Kolvane

by Kurt "Swingcat" Johnson
Hey! Isn't that the guy from the Rose City Kings? Well, it was the guy from RCK. But now he's KOLVANE! And that's the name of his new band.
Kolvane is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for Portland's eclectic blues-rock band KOLVANE. With a much harder rock sound than the original Rose City Kings, KOLVANE incorporates vintage rock riffs, parts of funk, blues and a mix of indie influences to create the new harder KOLVANE sound. Although their sound is harder, it's eminently danceable. You can't help but be caught up in their groove when you hear them live. The dance floor fills quickly and stays full all night.
A team of dedicated Professional musicians, each player in the band is on the same page as the other. Their goal is to deliver their absolute best performance to the listener both live and recorded.
KOLVANE is Kolvane on lead guitars, songwriting, composing and lead vocals; on bass is Curtis Christian; the drummer is Thom Sullivan; and on keyboards is Steve Kerrin. On their newest release, Kolvane's good friend from the San Francisco area, Herschel Yatovitz plays bass on all the tracks.
Kolvane talks about the new band and how he got his new name; "The name is a nickname I came up with. The band has been together for about a year. We have established a touring circuit on the West Coast with dates in Los Angeles, Seattle, all up and down the West coast." He explains his goals as a musician; "My goal in life is to be making music and recording and performing my entire life."
Kolvane mentions the respect and recognition that the legendary blues artists command. "John Lee Hooker and I were friends and we used to go visit and have breakfast together and whenever we walked in to a restaurant, you could feel everyone recognizing that there walks the BLUES. That's what I want. And by marketing myself with the name Kolvane, it will be something that endures. Musicians will come and go but I'm going to be around." He continues about the tight unit that the band has become; "My band is my family. We get along. We have fun. We burn the midnight oil and get up and do it again. And that's how it has to be."
Kolvane mentions their new CD Kill These Blues. "This record really was more of an emotional recording about personal experiences and reflections." He mentions an example, "One song, Goodbye Sweet Harriet, is a song about a waitress in a cafe in San Francisco who just up and left and everyone was heartbroken."
Kolvane continues by describing the band's musical vision for the future; "It's more of an indie-blues. We pride ourselves on being independent and not beholden to any set standard. We intend to play good music and come out and rock the crowd. It's still my music. What I try to do is capture what is going on in my life in that period. Some people have said this record rocks a little harder. I made this commitment to my music back when I started the Rose City Kings. I made sure every song gets what it's asking for. People are trying to recreate what has already been done. It's like reproduction artwork. It's like reproducing a Monet instead of creating your own artwork. It makes music stagnant and the genre stagnant. I believe in honoring the past, but embracing the future and creating your own art and music. I pledge to these new songs. Life takes you by surprise and so does my music sometimes."
You can see more of KOLVANE at their website www.kolvane.com. Also, see Bandstand and ad this issue. - Positively Entertainment June 30, 2008

Singles come along very rarely these days and this CD is certainly worth noting. The first title (top-side as was at one time) has some excellent lyrics, well-sung over a (slightly psychedelia tinged) blues-rock backing which shades into Hendrix territory as the number progresses. Singer and guitarist Kolvane was the founder and leader of Portland, Oregon’s ‘Rose City Kings’ and his accompanying musicians have vast experience, ranging from stints with Miles Davis to backing work with Whitney Houston and Joe Cocker. ‘Reckless Sinner’ is a solo blues-inflected acoustic number.

- Blues Art Studio

Kolvane "Kill These Blues" (*** 1/2) "Kolvane" is a singer/guitarist that leads an eclectic, adventurous Rock band that does some Blues with The Kinks (refrain on "Kill These Blues") and CCR at heart. Actually that's just two influences I could mention as the set is quite unpredictable from lumbering Blues/Rock opener "Dying On The Vine" to the Swamp Pop/Blues "Backslide" and "Whiplashed" (pure John Fogerty) to the 60s-styled British Rock anthem "Kill These Blues" to perhaps a half Freddie Mercury/half Black Crowes ballad called "Under The Honey Moon". I have to say I'm impressed. There's Southern Rock ("Sun Song"), a lil' Country ("Goodbye Sweet Harriett"), Funk ("Cards"), Jazzy balladry ("Let Me Love You Tonight") and so on. Still the band sounds cohesive overall. That's their "style". Not quite kitchen sink but unabashedly diverse. Very much worth a listen and a pleasant surprise (I was expecting wannabe Blues/Rock noisemakers). - BluesCritic.com