Kim Richey spent the initial portion of her 15-year career chafing at various stylistic restraints, some self-imposed, others foisted upon her by others. Through the second half of the ’90s, the itinerant daughter of a Dayton, Ohio, record-store owner sampled and discarded various guises: new-country misfit (1995’s Nashville-friendly self-titled debut), Lucinda Williams in waiting (1997’s calculated Americana stab Bittersweet) and top-40 hopeful (1999’s super-slick Glimmer). And while those albums had at least two things in common—great songwriting and a soulful, not-in-the-least-bit-showy vocal approach—it wasn’t until more recently that Richey locked into a groove all her own. That in mind, Wreck Your Wheels (Thirty Tigers), her sixth and latest release, finds the artist reveling in a friction-free comfort zone somewhere along the well-read, emotionally honest folk/pop continuum. Richey will be guest-editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with her.
Richey: Copenhagen might be my favorite city. It’s just the right size. One of the best things about Copenhagen is the bicycle culture. Bicycles rule the road. It’s such a great way to get around, and you never have to worry about finding a place to park. There is no shortage of amazing architecture, great food or beer. People are always out and about, at all hours and in any weather. I love that. What’s not to love about the capital city of a country that is home to the happiest people in the world?
Video after the jump.
