07 Dec K. Britz on Jamming, Being ‘Kind,’ and Raising Girls
Q&A by Rew Starr
While we can’t always control the crazy, we can control how we treat other people. This month, Rockmommy connected with folksy-punk, indie-rock artist K. Britz to talk about her new single ‘Kind,’ motherhood, and having compassion for others as we navigate the day-to-day experience of pandemic life.
Rew Starr: How’s it going? What have you been doing these days?
K. Britz: It’s going alright. I used to hate when people answered that question with “Can’t complain” and yet, “Can’t complain” is probably the best answer today. Or I could be a jackass and say, “Actually kind of great.” Who says that now? There’s been many periods of my life that were a whole lot worse, and I was a lot lonelier because everybody else seemed to be having a better time. Now everyone has a certain level of compassion for each other in day-to-day interactions. If you can’t get it together people understand. For someone like me, who is naturally always a day late and a dollar short, this is the best of times.
I’ve been working on a couple creative projects and doing a lot of waiting around.
Rew Starr: You’re a mom. How’s school going?
K. Britz: I have 3 daughters. My youngest is 10 and she is in school. For now she is on a hybrid and goes every other day.
Rew Starr: So tell readers a little bit about your music. How many bands have you been in? Is it more than boys you have been with or less?
K. Britz: I’ve been in about 5 or 6 and they were all boys except when we were in the Dirty Mothers. The non-classical music world is still pretty heavy on male participation. I used to think it was because women weren’t welcome, and that may have been true in the past, but at this point in time I think it’s more benign than that. A lot of being a musician is waiting around and hanging out, and I think women are inclined to find something else to do in the meantime.
Rew Starr: We met in ‘the Dirty Mothers’, and that was so much fun, we had incredible opportunities in a short time, would you consider a revival one day?
K. Britz: Sure I would!
Rew Starr: Are you making any new music?
K. Britz: I put a single out during quarantine, a duet with Jamaican singer Mystic Bowie (of the Tom Tom Club). It’s called “Kind” and it’s started to get some radio play so we’ll see.
Rew Starr: I know you are very popular in the yoga and spiritual community. How does this influence your music?
K. Britz: Well, with yoga I learned that its easy to get people to chant with you if you make the melodies easy and even grown-ups like sing alongs. I stopped trying so hard as a singer. It’s easier to get people to sing a long with you if you make it accessible, and really, that’s the best. When the audience is singing too.
Rew Starr: What about playing out? Have there been opportunities?
K. Britz: Not really. I sang a song outdoors at a friend’s memorial this fall, but that’s it.
Rew Starr: Tell us something we don’t know about you.
K. Britz: I had my own sourdough starter before it was cool.
Rew Starr: What’s the greatest part about being a rockmommy?
K. Britz: Writing songs about my girls.
Rew Starr is an actor, musician and mother who lives in New York City.
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