Ocean State Sessions
The Whelks/ Vudu Sister
Season 5 Episode 1 | 23m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
Performance and interviews with The Whelks and Vudu Sister.
On this episode of Ocean State Sessions join us as we sit down with The Whelks to discuss what it felt like to have their first album release party at Nick-a-Nees! Then, Keith McCurdy has seen Vudu Sister grow from his solo project to a Gothic Folk ensemble over the past decade.
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Ocean State Sessions is a local public television program presented by Ocean State Media
Ocean State Sessions
The Whelks/ Vudu Sister
Season 5 Episode 1 | 23m 35sVideo has Closed Captions
On this episode of Ocean State Sessions join us as we sit down with The Whelks to discuss what it felt like to have their first album release party at Nick-a-Nees! Then, Keith McCurdy has seen Vudu Sister grow from his solo project to a Gothic Folk ensemble over the past decade.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Coming up on "Ocean State Sessions".
(soft acoustic music playing) "The Whelks".
♪ If you knew some people ♪ ♪ Would be there more than others ♪ ♪ And one who last evening ♪ ♪ Drinks all are covered ♪ (acoustic music playing) - [Announcer] And "Vudu Sister".
(acoustic instruments playing) (acoustic instruments playing) ♪ If you knew a bar you could work off a 20 ♪ ♪ With an invited friend ♪ ♪ Have them not's but many ♪ ♪ Wouldn't you be there whenever you're able ♪ ♪ You'd rush through the scrub up ♪ ♪ And clearing the table ♪ ♪ And kiss your old lady and tell her, "so long" ♪ ♪ And throw an arm around her and bring her along ♪ ♪ If you knew the bar could you tell me I'm wrong ♪ (violin playing) ♪ If you knew some people ♪ ♪ Would be there more than others ♪ ♪ And one who last evening drinks all are covered ♪ ♪ I once drove down from Boston ♪ ♪ With a six pack of beer ♪ ♪ The doctor said "ah, your test came back clear" ♪ ♪ Sometimes it's only one old man alone ♪ ♪ He sips Rolling Rocks and sits there like a stone ♪ ♪ 'Cause sometimes a bar is as sad as a home ♪ (acoustic instruments playing) ♪ The doors will be closed ♪ ♪ If it's slow by eleven ♪ ♪ There's a fishing trip planned ♪ ♪ For the next morning at seven ♪ ♪ And me I'll be walking through the old parts of town ♪ ♪ Coming alive from an old song I found ♪ ♪ And melody might be the one thing it lacks ♪ ♪ 'Cause don't you know they don't play music at Jack's ♪ (guitar capo squeaking) - One, two... (guitar playing) ♪ Wooly worm's crawling across the back of my hand ♪ ♪ He's got a broad black stripe ♪ ♪ He's got a morning band ♪ ♪ It's gonna be ♪ ♪ Such a cold long dark winter now ♪ ♪ You better eat your fill of what's on the ground ♪ ♪ Who will tell the bees when I'm dead and gone?
♪ ♪ Who will tell the Queen?
♪ ♪ Who will mourn for me?
♪ ♪ Who's gonna tell the bees when I'm dead and gone?
♪ ♪ If I wanted to be ♪ ♪ Ooh is that coming on too strong?
♪ (acoustic instruments playing) ♪ You've got a brighter red smear pulled across your chin ♪ ♪ The hope everybody of a bloody grin ♪ ♪ And I wanna lick the juice right off your skin ♪ ♪ And take you back to where it all began ♪ ♪ Who will tell the bees when I'm dead and gone?
♪ ♪ Who will tell Queen?
♪ ♪ Who will mourn for me?
♪ ♪ Who's gonna tell the bees when I'm dead and gone?
♪ ♪ If I wanted to be ♪ ♪ Ooh is that coming on too strong?
