Called Hursh, And They Call Him Ben

Ryan Boos — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:07:02 +0000

I first met Ben Hursh through a mutual friend some fifteen years ago. We hit it off from the beginning, similar personalities, and a common love for many things. At the time, Ben was the closest thing to a rebel I’d ever met. Today he’s putting that energy, and the same freeing mentality in the music studio.

Ben Hursh Performing Live

He’s recording and performing with his father and friends, under their last name Hursh. As a music fan I’m engaged by the sound, and as a friend of many years, saying I was impressed would be an understatement.

TF: How was this latest record different from previous work the band has done?

Ben: This record was done in-house at our Studio, Sonic Bloom Recordings, here in Northern Michigan. We were able to piece it together when we felt most comfortable; we weren’t on anyone else’s schedule but ours. At the time that was invaluable, none of us are “full time” musicians and two members of the band are self-employed and work crazy hours, so on one hand it was great having the freedom to be able to come and go as we pleased, but on the other hand we were constantly trying to communicate different ideas over the phone or in short periods of time. I think both the comfort and the chaos translate in the album, good and bad.

TF: If you had to pick one word to describe the new album, what would that be?

Ben: Progression, this disc’s material was better than the last discs material and I think as long as we’re progressing as a band and as long as the material follows, we’ll continue to get better and have a blast on the way.

TF: How did you get into playing music?

Ben: My family has always played music together, my father would play guitar while my mother sang. There was always guitars sitting around the house and both parents are very passionate about music. I grew up on Public Radio; so infusions of folk, jazz and country were a regular sound in the house or my dad’s pickup trucks. I think I take after my mother though when it comes to musical taste, we tend to gravitate to the singers and songwriters melodies, where my father wants to hear tasty leads that aren’t in a blues pentatonic scale. As a family, art and music were two things that my parents really pushed the kids to be a part of and I think that helped us all become well rounded adults. There is a softness in the arts, an inner voice that allows you to express yourself outwardly and offers a release you don’t get anywhere else. I remember someone telling me a few years back that if you were to take say Albert Einstein’s brain and put it next to the average person you wouldn’t be able to tell the two apart, but if you were to take a musicians brain like say Mozart, there would be certain areas of growth, portions that link both the right and left side (the corpus callosum) and that is unique only to musicians. To me that’s an amazing thing, and proof of what a neccesseity the arts really are in schools and home life.

TF: What’s the process like for you as a writer? Do your lyrics come with specific times you set aside, or do you have a scratch pad full of ideas that you scribble down throughout the day?

Ben: I try not to force it, I’m not the guy with the paper pad hidden away that drops what they are doing when the shot of creativity comes to them, maybe I should be lol but I’m not. Lately I tend to sit down and let the guitar lead me. The process didn’t used to be like this when I was writing as a soloist. It wasn’t until I started playing with a group regularly that I began hearing portions of the songs develop for the other instruments, as well as my own. I try to get a vague idea of what I’d like the percussion to do and then let the guys build off of that idea. We feed off of each other during rehearsals and when someone adds something tasty we all tend to either lay back and allow that to be exposed and up front, or jump on the “bandwagon” and try to copy that rhythmically in order to syncopate certain instruments with snare hits, tom falls, the end of a solo etc.

TF: Its clear you come from a talented family, if you were the justice league, which character would you be? Why?

Ben: Well without sounding completely self-absorbed, I would say Superman. For a few reasons really, the first is I think I tend to make pretty sound decisions, I’m the glue that holds things together around here. The second is I know my father would never say he was Superman, he would suggest that he was more like Batman, a solid leader who relies only on his intelligence and ability to plan ahead, and who doesn’t need any “super powers”. Plus I’m the front man dude, if anyone gets the X-Ray vision it’s me.

TF: What inspirations do you garner from living in Michigan?

Ben: Northern Michigan is awesome. The small town I live in is known primarily for the wine it produces in the beautiful vineyards located around every back road turn. It is also a huge area for agriculture, my home is surrounded by apple and cherry orchards, there is a lot of room to breathe and stretch your arms up here. The winters are hard and long and I think that’s where most of my inspiration comes from, especially in terms of the last album. Here are some shameless plugs for the disc.

From the song These roads “It’s the snow babe, got me thinking, turns the soil here to ice. It’s got the whole Midwest drinking, whiskey stained love songs in the night. From the song Knew a Girl “I met a girl that I think you know, her eyes as deep as a Michigan snow, we floated down…….to the water’s edge as it was icing over ourselves…….with the bitterness I could barely breathe through my chest.”

