"There are so many varieties of music today that I think there is something for everyone. I hope that people who listen to my records understand the importance of living the human experience. Life is short so embrace it all, the good and the bad. Without hard times, we can’t appreciate the good times, so I try to approach music with that same self-reflection and a little humor mixed in. Hopefully that concept is something the listener can connect with. I’ve never found anything that can convey the emotion of the human experience like music can."

Kyle Culkin: Shades of Americana Shotgun

Kyle Culkin is an American songwriter, guitarist and roots music recording artist. He has worked over the past two decades as a multi-instrumentalist musician and the guitarist for nationally touring acts such as The Jeff Jensen Band. Culkin opened for the great B.B. King on his 80th birthday tour when The King of the Blues proclaimed, "This kid can play"! Today, with years of experience under his belt, Culkin is playing American roots music that projects a truthful authenticity from hard learned lessons of life on the road. He combines a fun and witty sense of humor with the struggles of life in every song. Culkin's critically acclaimed albums include a mix of country, rock, blues, and soul that put a new twist on an instantly familiar Americana sound.

(Kyle Culkin Photo by Jonas Lee)

He never overplays his hand and uses taste, tone, and timing to season his lyrics with the right amount of flavor. Culkin has enlisted legendary musicians and some of his musical heroes as featured artists with an A-list band (Albert Lee, Johnny Hiland, Jade MacRae, Ted Russell Kamp, Max MacLaury and others) of incredible players for his album “Shotgun Ridge” (2023). Now he’s enlisted his A-list band of incredible players for his fourth studio album that you wont want to miss! “Shades of Trouble” releases on Tonebucker Records, August 8th, 2025.

Interview Michael Limnios                    Special Thanks: Frank Roszak Promotions

How has the Blues and Roots music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

My understanding of the blues and roots music is always evolving. It’s a deep well in which you can never quite reach the bottom. Music has helped me understand some of the universal experiences that all people share while also appreciating the differences in one another. Even if we don’t understand the language, we can still understand the rhythm and melody of a song and that has an emotional impact. It’s part of the innate human experience. Roots music has also taught me that immense talent can come from anywhere. There is no prerequisite for any type of secret knowledge or economic background. Everyone can offer something interesting or open a window to a view you never thought was possible. I will always love that about music!

How do you describe your sound and songbook? What characterizes your music philosophy?

My friend and mentor Carl Verheyen told me a long time ago, “play what you dig”! I’ve always taken that to heart. Why limit yourself to just one style? I love blues, country, rock, jazz, funk, soul and everything in between. My music may lean one way or another for a given song but it’s always an amalgamation of all those styles. If I had to use one word, I’d describe my sound as Americana. We all have musical influences and it’s essential to learn from them but the most important philosophical idea I utilize today is to make every effort to sound like me and not someone else.

“Relevance is subjective and success is a process. Honestly, with billions of people on the planet, social media dominance, and artificial intelligence on the horizon, all I can do is create music that speaks to me.” (Kyle Culkin, songwriter, guitarist and roots music recording artist / Photo by Jonas Lee)

Why do you think that American Roots music continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think Roots music has the ability to evoke emotion in an increasingly emotionless world. With all the technology available today, it’s an artform that speaks to the innate human experience and pulls on your heart strings in the best way possible.  Roots music can be as simple or as complicated as one perceives it to be, and sometimes, we just want to feel something. It’s part of being alive. The groove might take you to a headspace that you wanted to go, but just couldn’t articulate.  Sometimes you hear something so funky, you can’t help but move your body, and other times you want to sit back in your seat and just enjoy the ride. A song lyric might bring you back to a childhood memory of first love, remind you of pain, and challenges overcome. It might make you laugh or remind you about the joy of seeing your children grow while hoping the best for their future as only family can. It’s an artform that is perfectly imperfect, and for that reason, I’ll always seek it out for the rest of my life.  

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Shades Of Trouble”?

