Courtesy of Blues Traveler
Just because his brother Chan Kinchla was already the lead guitarist in Blues Traveler when the famous jam band went looking for a new bass player in 1999, didn’t mean Thaddeus “Tad” Kinchla was a shoe-in. His trial by fire would come with his first audition, which took place during a live concert. This was, in part, a way for the remaining original members to gauge if Tad had what it took to survive. And — spoiler alert — apparently, he did, because he’s been with the band for over 20 years.
Before his entrance into this iconic Grammy Award winning band, the bass duties were handled by the late Bobby Sheehan, who died of an accidental drug overdose in August of 1999. Since then, the bottom end duties of Blues Traveler have gone to Tad, who is the younger brother to Chan, one of the founding members of the band. To date, Blues Traveler are probably best known for their two biggest hits “Run-Around” and “Hook”. Besides the two Kinchla brothers, the band consists of lead singer and harmonica player John Popper, drummer Brendan Hill and keyboardist Ben Wilson.
Courtesy of the Pound Ridge Harvest Festival
From the left, Tad Kinchla, Ben Wilson, John Topper, Chan Kinchla, and Brendan Hill.
Post breakout, Blues Traveler appeared at Woodstock '94 and later became an opening act for The Rolling Stones. Striking while the iron was hot, the band also played on the 1995 season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” as a last-minute replacement for “Prince.” Plus, they were featured in an episode of the sitcom “Roseanne”, and later recorded the show's theme song for its final season. Since then, the members of Blues Traveler have been busy, consistently recording and touring for over 35 years. One of their next stops will be here in Fort Worth when they play Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall on November 14, at 8 p.m.
Blues Traveler recently released and will be touring behind a new album titled “Traveler’s Soul,” which features their latest single, a Dr. John cover titled “Qualified.”
Fort Worth Magazine had a chance to talk with Tad to ask him about why he picked up the bass in the first place, his view of streaming platforms, and which Duran Duran album best personifies him.
FW: What, if any, impressions do you have of playing here in Texas over the years?
TK: Before I had my kids, I moved to Austin and lived there for eight years. So, I am very, very, very comfortable with Texas and, you know, I’ve probably been in and out of Dallas itself for every freaking trip I had to fly. I've driven up there and, and all that. The band also probably played almost every single venue in Dallas and Fort Worth in its 30 plus years, 23 since I've been with them. I was trying to think last time we were in Fort Worth we did a private show in the fall for this guy, it was like a party. But prior to that I think it was like, Billy Bob’s or something at the Stockyards. The sound was a little funky in there but it's absolutely a very unique venue to play.
FW: I think the Stockyards have gotten even busier since the release of “Yellowstone.” All of a sudden, everyone wants to be a cowboy. Plus, the fact that “1883” was shot there. Do you agree?
TK: That's what people don't realize. You know, that's part of the culture and the Stockyards and the cows and all that and the horses, that's actually what goes on. I think tourists roll through and think it's like a show or a put on, but it's the real thing. And you're right. “Yellowstone” has really glorified the whole cowboy lifestyle and that whole element. I think I'm caught up until this season, I believe so. Usually, because I’m always traveling, I wait until a season is over and then get caught up all at once. I don’t do that watch and episode and wait until next week thing. I used to do that whole Saturday line-up thing with the “Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island”, those days are gone.
We are from a different culture nowadays. Like my kids, when they are watching stuff, they just swipe through stuff. They get like, two or four seconds into something and swipe and when I'm in the car listening to stuff, I like to start a song and keep it going. I tell them, there will be no changing songs once it starts, you know, we're destined to listen to it. And I think that comes from, growing up at a time where you have a cassette on, you're locked into that side of it. On the cassette there's no skipping to the next song, you just wait patiently for the next track.
FW: This is what gave us a better appreciation for the deep cuts back then. Do you think everyone should record an album at least once just to see how hard it is?
TK: I try to impress that upon my kids. You know, when they're flipping through stuff, I'm like, dude, there's stuff in that song that you probably had no idea existed. Like there's a drum break in there that you didn't listen to long enough. Then the song goes to an a cappella part with harmonies. You never even listen, like you have to be patient with music and you're absolutely right.
I've worked in food industries before and it taught me a whole new appreciation for going to a restaurant or even getting a coffee. Like making music, you hope at the end of the day that it's a composed song that has good parts. But that's about it. You just want it to be cohesive and if you can do that then, that's a win.
FW: What is your recording process like? Do you jam live in the studio or do you lay down individual tracks?
TK: Yeah, sometimes we will do a click track now. But at this point, at least four of us, you know the keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums will track live and then whether or not we keep everything, it’s not written in stone. We just started recently using a click track to paste in stuff that we did after. And it's just a lot easier, you know, if you have a perfect verse take, you can, cut and paste that in there and you don't have to have it like, perfect on your recording. This way we aren’t plugging away on the same song just because one little thing didn’t sound just right, like on the “Stones” “Jumping Jack Flash.” There’s that one twang of the guitar strings on the second verse that sounds off, but the rest of the song is great. If they had a click track back then, who knows, maybe that twang could’ve been removed although it’s a big part of the song now.
FW: What got you to pick up a bass guitar in the first place?
TK: I was in the choir in grade school and then, I picked up a bass because my brother in fourth grade, he got a guitar, and I was jealous. So, my parents got me a bass, but they got me an electric bass and didn't give me an amp. So, I was just like, playing this thing, you know, trying to put my ear down near the neck, trying to listen to songs and, you know, playing like Police songs and [Led] Zeppelin and all this, trying to learn a riff where I couldn't really hear.
And so I'm like, I can't really hear it. And my dad was like well, why don't you play an upright bass? And I was like, oh, good idea. So, I went to an upright bass. I started playing classical, upright bass in the orchestra. And that actually opened up a whole new world of music. I could sight read because of being in choir, so I kind of knew where I was at on the page. Then I was quickly thrown into theory because I started to understand how all these parts could fit together and I played an upright through high school. And then when I went to college, I was like, you know, I'm not bringing the upright with me. So, I went back, and I got an amp. The rest is history. I didn’t know I'd be talking about this, you know, 23 years later. But yeah. You know, we we’re fortunate enough to still be playing and making a living and enjoying it and, we're pretty psyched.
FW: Who is one of your closet favorite musicians and why?
TK: Ben Rector. He's a singer songwriter who does love songs. And some of them are super gooey and poppy and, but he's tremendous. I think we have the same booking agent. He comes across as more of like a female-love-song guy. But it's kind of my go to, you know, if I’m around in the gym, I'll put on some Ben Rector. He's kind of a crooner.
Another sleeper and I shouldn't even say it's like, you know, a guilty pleasure. But Duran Duran is one of the best bands. I know back in the day, I’m dating myself again, all the girls had Duran Duran buttons and all that and, you know, like seventh grade or whatever and being like, these guys are over the top. Now, I can honestly say I love "Hungry Like a Wolf" and the album "Rio."
Now you listen back and it's straight up playing, like, you can hear every instrument, the mixes are good. It's just like Zeppelin wasn't heavy metal by any stretch, you know, Zeppelin is like a blues rock band but at the time it was like evil heavy, you know, over the top. It's just funny how times change and, you know, like Duran Duran back in the day, a synth pop band and now if you listen to those songs [they] hold up, those are like some of the best bass parts I've ever listened to, you know.