TF: Do you enjoy singing more than playing the guitar, or do those two things feed off each other?

Ben: It depends on the piece. I think the more intimate the music and venue, the more I enjoy both playing and singing together. When we get a combination of a really big venue, and more experimental drawn out jams, then I think I would rather do one, over both. It’s hard to give up control for me. As the rhythm guitarist, I can dictate the tempo, depending on my mood, I can slow songs down or speed them up a touch…it drives the other guys crazy but that’s me, I’m not one of those musicians that are “technically” accomplished. I have my emotions to rely on. I think that’s why people say we sound better live than on the discs.

From Left: Ben Hursh, Rob Ackley,Larry Hammond, and Guy Hursh

TF: Who do you listen to when you’re not working on your own material?

Ben: We have a lot of talented musicians come through the studio and I am lucky enough to be a part of the process, so I get to listen to the great local artists here in Michigan like Jimmy Says, Deadly Sins and Sparks Fly Up just to name a few. I am a big fan of Josh Rouse, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Son Volt and Drive By Truckers…. I think these are the artists currently in my car.

TF: Who’s your favorite songwriter of all time?

Ben: John Gorka, most people would struggle with this question but I have always admired him as a writer more than most. His lyrics take you to a place that only he has painted. “Stranger with your hair” and “Houses in the Fields” are two of the best songs ever written in my opinion and they are also songs that almost everyone can relate to.

TF: What’s next?

Ben: For sure the new disc Thrift Store League, we will be starting that very soon but first we need to finish the studio construction so we can get in, regain control of Northern Michigan and soon……the world. Mwuhahaha!!!

Hursh is Ben Hursh on vox/guitar, Rob Ackley with bass/vox, Larry Hammond on the drums/percussion,and Guy Hursh on guitar/vox.

Listening to Hursh I find myself driving down a dirt road somewhere in middle America. The workers are up in the morning tending their herds, coffee brewing, nothing but purity beaming from the back of an old pickup truck. Its a refreshing sound they play. Its clarity manages to fulfill both a creative soul, and a knack for musical professionalism. Make no mistake about it, these cats are players, and they’re solid enough not to overdo the magic, but allow the listener to hear it, embrace it, and ruminate on it. Ben Hursh’s lyrics talk of love, feeling, and the tonality in his voice reflects the keys of wisdom that are not afraid to tell how they got there. He’s familiar in the music, its something we can all enjoy, leaving out the pretense, b/c these burdens are universal. This band is like a four course meal, the beauty is that when you’re finished, you won’t forget it. But you will continue to come back and check the specials. I really dig their new record called Bootlicker. I’ve been listening to it all day.

Thank You Michael Peters!

Ryan Boos — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:38:00 +0000

Photo by Suzanne Dieter

Twilight Frequencies: Where did you go to school, and what were some lessons you have incorporated in your work today?

Michael Peters: I attended the School of the Arts at the University of Tennessee. If nothing else, I took with me the ability and confidence to believe in your talent and to take with that the initiative of intentionality. Whatever your idea is – run with it. Really try to expand your boundaries. Just because you’re an visual artist doesn’t mean you’re confined to a gallery.

Twilight Frequencies: I know you have had some gallery shows locally here in Knoxville, tell us a little about your work, if you can narrow it down to a few things? What’s your primary medium?

Michael Peters: By classification, I suppose you might say I’m a media artist. But if I had to say I specialize in anything, it would probably be photography. At least that is where my passion primarily lies. I love the idea of pushing the medium of photography beyond just a single photograph. That’s what my gallery exhibitions focus on – expanding the typical single photographic plane into something spacially concerned having multiple suspended panels, or photographs, creating dynamic geometric planes.

Twilight Frequencies: What’s the next year look like for Michael Peters the Artist?

Photo by Kari Foster

Michael Peters: It’s always hard to tell…especially being at the relative beginning stages of my career. As of now, there is nothing solidified but hopefully that will change. I’ve really turned my focus primarily on Backpod. But as days pass, I hope to exhibit somewhere in the near future. I would LOVE to show some photography and film work taken throughout my Backpod travels. I truly believe that’s the direction I’m heading.

Contact Michael Peters here.

Part Seven: The Global Brigade Tour

Ryan Boos — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 11:37:16 +0000

Twilight Frequencies: What types of things can people do to become active in providing a real change to the issues in Central America?

