The Kirkpatrick Project

The Kirkpatrick Project might describe themselves as folk rock, but that carries with it too many associations with angry long-hairs holding candlelight vigils for murdered union organizers. In truth the band, and their second album Opportunity, is better described as approachable, unapologetically friendly acoustic rock that seeks to connect on a level that everyone gets.

And what the hell is wrong with that? Nothing, as far as Wes and Ryan, the brothers Kirkpatrick, are concerned. Their decidedly different approaches to songwriting bring enough variety to the program to keep the album interesting, as the songs are spilt almost evenly between Kirkpatrick the higher voiced and Kirkpatrick the lower.

When Kirkpatrick the higher is singing, and presumably songwriting, we get a storyteller who spins tales of grannies in Amsterdam engaging in the local culture and getting bumped form a gig by that guy who played Kevin from “American Pie.” Kirkpatrick the lower approaches songwriting with a less topical, more emotional focus, and the album’s alternation between the concrete and the abstract give it a well rounded lyrical texture.

A few times the group, who fleshes out their sound with a host of non-filial collaborators, approaches the doleful. We again see honest songwriting that connects, but one has the feeling that these two walk on the sunny side of the street more often than not. Though we’re still in our snowiest month, this is an ideal record to remind music fans that warmer days are on the way. - Scene Magazine - Nathan Harper

access full article with photos from the following link: http://denver.metromix.com/music/photogallery/the-kirkpatrick-project-is/859382/content

The Kirkpatrick Project is back...
Most brothers run around and poke each other with sticks and tease each other when they go through puberty. But as for the Kirkpatrick brothers, Ryan and Wes, they get along better than Joe and Jessica Simpson.

Growing up together in Fort Collins, they found their love for music and decided to start a band together called the Kirkpatrick Project. Now putting out their second album entitled, "Opportunity," the brothers are unstoppable.

After getting to know the bros, we found out why they hate the guy who plays Kevin in the “American Pie” movies and which brother hates the Jonas Brothers.–Erica Boniface, Metromix



Congrats on the new album. Did both of you write the songs?
Wes: We do, we both do all the writing. It is very half and half.

So do you two ever fight over whose songs are better?
Wes: [Laughs] We haven’t really yet. Usually you get feedback from other people and it’s pretty easy to ask the drummer and the bass player and the rest of the band what they think. It is pretty easy to tell. Sometimes Ryan will write a song and I will have one and we’ll agree whose is better. The goal for us is to just get the best 11 songs on the CD.

When you guys write a song, how do you collaborate with each other on who sings what?
Ryan: [Laughs] Wes looked at me like ‘you better answer this one.’ It seems like one of us will start writing something and then once it gets to a point where it gets decent enough to keep, at that point we make changes on the song and finish it together.

Oh man, as brothers you guys really have to get along…
Ryan: [Laughs] Yeah.

How much older are you than Ryan, Wes?
Wes: Two years almost exactly.

So when you guys went to school together, you were only one grade apart or what?
Wes: We were two grades apart. We did go through school together and did the whole “sports” stuff together.

Oh man. What kind of sports did you play?
Wes: Track and cross country and basketball.

Ooooh. Do you have any state track records?
Wes: Ryan’s got several actually.

Really?
Ryan: [Laughs] I have one school record at Colorado State as a relay.

Wow, you're a Colorado State record holder. Big man on campus…
Ryan: It was a 4 × 1 mile relay actually. It was pretty fun.

What shows do you have planned in Denver?
Wes: We’re going to be at the Walnut Room on Jan. 17. We’re going to do that as the CD Release Party. We really like playing there; it is a nice place to play.

What else would you like to add that people would like to know about The Kirkpatrick Project? Any fun mountain quotes? Political? Anything?
Ryan: Let’s see….Wes, do you got anything?
Wes: I don’t know. We’ll leave politics out of it. We’re really excited to get back into the swing of things and play for fans and hopefully get a lot of new ones with our new album and awesome interviews like this one.

Correct us if we’re wrong, but you have “Jason Mraz” type songs…you know, soft ballads. Who would you say are your influences?
Wes: Obviously, we share a lot of influences. I would say anywhere from Mason Jennings, Jackson Browne, it is kind of a wide array of music. Jason Mraz has influenced us. But it is all about listening to a bunch of artists so we can bring a unique sound in.

Who is one artist out there that you can literally not stand?
Wes: [Laughs] There is going to be one artist out there who will attack us for saying something. [Laughs] Let’s see…one artist we can’t stand. Oh, crap we can’t think of his name…oh, Thomas Ian Nicholas. He is the guy who plays Kevin in the American Pie movies.

Oh my god, he is producing music?
Ryan and Wes: He is trying to; that’s for sure.
Ryan: There is a song that is a hateful song I wrote called: “Hey Mr. Movie Star” because we were supposed to play this show at House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and at the last minute they called, “Hey, um, you know that guy Kevin from American Pie?” And we’re like, “Yeah." Well, he is coming from Hollywood with his band so you guys are going to play earlier. So we ended up playing at a dive bar at the end of the Strip.

So, did he suck?
Ryan: So the chorus goes, “Hey, hey Mr. Movie Star, stop pretending you can sing. Put down that guitar and get back to the screen.”

Do you hate it when…let’s use Scarlett Johansson as an example, since she is now doing albums. So is your actor-turned-musician hatred across the board, or when they’re total hotties like Scarlet, do you not care as much?
Wes: [Laughs] No I don’t think it is okay. If they’re good, they’re good. If they’re not, they’re not. It doesn’t really matter what they look like. I would say the most annoying band to me, and I have hardly listened to their music…but I just have this hatred toward the Jonas Brothers [laughs].

Is it because one of them is supposedly dating Miley Cyrus?
Wes: [Laughs] Maybe. You can just group her in with that too if you want.

But what about cool people like Queen Latifah?
[They both laugh] We don’t know.

Okay, we'll leave the interview at that.

There you have it, folks
We recommend checking out The Kirkpatrick Project on Jan. 17 at the Walnut Room. The brothers are just great guys and their music is just waiting to be discovered. We generally don't make such huge acclamations, but in this case, they have earned it. They write their own stuff, they have great voices and they will crack you up when you get to know them. - Erica Boniface, MetroMix, 9News Denver

Saturday the 6th, the Kirkpatrick Project from Fort Collins, Colorado and Cory Mon from Provo, Utah will be in concert performing acoustic rock, and pop at the pub from 8:30pm to 11pm.

Making their Idaho debut performance, The Kirkpatrick Project is a duo of brothers, Wes and Ryan Kirkpatrick. "We have fun playing and sharing our music with people, and that's why they have fun when they join us for a night." Listen for two new songs, "My Future Ex-Girlfriend," a song about being with a great girl and telling yourself, don't get your hopes up, she can only be your future ... your future ex-girlfriend, and "Better Than Today," a song about not being satisfied and striving for better things.

Ryan Kirkpatrick commented on the local live music scene: "It's a big risk and a huge challenge in the music business, and we're putting everything we have into it right now. And its people like you writing articles and getting a local music buzz going that makes it all worth it. It means the world to us when people come down to share a night of music with us." Aww, thanks Ryan. If it weren't for independent music artists like you, people like me wouldn't have anything to write about.

The Kirkpatricks will play a 90-minute set, and Mon will finish out the night with a 1-hour solo acoustic set in support of his recently released CD. The Kirkpatricks are currently recording their new TKP album, due for release in January 2009. Their last album "Here We Go" will be for sale at the show.

For more information, please visit the Kirkpatrick Project at www.thekirkpatrickproject.com and Cory Mon at www.corymon.com. - Idaho State Journal