JoKeria Red Country Interview

WA Country Duo JoKeria Release Rousing Second Album Red Country

There is something special about Western Australian country duo JoKeria's sophomore album, Red Country. The imagery within the songwriting is so vivid, it is almost as if you are standing in the heart of the 'red country' the songwriters drummer Josh Philpot and vocalist/guitarist Kendall Smith have written about. There is something almost tangible about the storytelling – showcasing not only the landscape, the people and the culture, but even the small intricacies of JoKeria's homeland.

Following on from their 2017 debut Back No More, JoKeria took their second release back to the drawing board. Where many bands may have packed up their bags and headed for the big smoke, Josh and Kendall instead dug their heels in, embracing their local community and creating an album that alludes to a township that has had its ups and downs, but most importantly is the sum of its people and their experiences.

Their community – Roebourne – with a population of under a thousand people has a strong sense of family and it was this that JoKeria wanted to bring to the fore in Red Country. "Having grown up in Roebourne, we have lived through the bad publicity, the disadvantages, and the exclusion of our people in society for way too long," says Kendall. "We feel its time there was a dramatic change in our community."

Josh and Kendall have been playing music together in their community since the age of 22. For the two musicians, real country music was something that resonated with them both. A large part of what makes up the identity of the band is Kendall's Indigenous lineage. Born of an Aboriginal Father and a Non-Aboriginal Mother, he grew up understanding what he describes as 'both sides of the story, and both sides of the fence', something that he has translated into the band's songwriting. The importance of storytelling within his Indigenous culture is something JoKeria has also embraced, ensuring their songs have a storytelling narrative to connect with people.

With their plans in place to record their follow-up album, it was important for JoKeria that they also found a producer who understood the importance of that narrative and helped them keep true to the music they wanted to create. Enter Bill Chambers, who thanks to a fortuitous meeting in Tamworth, took their sophomore album under his wing. The band had only met Bill by chance at the 2018 Tamworth Country Music Festival, when recommended by mutual friend Lucky Oceans, they had the opportunity to perform at his Sessions show at The Pub. The connection was immediate and by the end of the year JoKeria had sent Bill 13-demo tracks for their forthcoming release.

The duo hand-picked the strongest songs they thought would keep to the ethos of the album. In fact, the songs hadn't been written with any particular theme in mind – they had evolved organically throughout the songwriting process. "Songwriting for us is something we only do when the inspiration is flowing," says Josh. "We do not try to force ourselves into writing songs as we will not get the quality we are looking for. As such, we put no time limit or restrictions on writing songs, this way there is no pressure, and songs will be completed when they get completed. Some songs have been written in hours, whereas some have taken years. We also like using common sayings as part of our songs and normally the lyrics will be completed first before adding music to them later."

In a serendipitous twist, JoKeria will be launching their album at the Red Country Music Festival, apt indeed for an album that embodies the spirit of the Red Country. It brings full circle everything they wanted for the release – a hometown launch and a chance to showcase their community to a wider audience. They are already planning a West Australian tour and looking ahead to Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2020. More importantly, they are looking forward to sharing their music – true-grit Australian country music – with the world.

JoKeria's sophomore album Red Country is independently released on Saturday 22nd June 2019. For more information, please visit www.jokeriamusic.com

Interview with Kendall Smith

Question: Can you tell us about what inspired Red Country?

Kendall Smith: How well the first album went! We didn't necessarily have the idea to go ahead with a second album, but the response from the first was really good. Then we met Bill Chambers and he wanted to record with us and taking our music to the next level with him is what inspired us. I felt like Red Country was the strongest track to give the album its name.


Question: What was it like working with Bill Chambers at his studio?

Kendall Smith: It was the experience of a lifetime!

Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Kendall Smith: True stories. Something that can hit the heart and hit close to home. The music I write, the songs on these albums cover all ranges of stories; suffering, waiting for rain, the breakdown of a relationship. But they all have a true hard-hitting message. I've always appreciated songs that come from stories that have actually happened, that's what I gravitate towards.


Question: What is the story behind the band name?

Kendall Smith: Josh Kendall Roebourne Independent Artists. We wanted to use the name because obviously it had both mine and Josh's names in it, but because it would encompass the other various local musicians that would join us and help us perform and record.


Question: How did the band come together?

Kendall Smith: Josh and I played in a cover band for about five years when we were younger. I then left and we didn't play together for about two years. Josh and I reconnected after that and we started writing songs as a duo. It wasn't until Alan Pigram heard our music and offered to produce it that we decided to really go for it as a band.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Kendall Smith: Well it's hard to say. Both are great and are in a lot of ways completely different worlds. But if I had to pick one to do for the rest of my life, it would be recording. It's the atmosphere, being surrounded by such great musicians, and just being in awe of their ability. You get to watch a song come to life. it's also just a short moment in time, which I think is really special. For example, Glen Hannah, who recorded guitar on a number of the tracks on the album, recently passed away, so that time we all shared together in the studio cannot be repeated. We can't go back. But having said that, the thrill of a great live performance is hard to beat. Essentially, they are two different highs.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?
Kendall Smith: Bad Habits. Just the way the crowd stops and really listens. I always give a brief introduction to the song so that the audience know what it's about. And afterwards, it receives a humbler applause as opposed to the more raucous cheers of other songs, because of what the song is about. And it can be performed either acoustically, or with a band.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Kendall Smith: Luke Coombs. Hurricane is a great song of his, but my favourite song from him right now is When It Rains It Pours. It's about a breakup and there is a great line in there about not having to see his ex-future-mother-in-law again.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Kendall Smith: What got me into the song writing and singing was storytelling. Because of my aboriginal background I grew up around storytelling and it has always been a part of my life. I was naturally drawn to it in the form of music, so it just fit.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Kendall Smith: Randy Travers.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Kendall Smith: Coffee in the morning (essential). Radio interviews during the week. Lunch. Song writing or work in the afternoon. I work with youth in Roebourne. I am also driving for a film production that's taking place her in Roebourne. Then band practice in the afternoon. Dinner and bed.

Interview by Brooke Hunter