Michael Peters: Such a great question! I really just encourage everyone to become active in any little way possible. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a doctor or in the medical field to do international outreach. I used my passion for media art along with the help of two other bright-minded individuals in their respective field to create this project. There are so many organizations out there (I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself until I did this research for Backpod) that are striving for a better quality something for lesser-privileged individuals. Unfortunately, many of these organizations lack the manpower to get their word out there. It never hurts to contact them directly and see what you can do to help. I found that many organizations have “bases” back in the states. Something as simple as working indirectly with them by spreading the word around your college campus can be crucial in the success of their projects.

Photography by Jimmy Camacho

To continue following Backpod and their amazing artistic outreach, click subscribe.

To get involved click here to make donations, subscribe to the mailing list, or help spread the word!

Part Six: Expectations

Ryan Boos — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:26:08 +0000

Photo by Michael Peters

Twilight Frequencies: How did your expectations line up with the realities of the work being done by Non Profit organizations? What surprised you?

Michael Peters: We did countless hours of research prior to scheduling the inaugural trip. So we were pretty familiar with the work being done. There was a lot of communication being facilitated between us at Backpod and Global Brigades.

Personal Note: I did not anticipate the fact of how LITTLE Spanish I actually knew. My knowledge of the language was an absolute monstrosity, but I managed thanks in large part to the organization and my Backpod Team members.

Twilight Frequencies: Was there anything you found not in line with an organizations goal? For instance did you ever feel there was corruption involved?

Michael Peters: Not at all.

Twilight Frequencies: How were you treated by the natives?

Michael Peters: Everyone was absolutely amazing! You couldn’t ask for more hospitality. Sometimes having a camera in your face can be a little intimidating or unnerving; but I seemed to be the only one who had any apprehension about that. The Honduran people were just so thrilled to receive assistance in this fashion.

To be Continued…

Part Five: Episode Four

Ryan Boos — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:03:54 +0000

The Backpod group looks into the work keeping dental hygiene a important way of life for the natives. Meet the “Dental Brigade.”

To be continued…

Part Four: Backpod & Michael Peters Continued

Ryan Boos — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:45:23 +0000

Twilight Frequencies: Among the many people you’ve met participating in Backpod, who are some that have stood out the most, and why?

Michael Peters: The passion of the students who fuel the efforts of Global Brigades really stands out. The student groups plan and fundraise for months prior to the trip, and many times they must sacrifice their own break time from school to attend. While peers are off “spring-breaking it” – these students are making a difference.

…and they are dedicated! Several of the groups who were in Honduras with us have already made it back for a return trip to work another brigade.

Twilight Frequencies: What stood out the most in your quest?

Michael Peters: It was the opportunity to witness how much of a positive impact these students and this organization were having on the local people. They had such a respect for the local culture.

Michael Peters, Photo by Kari Foster

To be continued…

Part Three: Episode Two And The Interview Continued

Ryan Boos — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:13:23 +0000

Twilight Frequencies: Where did the mission come from?

Michael Peters: The foundation of the project was always art. Kari and I have always had a strong connection and art was how that connection always seemed to manifest. We had worked/played together on several video art projects; short films, photography, even local commercials – but wanted to find something that was not “just” visually appealing…but really had something to say.

While I was in Tennessee and Kari was in New York, we continued to have a dialogue about our next short film. We were focusing on our usual artsy avant-garde type film, but the motivation wasn’t there.

From Left, Kari, Michael, and Eva. Photo by Theresa Taverno

During this time our friend Jonathan Caleb Meador was traveling extensively throughout Central and South America. He would regale stories of working with the locals on their farmland in exchange for room and board. Staying no more than a few weeks at a time, he would soon pack his belongings and travel by any means necessary to the next location, even if it meant hitchhiking. There was something so simplistic and sustainable, yet productive and inspiring about this idea. As his stories reached state side, Kari and I found our phone conversations to slowly start focusing only on travel adventure and unknowingly began to birth the brainchild we now know as Backpod.

We began to push around the idea of traveling with a purpose.

We wanted to create something that had a purpose not only for us as adventurers, but an idea that could encourage a global mindset in our audience and ourselves. As we began to press further into this realm, the idea started to lend itself more towards a non-profit sector project. In a leap of faith, we contacted non-profits in various Central American countries to pitch this idea of traveling to them and exposing their work by creating short documentation in the form of online video publishing in exchange for room and board. When Global Brigades said yes…we started reaching out to more people, such as sponsors, donors, and media…

We received quite a positive response from many people and Backpod came to life. We are still surprised and grateful to be able to have this project and experience happening.

Twilight Frequencies: Focusing in on Non-Profits there must be a ton of different pieces of information you have obtained about some of their general goals or missions within Central America. Give us an example of an organization you really felt compelled by.