My mother, grandmother, and grandfather died while making this record. They all passed within four months of each other and they were all a big supporters of me making music for the past 20 years. It was probably the toughest time of my life and created several challenges while making the album. My mom didn’t get to hear the final product but I was able to share all the rough mixes with her before she passed.  She had brain cancer and towards the end, had great difficulty communicating, but when she listened to the songs she cried tears of joy and was proud. That’s all I could ever want. I’ve never released a record without myelder family members like this. But, when I think about it, it’s hard to be sad when I was able to experience so much love from my family and they gave me the inspiration to keep going. My wife is another pillar of support. The song Love You My Way is about her and Alora Rose is an instrumental inspired by our youngest daughter.                          (Photo: Kyle Culkin, rootsy rock, blues, soul, country, and R&B)

“I only have one rule when it comes to song writing…there are no rules! Find inspiration wherever it resides. Go places, play with everyone you can, experience hardship, collaborate with others, and find new music. These are the things that will forge a resilient person and make a great musician.”

What touched you from the songs: You’ve Been in Love Too Long; Have a Little Faith in Me; and Ophelia?

Oh man, this is a great question! You’ve Been in Love Too Long is an old Motown song by Martha and the Vandellas. Bonnie Raitt covered it in the early 70s and I’m a big Bonnie Raitt fan! I also love a challenge and I wanted to do the song for that very reason. I wanted to put my own spin on it with some slide, horns, backing singers, and burning guitar solos while respectfully paying tribute to the original tune.  

Ophelia by The Band is a song that I’ve loved since I was a child. It’s the definition of “cool” with Levon Helm singing, the funky groove, and the horn section but I’ve always wanted to cover that song and do it in a different way. I itched for the verses to be a little more straight ahead with big guitar chords, a string section, a grand piano, a B3 organ, and backing singers. Then I thought, “after the vocals, what would The Allman Brothers do”?  That became an entire groove change and big harmonized guitar solos! It was so much fun to record!

Have a Little Faith in Me was another thing all together. I can’t even tell you how scared I was to do that tune! It was the song that played when my wife and I had our first dance on our wedding night. I got to thinking about life and what actually matters. What means the most to me is that my family, friends, and especially my four children know they can have faith in me. When they need someone to lean on, I’ll always be there. I don’t know how to convey that other than putting myself completely out there, totally exposed, with a few chords and the truth. That was the inspiration. The song is nothing other than piano, organ, a choir and myself singing. It’s my promise to my loved ones that I will always be there, no matter what. 

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

That is a tough one. Relevance is subjective and success is a process. Honestly, with billions of people on the planet, social media dominance, and artificial intelligence on the horizon, all I can do is create music that speaks to me. My hope is, that if I feel it, someone else will feel it too…no matter the generation. Making a record is a monumental undertaking, but if my music helps someone experience something that they were searching for, or helped them in some way, that’s a major victory! 

“I always want to make music. Inspiration comes from all the challenges, failures, triumphs and humorous experiences life has to offer. There is always another experience that can be put into in to a heartfelt song.” (Photo: Kyle Culkin, an instantly familiar Americana sound)

As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?

That can be a challenge but I want to leave this world knowing that I made my mark in a way that inspires others. Not the most “clicks”, not the most “likes”, but making music with honesty and integrity. I think my music is who I am and that’s what is important to me. I try to give a nod to the past but look to the future with sincerity and maybe a dash of humor mixed in every once in a while. Hopefully, that can inspire others to believe in themselves and be the artist they want to be. If this 40something year old husband and father of four kids can do it, what’s your excuse?  Play your instrument, make music, record and album, create a symphony, show people what you’re made of and what inspires you! When I’m gone and people ask, “who was he”? I say, look to the music. It will tell you all you need to know.  

How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?

I only have one rule when it comes to song writing…there are no rules! Find inspiration wherever it resides. Go places, play with everyone you can, experience hardship, collaborate with others, and find new music. These are the things that will forge a resilient person and make a great musician. I try to do things that challenge me, make me question who I am, and what I want. Part of that is a whimsical humor that one finds in the comedy of life. We are all flawed, we’re imperfect, we make mistakes, we want to be better for our children, we crave inspiration, and that is what makes us beautiful! I seek anything that stokes the fire inside. Anything.  Whether it’s singing what I can’t say or playing what I hope others will feel, I try to find familiar themes and approach them in a new or different way. From the pubs of Ireland to Beale Street in Memphis, it’s an insatiable yearning I’ve had since I can remember. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to make records today and that will always keep me inspired! Thank you for supporting roots music. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.  

