A chat with Stephen Kellogg
by Dawn St John
"They don't come any nicer than Stephen Kellogg," said Terry Clark of Carbon Leaf, when I caught up with him before the band's recent Rochester show. Over a fifteen-minute phone chat with Stephen this month, I definitely came to the same conclusion. Kellogg and his band, the Sixers, were Terry's recommendation when I interviewed him last month. On this suggestion, I surfed over to the SK6ERS website and clicked my way through each streamable song from their most recent album. I was maybe three tracks in when I decided I definitely needed to contact him.
Stephen describes the Sixers as "average Joes" and "a band that has almost no mystery," which I think is evident in how easy he was to talk to. Unfortunately, the one thing that does remain secret is the origin of the band's name. "It's one of our only band secrets that we've just chosen to not publicly comment on," he told me. That just makes me all the more curious, but I guess we'll let them have their secrets.
To me, the Sixers' sound is somewhat of a cross between a southern rock sound, and a non-twangy country. Stephen says he's reluctant, though, to make the country comparison because, "... it has such a negative connotation with so many young people, in the north especially. And I feel like a lot of people like country music but don't realize that they like country music, y'know? I never really use it in a description of us because I hate to think of someone sort of writing it off before they've heard it, or whatever. But, y'know, I definitely think it's a blend of both of those elements." Being one of those closet-country-fans until a few years ago myself, I can certainly understand that logic.
There is a danger in labels, I think, whether they are for music or oneself. Stephen agrees, "...no matter how well-liked you might've been [in school], you always felt outside. I mean, it's amazing being out of high school now and going back and talking to people, how everybody kinda felt outside of the circle," and wrote song called "See You Later, See You Soon" (link to stream) about that feeling. It came about in a clothing store. "I was just like flabbergasted by how incredibly rude the staff was, and I realized that I'd experienced this from that shop and shops like it kind of always. Kind of.. the smuggest kids I ever went to high school with, all working there now and giving you so much attitude just because you're in there buying a pair of pants." It was then that Stephen realized he was better than that. He says, "I'm just, like so many people, just a guy that wants to feel good about himself and like himself. ... I got into it with the person that was being so rude, and I was like, 'OK, it's people like you that made high school suck!' and anyway, just then the whole band walked in and I'm like, having it out with this 16 year old kid. And at that point I kinda realized that I think it's important, I wanted to write a song and write many songs that kind of encourage people to be who they are and not buy into the peer pressure of being cool or any of that stuff. And that's bcome a really important part of our thing, is just trying to speak to the normal people who aren't sort of intimidating anybody but maybe feel intimidated by the cool kids, y'know. And "See You Later, See You Soon," is just one of those songs." Great message, Stephen! I think we can all learn something from that.
Other artists are spreading a different message that Stephen would eventually like the Sixers to get in on: greener touring and the like. "I think it's great what Jack Johnson and other artists are doing ... to try to reduce waste when they're touring and stuff like that. And it may be something that we get more involved in. But to be perfectly honest, we are like your Average Joes when it comes to that stuff. We just kinda like, try to do everything that we know how to do, and that's about it." That's all anyone can do, I think. But maybe these guys can eventually hook up with Reverb and do a little more.
One cannot contest, however, that the Sixers are keeping busy. They maintain a hectic tour schedule, and love every second of it. "It's exciting to be backstage at arenas and cool theatres and the places that I used to go see concerts. We've had some opportunities to be backstage at those very same places, putting on those very types of concerts. And it's exciting on a day-to-day basis because you get to.. you really feel like, 'This has always been a dream,' so you get to enjoy it, and you try to just take each day and really love it." Growing up, Stephen went to a lot of shows with his older sister, seeing bands like, "...Whitesnake and BonJovi and Cinderella, and all these bands. And they put on such awesome shows and the energy of the crowd. It just looked like the best job in the world, to be able to run around and that's what really made me want to play music." And now he's doing it.
Stephen cites a lot of 70s rock such as The Eagles and Crosby, Stills, and Nash as early influences, and I think that shows in the Sixers' eponymous record. Even now, that's the music he listens to most frequently, along with other artists whose music he feels has that 70s sound. Whatever you call it, though, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers have a great sound, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from them in the future!