Michael Peters: Global Brigades is an organization that really stood out. If you haven’t heard of their work, you will soon. It is a secular organization that empowers students and professional volunteers to provide communities in developing nations with sustainable solutions that improve quality of life while respecting local culture. GB’s vision is to become the largest student-led social movement on the planet.

What struck us is the idea that students are taking the initiative and making this lasting impact. Global Brigades is really a well-rounded organization thanks in large part to ambitious students with fields concentrating in medical outreach to water purification development even to assisting in local micro enterprise growth. It really had the all-around package.

To Be Continued…

Part Two: Michael Peters And Backpod Episode One

Ryan Boos — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:39:59 +0000

In this video the crew discusses their adventure travels through the annoyances of airports and the folks surrounding them.

Twilight Frequencies: What was it like preparing for your trip to Honduras? If you can recall the initial feeling you had, what types of things were you expecting to see or learn? Were you scared? Had you been out of the United States before this trip?

Michael Peters: It was strange, because like many trips, none of us really believed it was going to happen until we officially booked the plane ticket. But as we learned the trip was a go, absolute complete excitement filled my body! And I’m confident in saying that feeling was mutual for the other members. I had been abroad before as had the other members, but for this time was different. This trip had a mission, a mission we all had personal investment in, and I’m not speaking financially. If anything, the only apprehension I had was the fear of failure. I yearned so bad for this endeavor to be a success, because ultimately it was not just for us, it was for the organization we were working alongside and the lives they were touching.

To Be Continued…

Part One: Backpod The Idea

Ryan Boos — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:01:23 +0000

This week we’ll get to know a member from the group Backpod. Michael Peters is one of three exceptionally talented artist to dedicate his creative life by using his artistic expression as a tool for the greater good. This video will give us a brief introduction into the cast of Backpod, plus through out the week I will ask Michael Peters some questions about his experiences with backpod, and art itself.

Twilight Frequencies: Besides you, who else participates in Backpod, how did you link up with them?

Michael Peters: The Backpod team is made up of myself, Kari Foster, and Eva Nudd. While working in New York, Kari crossed paths with Eva. Eva was able to bring a international relations writing background into the work, rather than the art background of Kari and I – which is just what we needed! TEAM BACKPOD was born!

I think each of us bring a unique, yet relative perspective to the table. Eva is originally from Slovak Republic with a Masters Degree in International Relations specializing in Human Rights and International Law. Kari has a degree in Journalism concentration in Public Relations with a background in graphic/web design. Myself with a BFA in film and photography.

All very different, but each one makes up such a vital piece to the puzzle. Holding us together – our endless curiosity, and willingness to fall on our face a few times!

To be continued…

Thank You Kenzie Cooke!

Ryan Boos — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:44:44 +0000

Well, day five and the fun just begins. This week we explored the evolutions of life, and the realizations that the older we become the less imaginative our explorations appear. Personally, I’m aware of the trend that has come before me, for so many years. I do think that a person can go to a job they don’t like, while maintaining their creative and childlike soul. Its not easy, and its a struggle everyday for me, but within that struggle there’s something wonderful about life. The human spirit can endure the realities of responsibility without losing the fun behind the profundity of newness. I think we all can do better, I believe Kenzie Cooke’s work suggests to us that its not inevitable but let us not forget how things used to be, how we once were as children, laughing, and running through the open fields. This week has been a reminder for me to continue to be consistant in doing the things I love to do, the dreams I believe in, and the individual path I choose to walk. I told Kenzie in an email this week “I’ll let you know more about the latter stages of life, if you remind me about the early ones.” I implore the rest of you to do the same. Thank you Kenzie Cooke!!

Twilight Frequencies: Lets lighten up the mood a bit. What’s your favorite color?

Kenzie Cooke: I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite color. Depends on my mood and the combination, I love mixtures.

Twilight Frequencies: If you could lay your head on one thing what would that be?

Kenzie Cooke:Well I have imagined what it would feel like to be completely relaxed and limp but feel nothing solid beneath me…sleeping on air.

Twilight Frequencies: Water or Land?

Kenzie Cooke: I prefer to stand on land and swim in water.

Twilight Frequencies: Vocals or Instrumentals?

Kenzie Cooke: Instrumentals definitely.

Twilight Frequencies: What is “Sunder?”

Kenzie Cooke: Sunder literally is “to break apart”, “to sever” or “a division”. So sunder represents loss. A loss of perspective, a separation from yourself, from ones childhood or from ones idea of freedom or happiness. Whatever the viewer feels they’ve misplaced.