♪ (acoustic instruments playing) ♪ I was holding your hand while cicada's screamed ♪ ♪ They've been underground now for 17 years ♪ ♪ Since I've left and the things I've seen ♪ ♪ Have made me what I should have been ♪ ♪ And I wanna feed you ♪ ♪ Papaws and cinnamon ♪ ♪ I wanna treat you like the queen that you are ♪ ♪ And I wanna spread you out like sorghum on Sunday ♪ ♪ And love you slow on a quilt full of stars ♪ ♪ Wooly worm's crawling across the back of my hand ♪ ♪ He's got a broad black stripe ♪ ♪ It's a morning band ♪ (acoustic instruments playing) (onlooker clapping and cheering) (gentle acoustic music) (people chattering) (upbeat acoustic music) - The album release day, earlier in the morning, we all had to drive to Cambridge to play an outdoor festival and then I forget how long the set was, maybe an hour.
And then we had to get in the car and drive down to "Nick-A-Nee's", and then play the release show, which was it actually kind of worked out like we were exhausted, but we were all warmed up and ready to go.
(upbeat music) ♪ On a rainy Wednesday morning ♪ - We did it during the afternoon, which was a little untraditional for an album release.
And so I think we were sort of like, "Are people actually gonna come to this?"
And people came, the room was packed and it was like everybody we had ever known coming to cheer us on.
So yeah, it was very sweet.
(audience clapping) It's more traditional, I think to get up on a stage, and have people shine lights on you, and do it the 45 minute set or whatever.
So I think doing it at "Nick-A-Nee's" was a little bit different 'cause it's, you're just in the corner of the bar.
- We wanted it to feel like a party rather than a show necessarily.
♪ It's too thick to navigate ♪ ♪ It's too thin ♪ - It really took a lot, the logistics of doing it and just all of the different aspects of recording, mixing, mastering, getting the printed media and all the decision making.
You know, I felt personally like slightly worn out from it, like very happy with how it came out, but kind of like, "Ah, glad that's done."
♪ I had the time to build this ♪ - Yeah, playing so many shows has helped us a lot, get our name out there, get some recognition.
Especially since Rhode Islanders don't like to drive.
Having residencies in different parts of the state actually lets us cultivate- - Like we could cultivate our audience in Bristol and then another one in Warren and then maybe another one in Barrington.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, we have overloaded our performance schedule, that's true.
- If it were up to me, we would play every day.
- Yeah, yeah.
- It's because it gives energy playing, like the more we play, the more joy, (all laughing) for me at least.
- Yeah.
♪ Yeah, I know that's what we said ♪ ♪ It made perfect sense in mine ♪ Drawing the album art was really fun.
I was drawing a bunch of the reverse mermaids, so they're people on the bottom and fish on the top and I guess you guys saw it and thought it was goofy and fun.
(upbeat music) - Yeah, so the record is currently available at our shows or at our website, which is www.whelkswhelkswhelks.com.
(upright bass playing) (people chattering) (guitar playing) ♪ I wanna go all over the world ♪ ♪ And start living free ♪ ♪ I know that there's somebody who ♪ ♪ Is waiting for me ♪ ♪ I'll build a boat, steady and true ♪ ♪ And soon as it's done ♪ ♪ I'm gonna sail alone in the dream ♪ ♪ Of my dear someone ♪ ♪ One little star smiling tonight ♪ ♪ Knows where you are ♪ ♪ Stay little star, steady and bright ♪ ♪ To guide me afar ♪ ♪ Blow little wind ♪ ♪ All over the deep ♪ ♪ For now I've begun ♪ ♪ Hurry and take me straight into the arms ♪ ♪ Of my dear someone ♪ (acoustic instruments playing) ♪ One little star smiling tonight ♪ ♪ Who knows where you are ♪ ♪ Stay little star, steady and bright ♪ ♪ To guide me afar ♪ ♪ Blow little wind, all over the deep ♪ ♪ For now I've begun ♪ ♪ Hurry and take me straight into the arms ♪ ♪ Of my dear someone ♪ ♪ Hurry and take me straight into the arms ♪ ♪ Of my dear ♪ ♪ Someone ♪ (audience clapping and cheering) - This is called "Credite Mihi" it's in latin, it means "believe me".
One, two, three, four.
