By Scott Detweiler

Kanary singer/guitarist and long time Noho resident, Leslie Knauer, has been the founding member of several major label bands over the past few years, including Precious Metal (on the Mercury label), and Promises (EMI Holland), with whom she had the number one hit, “Baby It’s You”.  However, Kanary, her current band, is her most ambitious project to date.  Working without the backing of a major label, she and her band mates are doing everything themselves and finding that not only do they have total control of the business of the band, but they are also having more fun they have ever had being in a band.   

Their latest release, “Only Dead Fish Go With The Current,” is their fourth CD.  I recently caught up with her at Sitton’s Restaurant in Noho to ask her a few questions….. 

VANESSA, our waitress (who is, also, by the way, a writer), was really cool, didn’t hassle us, and kept the coffee coming.   Mine: BLACK.  Leslie’s: cream and sugar…  

SD- I know you have lived in Noho for a while but were you born here? 

LK- No.  Vancouver, B.C.   We moved to L.A. when I was six. 

SD- What was that like? 

LK – Well, my parents were from Germany, so, German was my first language.     

SD – Wow.  What was your first instrument? 

LK- Piano.  I didn’t really take lessons.  I learned to tune pianos, from my Dad, and I was around pianos.   He was a piano tuner.   We had a piano shop in Thousand Oaks. 

SD – Wow. 

LK – Yeah.  I tuned pianos for while and for some pretty famous people.  I got away from it because it is hard on your back.   Also, that “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding” noise gets to you after a while. 

SD – How did you start playing guitar? 

LK – Well, I was given some guitars by some of my friends.  I ended up with two acoustic and three electric.  I am not sure how I started but I learned a few licks and began to write and sing songs immediately.

VANESSA – (walks up) Are you ready to order? 

LK – I’ll have an Italian Omelet. 

SD – I’ll have some fries. 

LK – Can you substitute fries for my hash browns? 

VANESSA – (nods) 

LK – Want my fries? 

SD – Sure. 

LK – OK.  I’ll take fries instead of hash browns.  And an extra plate. 

SD – Thanks! (how cool was that? FREE FRIES)    

VANESSA – Can I get you some more coffee? 

SD – That would be great.  OK (to Leslie).  I understand that you didn’t really take lessons but there must be someone, at some point,  who showed you some sort of stuff on the guitar or someone whom you consider to be an influence on you.   

LK – (thinks) I would have to say Peter Fletcher of Pygmy Love Circus and Michael Milner, an English singer songwriter.   Michael is not really very famous but he is really great. 

SD – Are you one of those guitar players who has a million guitars at home? 

LK – No, not a million guitars, just the one I perform with and the ones I mentioned earlier….I actually had to sell one of those guitars because it really smelled bad. 

SD – Yeah….I don’t blame you.   (Yikes!) What kind of guitar do you perform with? 

LK – Fender Stratocaster. 

SD – Is it all tricked out? 

LK -  No.  I don’t know much about that stuff.  It’s pretty standard. 

SD – What about your amp? 

LK – That’s not tricked out either….all I know is that it is a 50 watt Marshall head….and it’s red.  

SD – What size string do you use?   

LK - 10’s (tens) 

SD – What brand? 

LK – The cheapest possible. 

SD - How often do you change your strings? 

LK - About once a week.  I used to break strings a lot more than I do now.  I must be playing with more finesse these days. 

SD - What pick do you use? 

LK - I like this one.  (she pulled out a  Jim Dunlop textured .73mm tear drop)  

SD – What about alternate tunings?  Do you use any alternate tunings for your guitar? 

LK - Not really, I just tune the low E down to D and leave the rest of the strings tuned standard (A D G B E). 

SD – Really? 

LK – Yeah.  I like the way the chords slide with that tuning. 

SD - Do you ever play slide guitar? 

LK - No, but I would like to. 

SD - Do you ever use a capo? 

LK - No, never. 

SD – Do you play left or right handed? 

LK – Right. 

SD - Do you use any effects pedals? 

LK - Yeah, I use 4 (four):  the Boss Blues Driver, the Boss Octave, a DOD distortion pedal and a DOD grunge pedal…..that’s all. 

SD - Who works on your guitar? 

LK - Matt Barrato.   (she pulled up the name on her phone to show me….even though I already believed her) 

 SD – Do you play any other instruments besides guitar, a little piano, and of course, singing? 

LK – I played drums in a punk band.   I’m told I have good rhythm.  

VANESSA – Here you go.  (puts the food in front of us…Leslie dumped her fries on the spare plate and I proceeded to turn them into soggy humps with Tabasco) 

SD – Thanks.  What bands do you like? 

LK – System of A Down…Jet….Audioslave….Alice in Chains….all surf guitar. 

SD – Let’s talk about your writing.  I know some people write the lyrics first and some write the music first.  What do you do? 

LK – I write both ways.   It depends on the song.   I keep a pen and book within reach at all times so that I can write at any time…whenever I want.    The lyrics are usually an expression of a particular feeling or a feeling about a situation.   The guitar parts have got to make me laugh.  If a part makes me laugh then I keep it.    

SD – How long does it usually take to write a song? 

LK – Depends on the song.   Some take minutes, some take years. 

SD – Do you write using the guitar? 

LK – It’s weird but all of my songs are written on the acoustic guitar.  I never write on the electric guitar.   Even my songs that are used in movies. 

SD – How often do you practice alone? 

LK – About an hour a day. 

SD – Do you practice scales or do you practice songs, or a little of both? 

LK – I never do scales.  I should, but I never do.  I usually work on songs when I practice alone. 

SD – How often does Kanary practice? 

LK – A few times a week.  

SD – I know some people like to write in a favorite place, like in bed, for example.  Do you have a favorite place to write? 

LK –  I love to write in the tub. 

SD – With water in it or dry? 

LK – Excuse me? 

SD – With or without water in it? 

LK – With water….while I am bathing….(she looked at me like I was crazy….but then it dawned on her…she smiled….).  You know, I once lived in a really small one bedroom apartment and when my sister would spend the night she would sleep in the tub.   Dry, of course, but she would get her pillow and blanket and she would be….. 

SD – Cozy.   Yep.   If you had to do something other than music, with your life, what would you be into? 

LK – Kinesiology. 

SD – Excuse me? 

LK – Kinesiology.  (nice) 

SD – What is that? 

LK – It has to do with the body and self-help. 

SD – Why does that interest you? 

LK – Because I like things that have to do with self-help. 

SD – I know Kanary is doing some touring to promote “Only Dead Fish Go With The Current,” so how do y’all travel? 

LK – We have a 28 foot RV with a garage in the back.   It’s a blast. 

SD – What else do you have to tell me and the folks out there? 

LK – Follow you dreams. 

SD – Cool.   Thanks.  

LK – Thank you. 

For more information about Kanary, log onto www.kanary.com and you can contact Leslie and the band at Kanary@earthlink.net and kanary@kanary.com. 

©2005 Scott Detweiler.  All Rights Reserved.

This is the first of a series of upcoming  interviews by Scott Detweiler of some Noho’s most interesting music people.  Scott  is an accomplished composer & writer in his own rite.  For more details, log on to www.detweilermusic.com, or write to scott@detweilermusic.com.