Kris Orlowski "Way You Are"

Extremely talented, Seattle-based Kris Orlowski came by to perform a show in my bedroom while in town on his Bay Area tour. Enjoy his powerful and gorgeous voice. He recently released a new EP, titled Fremont Abbey EP, in which he collaborates with the Passenger String Quartet. You must check it out, it's absolutely beautiful. After joining my roommate and I for a Speakeasy happy hour and his second time attending a meeting of the Songwriter's Collective, I knew he'd be a wonderful addition to our network of musical friends as well as this site! No current plans for him to be back in SF on tour, but "like" him on facebook or check his site to stay updated and we can all hope he will get here soon!

IMBS: What is your favorite writer/lyricist?

KO: I love Jeff Buckley's writing, so much raw talent, he was such an artist. When he sang and when he talked, it was poetry.

IMBS: How do you go about writing your music? 

KO: Usually songs just hit me, sometimes at inopportune moments when I’m waiting in line for a sandwich or when I’m at work. In terms of process, I often start with an instrumental progression, a few chords that catch my attention and often a melody will jump out when I’m playing that progression. That’s usually my indicator that I should continue developing the riff. I might come up with another line/progression that fits with that first line, then begin to construct/arrange the song. Once the skeleton of the song is written, I’ll add lyrics, then other instrumentation (drums, bass, keys, etc.) 

IMBS: What is one song lyric that you wished you had written? 

KO: “The love you take is equal to the love you make”, from the The Beatles, "The End" (Honorable Mention: “And the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, And tenement halls, And whispered in the sounds of silence.” from Paul Simon’s, "Sounds of Silence") 

IMBS: Top 5 desert island albums? 

KO: Beatles – Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Band Sufjan Stevens – Illinois Radiohead – Kid A Van Morrison – Astral Weeks Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago 

IMBS: What is your most awkward tour story? 

KO: I remember I was seeing family in Poland and was going to be playing a show the next night. We were out at a restaurant and I had my guitar with me. They asked the polka band that was playing that night if I could play a few songs during their intermission. I don’t think too many people spoke English and I was totally unplugged so I jammed out for two songs and then awkwardly walked back to my relatives who were jolly beyond belief :). As soon as I started playing most of the restaurant stopped to look at me in wonder, except for one table that continued to talk very loudly. It was fun playing in Poland (and the show the next night was killer) so I can’t complain but it was super awkward playing in a polka bar/restaurant in another country. 

by IMBS