Ken Cofield - King of the Entire West
What is an "Alt-Cowboy" singer? The tradition of real cowboy singers is supposed to have started with cowboys singing to calm the herd. Since I live in oh-so-urban Seattle and cowboy songs seem to be pouring out of my Martin lately like chili from a chuckwagon, the only herd I can calm is other urbanites, so I guess that makes me an Alt-Cowboy singer.
As a songwriter, I spin stories, New Tales of the Old West I call them. I'm in the business of making things up. Fiction is the art of lying to tell the truth. If the lies are true enough, the stories or songs take on a life of their own once they are unleashed upon the world.
I've been playing music (and telling lies) in Seattle-area bands since 1977. I first started out as a bassist and backup singer in a heavy metal rock band, and I've since performed at festivals, in schools and auditoriums, and in a cross section of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly bars and taverns all across Washington.
After buying a Martin guitar in 1999, I discovered, much to my surprise and delight, that a magical muse lived inside of it. Ever since then I've been able to make up songs out of thin air. I've written over thirty songs in the years since I bought that guitar, but they have all grown up and gone off into the world to make their own way, so they're not really mine anymore.
I've always loved the desert country of the American West. I think it 's one of the harshest but most beautiful places on earth, but anyone who tries to eke out a living there is half crazy. Having said that, I have to admit I am descended from some of the early pioneers who tried to do exactly that. They were tough people, sometimes cruel, but hard-working and practical. And they were self-described "saints" from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Yep, Mormans. Lately all my songs have that "cowboy" twang, so I guess I'm getting in touch with my crazy half. Kick off your boots, put up your feet and listen, as this Idaho Boy paints new pictures of the Old West.
Speaking of painting, the picture on the upper right and on the cover of my CD, Idaho Boy, is a detail from a pastel titled "Lonesome Road" by Edmonds, Washington artist Janis Graves. Buy one of her paintings (at www.pastel-art.com). They're beautiful.
The picture on the upper left is from an oil painting called "Guitar Man", a painting I purchased from Mountlake Terrace, Washington artist Cheryl King. You can see her stuff at www.cherylkingstudios.com. Her paintings are also gorgeous.