A Conversation with Miles Kurosky of Beulah

Miles Kurosky used to be in a band. That band was called Beulah, and they made several of my favorite records ever in their all too brief life. Spanning only six years, Beulah quickly evolved from Miles and multi-instrumentalist Bill Swan recording songs to a tape machine in a San Francisco living room to a six-member band, recording sun-soaked epics with as many as twenty-five players, and achieving success in The U.S., Europe, & Japan. It’s hard to imagine that an Indie Rock band doing as well as Beulah were in 2003 wouldn’t have been a household name in the age of mp3-blogger dominated music press, but it’s no fun living in the past. People are still discovering and falling in love with Beulah, from Michael Cera to the girl next door. Miles finds that mind-boggling.

[mp3] Beulah – Score From Augusta
[mp3] Beulah – A Good Man is Easy To Kill
[mp3] Beulah – Me & Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore
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HTFAF (Caleb) : You had some surgery this summer, right? How are you feeling?

Miles Kurosky : Yeah, unfortunately I had two kidney surgeries. I’m doing alright now, but I have an intestinal disease that’s been diagnosed as the root of all this evil, so I need to keep that in check. However, I must say, what pains me more are the medical bills!

HTFAF (Caleb) : There have been small updates, which don’t reveal much about the status of your solo record posted on the Beulah site over the past year. How far along are you with that, now?

Miles Kurosky : It’s hard for me to believe, but I think I might actually be finished. I just need to get it mastered. If I don’t stop recording I fear this may go on forever.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Are any of the Beulah guys involved? Any other familiar names?

Miles Kurosky : Almost all the Beulah’s showed up for an hour or two. Even Swannie [multi-instrumentalist and co-founder Bill Swan] came in a month ago to listen to the mixes and give his two cents. I’m happy to say that his opinion actually added up to two cents, and I feel richer for it. I’m guessing by “familiar names” you mean high profile or slightly famous indie rockers, yes? I’m afraid the advertisements for this record won’t read “featuring so and so from Indie Band X, Y, or Z.” I just didn’t think that “a name” would actually make the record sound better. It would be for looks and marketing only, and that really doesn’t interest me.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Is the sound of the record somewhat comparable to Beulah, or would you call it a bit of a departure?

Miles Kurosky : I’d say both. I’ll never be able to escape [sounding like] Beulah, but at the same time it has been 5 years since our last record so…

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you think you’ll keep making solo records in the future, or will this be more of a one-off venture?

Miles Kurosky : I don’t know. I guess it depends on the day and my mood. My girlfriend gets really angry with me if I say I don’t want to make music anymore. She always says “you can’t quit.” I usually counter with “but dental insurance would be nice.”

HTFAF (Caleb) : What are the chances of you doing a bit of touring to support the record?

Miles Kurosky : I’d say overcast with a chance of showers…or is it sunshine? I don’t know, maybe, but I think I need to get a little healthier before I spend a month in a van eating shitty food and getting no sleep. However, I must say, I kinda miss Cracker Barrel’s pot roast, fried okra, and of course, their buckeyes. (Please note: I don’t actually endorse eating at Cracker Barrel unless your other choices are Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Stuckey’s, Hardee’s, Denny’s, and bunch of other shit-holes I can’t remember. If you live in a proper city with proper food, then it should be avoided.)

HTFAF (Caleb) : I read an interview with you where you said you were bringing in some jazz musicians to play on this record. How did that come about? Are you a Jazz guy, or did it just work out that the horn players you needed play jazz?

Miles Kurosky : Eli Crews, who engineered the majority of the record, hangs out with that crowd. So most of them were his friends. It’s not like the players were required to have jazz pedigrees, and in fact, the record is not very jazzy at all. I just wanted the best players that we could get, so it just kinda worked out that way.

HTFAF (Caleb) : So is their a set backing band, or just various players?

Miles Kurosky : Well, Eli [Crews] played at least one instrument on every song. Besides his contributions there are 25 or 30 different musicians on the record. That said, I guess it’s just me with a bunch of ringers.

HTFAF (Caleb) : People are still discovering Beulah for the first time from their friends, mp3 blogs, soundtracks, etc. Is it weird for you that a chapter of your life which ended five years ago is so alive and well?

Miles Kurosky : It’s really weird, I’m very surprised by it. There’s still so much interest in the band that it sometimes feels like we didn’t break up.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Michael Cera is a big fan of yours and even used the Beulah song, Don’t Forget to Breathe to soundtrack Clark & Michael, his web-tv show. Did it strike you as weird that someone who was a year or two away from having a driver’s license when Yoko was released was asking to use one of your songs?

Miles Kurosky : Well, first of all, I was honored by the request and extremely happy that our song could be included in a show that’s actually good. When he sent me the link for “Clark and Michael” I immediately knew that it was something we had to be associated with. It’s amazing that the show isn’t on television. In response to the question…no, not really ‘cause most of the aforementioned new fans have been college kids or younger. Since we haven’t made a record or toured in 5 years, they must really be doing their homework.