(guitar playing) (violin playing) (acoustic instruments playing) (Keith singing in Latin) (acoustic instruments playing) (Keith singing in Latin) (acoustic instruments playing) (Keith vocalizing) (Keith singing in Latin) (acoustic instruments playing) (Keith singing in Latin) (audience clapping and cheering) - This is a brand new song called, "Lilith".
(guitar playing) I don't really consider myself a folk artist, but I just didn't grow up with that tradition.
♪ Lily has her hands fed in the sand ♪ ♪ Lily understands she's got nothing to hold ♪ I'm Keith McCurdy, I am the singer, songwriter and leader of a gothic folk ensemble called, "Vudu Sister" from Providence, Rhode Island.
(upbeat music) Sister's really important to me because it's sort of a creative androgyny where I explore feminine perspectives that I feel really comfortable with.
(Keith singing in Latin) It's a singular sort of entity, it's a persona.
Kurt Cobain was the first very primary influence to my musical sort of awakening.
♪ In the sun ♪ - [Keith] That "Unplugged" concert when it was on television, I mean, I think that was life changing for a lot of people.
♪ In the sun, in the sun ♪ - [Keith] My father was a older Gen X-er and he played bass and he played in bands and I got my first guitar at eight or nine, so my world was kind of created there.
♪ My eyes are closed ♪ ♪ And I'm wondering where this body goes ♪ I'm actually a high school dropout.
I got my GED, I started a band.
Years later around my late twenties, I felt it was important to go back and try to take a stab at getting my education.
So I studied classics and English literature.
Classics meaning the cultures, histories and languages of ancient Rome and Greece.
And I fell absolutely in love with it.
(Keith singing in foreign language) "Burnt Offerings" is a collection of songs that I wrote in Latin and ancient Greek.
And I received a grant to do this album from the university, which felt pretty good.
This song's called, "Passage of Ships".
(guitar playing) My father had passed away in 2018.
I always thought it would be a really nice gift to write a song for him.
And I wrote this song called, "Passage of Ships", and it's about seeing him in a dream and not in a melancholy way.
Just, "Hey, I'm hanging out, this is great.
I'll see you later."
♪ You won't see me ever again ♪ ♪ You won't see me ever again ♪ ♪ Or see morning ever again ♪ ♪ You won't see me ever again.
♪ My dad's name was Christopher McCurdy.
One, two, three, one, two.
(Band playing acoustic instruments) ♪ Dim lantern lights in the dead of the night ♪ ♪ To see if he's sleeping in bed ♪ ♪ With thoughts so unclear cause his smirk has a smear ♪ ♪ With the freshness of fresh-tasting blood ♪ ♪ We'll make a map and we'll point out the land ♪ ♪ She's got a heart made of iron and a head full of stones ♪ (band playing acoustic instruments) ♪ A gaze and a gift that's given her guilt ♪ ♪ That never should take her this long ♪ ♪ To look through his eyes and realize ♪ ♪ That the dead have their own agenda ♪ ♪ And his hands are a bag of leather that's cracked ♪ ♪ And his kisses are spiders, they found a new home ♪ ♪ No coward is she but she died of fear ♪ ♪ She's the girl who stood on a grave ♪ (band playing acoustic instruments) ♪ Dim lantern lights in the dead of the night ♪ ♪ To see if she's sleeping in fetters ♪ ♪ And I'm happy for her cause she finally felt fear ♪ ♪ Without a bucket of water or minnows ♪ ♪ And she gets to be cold ♪ ♪ And never grow old ♪ ♪ Except for the flesh that's bound to decay ♪ ♪ No coward is she but she died of fear ♪ ♪ She's the girl who stood on a grave ♪ (Keith vocalizing) (Keith vocalizing) ♪ Kids aren't afraid to play midnight games ♪ ♪ Like hide-and-go-seek or the Candyman ♪ ♪ But please hear the song of the bravest of all ♪ ♪ Of the girl who stood on the grave ♪ (audience clapping and cheering) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] For more "Ocean State Sessions" plus all your Rhode Island PBS favorites, visit RIPBS.ORG.
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ What could I do ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪ ♪ I'm so blue ♪
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Ocean State Sessions is a local public television program presented by Ocean State Media