TIM KERR SPEAKS...

ON TIM KERR RECORDS:
Tim Kerr Records is not me. (smile) I am also not the hockey player either although Austin has a great hockey team (The Ice Bats)... a Texas hockey team? Who would have thought...

The first I heard of Tim Kerr Records was when a friend sent me a full page add for the label in 89 or 90? I was then pointed to a couple of reviews of the labels records in various magazines where the reviewer was referring to me. I thought the whole thing was funny. I didnt realize the extent of it until I went to my first Garage Shock and was asked about MY label repeatedly. What bothered me the most were that a couple of people had been writing to "them", thinking it was me, and then thinking I was an asshole because I was not responding. I was not responding because they were not writing to ME. (smile)

I then decided that I needed to find out what was going on and address the situation only to find out that they were not going to be very cooperative in trying to clear up the problem and if I was going to do anything about it I would have to get a lawyer and go through an expensive process. It seems that they were a label from portland called T/K records... named for the first initials of the two people running it. At least that was what was told to me, but when all the majors were
scooping up indies as fast as they could in hopes of another Nirvana, T/K changed their name in fear of being sued by KC and The Sunshine Band whose lable was TK or TKO? The timing of this change added to the confusion because I (Tim Kerr... confused yet?) happened to be in Seattle for a couple of weeks recording the first Monkeywrench record when the press came out on T/K's new label name.

Even people here in Texas thought it was me! (big smile) For me, I did not want to shut them down or ask for any money, I just wanted them to do something with the name to clear up what was going on or at least redirect any letters to me that were for me. After my first dealings with them Ii realized it was going to be a mess and in order to deal with it Iwould have to become a character that I detest... No! I'M tim kerr and i have done this and this...blah blah blah...

The final straw was when a lawyer friend was dealing with them and was told that they (the label) could not say... not from Texas... because it would offend their Texas artist?! My response to that was that if Dave at Estrus said Estrus was not from Texas, it would'nt offend me because... duh! They arent from Texas! (big smile)

The bottom line is that they could have been the type of person that sees the problem of mistaken identities and try to do what they can to set the...uh record, no pun intended (smile)... straight or they could sit back and take advantage of an opportunity that they may or may not have already known might exist.

ON BANDS I HAVE BEEN A PART OF:
I am always amazed and humbled when people come up and ask me about a band or bands that I have been in. It means alot to me, that it meant so much to the person that is talking to me. Sometimes it's Poison 13, sometimes it's the other bands... It hardly is ever Bad Mutha Goose (smile) which - let me clear up this sometimes misconception here and now - is a band that I was and am really proud of, but mostly its the big boys.

I can understand the impact it may have had on someone that was there at that time because it very much had to do with the times, and the bands (like Big Boys) were a part of that community. (truth be told... as proud as I am of the things I have been in or am in... The Lord High Fixers had the biggest impact on me personally spiritually and mentally) I feel lucky that I got to be a part of that late 70s/early 80s community BUT the ideas and ethos of that community are timeless and are still going on today through old and new ideas from old and young alike. Today/right now is just as significant to me (and I am not just referring to things I am involved with), as things that happened in history... or as Sun Ra says... his story. And I can not stress enough that we are all making history right now so you should stay wide open and be aware of things around you, and dont miss out of this time (now time) because you are consumed with something that has happened before. As for me - and I can only speak for me - that has been one of the underlining themes/ideas in everything that i have been involved with and i would hope that that message rings loud and clear.

ON TABS:
I dont really ever use "standard chords". I grew up playing acoustic and was really into old folk blues and people like Bert Jansch and John Martyn as well so I would play in tunings which usually add a lot to chords etc... I started playing electric when I started playing in bands and by that point was so use to hearing things in such a way that I would "dissect" chords to get that sound. I guess the closest thing I can relate this to for you is the difference between an A chord and an A7th. I will always head for the more open 7ths (smile) it drives most people nuts when trying to figure out what I am playing because its only pieces of chords making up a whole new chord and then there is the physical push and pull that I generally will do that confuses the listeners and my band mates (Monkeywrench) when they only have a tape of me to go by and don't physically have me there to "see" what I am doing. I'm not real sure how you could tab that.

Today! With both feet firmly planted in tomorrow and yesterday.