Where does your creative drive come from? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?                             (Kyle Culkin / Photo by Jonas Lee)

I always want to make music. Inspiration comes from all the challenges, failures, triumphs and humorous experiences life has to offer. There is always another experience that can be put into in to a heartfelt song. You just have to be open to the music coming to you. I used to love touring but today I absolutely love working in the studio and making records. More recently, I’ve been lucky enough to record with musical heroes of mine and that has been an incredibly inspiring experience. There’s nothing like playing guitar with Albert Lee and Johnny Hiland or writing songs with Ted Russell Kamp to light a fire under you! I also find inspiration by listening to incredible players like Jamison Trotter on piano, Adam Gust on drums, Jade MacRae’s vocals and Marty Rifkin making the pedal steel sing.  I’m so thankful to have them in the band for this record. My hope is that people who listen to my songs find something that speaks to them. Whether it’s a witty lyric, a funny rhyme, or just a killer groove with a fantastic band, I want the music to pull on the listener’s heart strings. I put everything I am into these songs and I hope that honesty is palpable.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I always loved music growing up but never really thought about it as something I could do. One summer, my dad gave me the Eric Clapton Unplugged record and I was hooked. I never heard anything like that before and had to learn what was going on. It changed my whole life and sent me down a path for the past 25 plus years to learn about roots music. Everything from Robert Johnson, and Bob Wills to Albert King, and John Prine. I’ve been able to do more than I could have ever hoped for with music, but the biggest highlight is always hearing from fans about how my music touched or inspired them in some way. However, nothing has meant more than my parents saying they are proud of me.

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, opening acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

I was lucky enough to open for B.B. King on his 80th birthday tour. After our set, I walked to the green room area and heard the King of the Blues say, “This kid can play”! I looked around to see who he was talking about but it turns out he was talking about me. It was a real surprise and an incredible honor to hear one of the pillars of American music give praise like that. Another fond memory was going to The Baked Potato in Los Angeles to go see a local legend Alan Mirikitani with his band BB Chung King and the Buddaheads. He called me up to sit in with the band. I remember Gerald Johnson was playing bass so that was cool!  Alan discreetly invited up another guitar player and handed him a guitar while Alan got a drink at the bar. We played a couple blues tunes and got into this guitar solo section where the other guitar player and I were trading licks back and forth. The crowed got really ramped up and the band was on fire!  As the other guitarist and I were trading licks, we moved really close to one another and I could finally see who it was. I was trading licks with Slash from Guns N’ Roses! What a great surprise!

"My understanding of the blues and roots music is always evolving. It’s a deep well in which you can never quite reach the bottom. Music has helped me understand some of the universal experiences that all people share while also appreciating the differences in one another." (Kyle Culkin / Photo by Jonas Lee)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past?  What are your hopes and fears for the future of music?

It’s easy to look in the rear-view mirror of life with rose colored glasses. I think music just evolves over time but there are some things that I miss. The biggest thing I miss most nowadays is that the music used to matter more than the look of the artist. It was about the music first. I’d like to get back to that. I also miss listening to the spontaneous nature of fantastic musicians working together on a record. Some of the tracks I hear in modern music today are so perfectly recorded and engineered that it makes me miss those human imperfections that add so much character to a piece of music. With that said, there are so many great artists today, you just need to work a little harder to find them. So much musical talent out there gives me hope for the future.

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

This is a challenging question because music can have such a broad impact across culture. There are so many varieties of music today that I think there is something for everyone. I hope that people who listen to my records understand the importance of living the human experience. Life is short so embrace it all, the good and the bad. Without hard times, we can’t appreciate the good times, so I try to approach music with that same self-reflection and a little humor mixed in. Hopefully that concept is something the listener can connect with. I’ve never found anything that can convey the emotion of the human experience like music can.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?                               (Kyle Culkin / Photo by Jonas Lee)

Most bands don’t last and that’s what is so beautiful about it. When I’m making music with great musicians, I try to enjoy every moment to the fullest. Not everyone gets that opportunity so I am incredibly grateful to have so many great experiences and still be making music today. Gigs and records are like a snapshot in time so appreciate them while it lasts.

Another great lesson I’ve learned is that I have a passion for music, but family is incredibly important to provide balance and wellness to life. Constant gigging and life on the road, even for short tours, can be some really hard living. My wife and kids help keep me grounded. Not to mention the endless musical inspiration they provide. If you need musical inspiration, fall in love and have a bunch of kids. I promise you, adventure awaits!

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