HTFAF (Caleb) : So, you still hear from alot of people who are just learning about you guys?

Miles Kurosky : All the time, and It’s mind boggling.

HTFAF (Caleb) : How have you been keeping busy post-Beulah? Did you have to get a 9-5?

Miles Kurosky : I’ve written some songs for commercials and a couple of Indie Films. I also did a soundtrack for a cartoon. Fortunately, I never had to get a “real” job, and God willing I never will. However, for a couple years I didn’t do much at all, I was always at Kaiser rehabbing my shoulder with my physical therapist…or seeing some urologist, nephrologist or gastroenterologist about my innards. Basically I spent a lot of time at the doctor getting poked with needles.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you feel like the accounts of Beulah’s break up are over-exaggerated? A lot of people assume that you all hate each other now, which I would guess is probably not the case.

Miles Kurosky : Well, I guess some of it’s true and some of it’s myth. Relationships are complicated, each guy is really different from one another, you know? Personally, I have a good relationship with all the boys, I always have. I love them all like brothers, I mean, sure we all fought with each other, but it was always sibling-like in nature. There was never any hatred involved, and each punch was always quickly followed by an apology.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Have you been keeping up with Indie music since you go out of that scene? Any bands that have come along that you’ve been impressed with?

Miles Kurosky : I should probably be posing that question to you. Every now and again I’ll check out my girlfriend’s iTunes and I realize how oblivious I am to new music. Unfortunately, I don’t own a stereo. I’ve been meaning to get one for the past 7 years, but I do have a CD player in my car and I hear new music when my girlfriend leaves a cd in the stereo, but unfortunately they’re rarely labeled. Personally, I just learned how to burn a CD on my computer two weeks ago…I didn’t even know it was possible. Anyway, back to your question: [I’ve been listening to] Beyonce, Jose Gonzalez, Okkervil River, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Iron and Wine.

HTFAF (Caleb) : How many songs would you say you’ve written since Beulah broke up? Do you wake up every morning and go somewhere to write or do you just go with something when it comes to you?

Miles Kurosky : I haven’t written that many really. I never set out to write a song unless I’ve been hired to write one for a movie or commercial. To be more specific, I don’t ever sit down with the intention of writing an album, it’s far more serendipitous. I’ll write a song, and then another, and eventually I’ll have enough for a record. What’s the process you ask? I just pick up a guitar, play some chords and voila, Oprah speaks to me.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you read any webzines or blogs?

Miles Kurosky : Nope. It just takes so much work, plus there’s always the chance that I’ll accidentally read that someone hates me or my music. Ignorance is…well, not blissful, just less painful. Hell, sometimes I don’t even log on to the web because I get sucked into Solitaire. I’m easily sidetracked. Maybe if there wasn’t so much porn and sports on the web I could check out more webzines...Go Warriors!

HTFAF (Caleb) : Do you ever miss being in a band, being on tour, etc, or is it a relief to be able to play music whenever you feel like it without any 15 passenger vans, riders, or show advancing to do?

Miles Kurosky : It was certainly a relief back in 2004. I was very tired of being in a band back then, but I don’t feel that way now. At the same time, I don’t really miss it either. The only thing I miss is the camaraderie, when a retired football player talks about missing the locker room more than the playing field, I know exactly what he’s talking about.

HTFAF (Caleb) : What is your fondest memory or proudest moment with Beulah

Miles Kurosky : Never getting a speeding ticket on tour.

HTFAF (Caleb) : Is there any certain show Beulah played which sticks out in your mind? Be it good or bad.

Miles Kurosky : Well, like most bands a bad show meant low attendance, a fight backstage, or having a difficult time playing because the mushrooms were starting to kick in. Although, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab says we were good on psychedelics. That said, the worst show in my opinion was Lausanne, Switzerland. The promoter tried to skip out without paying us. Apparently he set up an early show at a record store without our knowledge. Needless to say we didn’t show up. Hence, he thought he didn’t have to pay us for the proper gig because we only fulfilled “half” of our obligation. Unfortunately we had to chase him down the street, surround him and demand our money. t got kinda ugly, but since it was 8 against 1 we got the dough. It was such a sad and demoralizing moment at the end of a good tour. At least the town was beautiful.

Caleb (HTFAF) : Have you played any shows since the split?

Miles Kurosky : Does singing in the shower count as a “show?” I charge admission.

Caleb (HTFAF) : Do you think you’ll always make music for a living in some capacity?

Miles Kurosky : Maybe, but it doesn’t really matter to me. I like the unexpected nature of life, I like the fact that one doesn’t have to die in order to be reincarnated, you know?

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Buy Beulah Records & Merch from Miles (and help pay those medical bills)

Beulah’s final fall tour was chronicled in a documentary entitled, A Good Band Is Easy to Kill, you can buy it here.