Oh, how I wish there were two of me. If there were two of me, I could go to the Denim Wedding show at the Globe tonight in Portland. No, no, the show is not some messed up hootenanny nuptials. Denim Wedding is a Portland based duo that blends male and female, sadness and joy, pleasure and pain, bitter and sweet. Their music is soulful, moving and just…cool. Once I figured out that I couldn’t go to their show due to a scheduling conflict, I asked for the next best thing: an interview. Jennifer Faust and Brian Kunkel were gracious enough to take some time for me before they embark on their West coast tour to support their 2010 recording, Fig. 18. The Buoyancy Test.

Liz Livengood: Have you ever googled “Denim Wedding?” If not do it now and tell me what you think:

Denim Wedding: Yes, we’ve googled it, and like the hopelessly Americana kitsch aspect of actual denim weddings, and the just plain trashy photos of ‘wet denim’.

 

LL: By the way, why the name “Denim Wedding? Is it a play on opposing words? Such as sweet and savory, bitter and salty, sour and creamy?

DW: Brian came up with the name, and me being hopelessly romantic and a seamstress with a past band named of Cotton Jenny, it just made sense…perhaps he can explain its origins later this evening…

 

LL: Tell me about the basement under the cabin?

DW: We live in the heart of the Brooklyn neighborhood in a small, unassuming house, but the moment you step inside, all you see is wood. It’s magical! The basement is where we rehearse, record, get busy, and sleep…

 

LL: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing with your life(ves)?

DW: Living somewhere warm and dry bitching about how we wish it would rain more so that we’d feel creatively inclined to write music.

 

LL: Will you play PDX Pop Now! this year?

DW: Hope so…we applied, haven’t heard back yet.

 

LL: Tell me about your upcoming tour…Where are you most excited to play?

DW: Yoshi’s in S.F. is an absolute honor to play, as Mose Allison has played there, along with a gazillion other jazz greats…but I’m most looking forward to Smiley’s Schooner Saloon in Bolinas, CA, the last great getaway on the West Coast.

 

LL: You use a lot of words to describe your band. Can you define it in just one word? What is it?

DW: Tremolo.

 

LL: What’s your favorite band right now?

DW: Hmmm…That one is tough. Been digging Yoko Ono and The Handsome Family…

 

If you have more time than me, make sure to show up at the Globe tonight, April 8 at 8 pm. The show is free! You’ll also get to see Jonathan Gary Williams and Hearts of Oak. To hear Denim Wedding’s “All We Are Is Water Under Bridges” go to their website by clicking here.