Finding bluegrass in surprising places has come up in my column before. A few weeks ago I went to see The Brothers Comatose play in Auburn with a friend of mine. We arrived early and got seats in the back, planning on moving to the dancefloor after the opening acts. The first opening was Kyle Ledson. I hadn’t heard of him before and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The announcer soon introduced Kyle and said something about him being so young that the only way he could get into the 21+ venue is by being a performer. Two guys then took the stage – one tall and skinny with a mandolin and his slightly older bearded counterpart with a guitar. I figured the younger one – Kyle Ledson – was 17 or so and the guitar player was his older brother. They proceeded to play some fun bluegrass songs – both originals and a couple of covers. My friend was completely blown away by Kyle’s mandolin playing, and she kept looking at me with a huge smile saying he was awesome. He was impressive, and I got teary a couple of times while listening.
Through the set he told the crowd that he’d written the original songs, and been playing since he was a little kid. At the end of the set the announcer mentioned that Kyle was 14! I was totally blown away and wanted to find out more. I ended up reaching out to Kyle and he agreed to an interview.
Q: Your website says you started playing at 3 years old! I assume that your parents are into the bluegrass music scene. Can you tell me a little about how the music has grabbed you at such an early age?
A: We joke about the fact that Mom would put headphones on her belly each night when she was pregnant with me, and play either Mozart or Phish. Perhaps that was my head start into the music world..? I grew up going to music festivals and seeing live music. I remember seeing Hot Buttered Rum play at a Tahoe ski resort when I was very young. I was hooked by the sounds that the fiddle was making. Later that same year, we were at the Strawberry Music Festival and by some lucky chance, they were offering free fiddle lessons to the kids. That was the first time I got my hands on a real instrument. I was 3.
Q: Your brother played the guitar with you at the Brothers Comatose show. Does everyone in your family play music?
A: That was actually my Dad that played guitar with me (and he likes you very much for that comment)… He is the other musician of the family but he didn’t get started playing guitar until his college basketball career wrapped up. Mom started fiddle lessons with me 11 years ago for a stretch but she didn’t keep at it. They are both huge music fans.
Q:Is it all bluegrass all the time for you or do you play other types of music?
A: I’ve always thought bluegrass is a great foundation and I’ll always hold on to my bluegrass roots. I really appreciate the string band sound with no special effects. I also enjoy the progressive bluegrass and jam-grass movement that has gone in so many different directions. Music is art plus so much more. I would hate to think that any artist would have to limit their creativity to a set of rules. Diversity is a beautiful thing!
Q: You’ve been writing songs since you were 8 years old! Has your approach to songwriting changed as you’ve gotten older?
A: One of my first songs (even before 8-years-old) was “Sad or Mad.” It was a very simplistic song, as one might expect, where I would mostly play around with basic rhyme and rhythm. I like to think things have gotten much more sophisticated as I’ve grown. Melody, harmony, song layout and storyline are now more complex. I’ll record a short lick if I stumble upon something interesting while noodling and add it to my ideas library. I think it’s also interesting that some of the earlier songs I’ve written like “Don’t Come to Me” have changed in meaning to me as well over the years.
Q: Do you have a musical mentor?
A: I really learned a lot from working with my CD producer, Nat Keefe, from Hot Buttered Rum. He has a wealth of knowledge in studio work, song writing, performing, and touring. Like me, I feel Nat has found and followed his passion in music and that’s inspiring.
Q: What are your musical goals?
A: I’m looking forward to recording again. As soon as I can. I loved working in the studio. We recorded in analog on tape and it was a great experience. I’d love to get a few more recording projects completed while finishing up high school. I hope to attend college and study my passion, music. And when college is complete, I would love to be able to hit the road and play music.
Q: I saw a couple of videos on youtube from a couple of years ago. How long did you / have you played with KoB? Do you have a favorite experience / performance from the program?
A: I owe a lot of my momentum in music to the Kids on Bluegrass program. I started KoB in 2009 at 7 years old. I’ll never forget meeting Frank for the first time. He must’ve shook my hand for two minutes which helped me shake the nerves free. I was still playing fiddle at the time. But now I was surrounded by a bunch of kids around my own age and they could all play music! It was also my first time playing on a main stage. KoB is where I saw some of the older, more advanced kids playing mandolin and I was instantly hooked. The following year, I was a converted mandolin picker and striving to make the advanced group. I finally made the advanced group by year three and Frank let me lead a few tunes. Eventually, I got to write my own song to perform with the KoB- “Bluegrass Heart.” I played with the KoB program for 7 years. I enjoy following the progress of my peers from the Kids on Bluegrass program. Similar to the free fiddle lessons offered at the Strawberry Music festival, the KoB program is a wonder gift for the youth to get involved and participate at a music festival. It was a great launching pad for me. Frank will always be a close friend and I was so excited to send him one of the first copies of “Crooked Mandolin.” I actually missed the 2016 session because I was down in San Francisco in the recording studio.
Q: It seems like you have a lot of natural musical talent. What other types of things interest you?
A: Thank you! Music is my number one passion but basketball season is right around the corner and I’m excited for tryouts. I’m 6’4” as a freshman and have just four inches to go before I catch up to Dad. I think basketball has brought good balance to my music world. But it does make for some very busy schedules ahead. Who needs idle time anyways?
Q: My son has some natural musical talent, and he struggles with school because he’d rather be playing music. Is going to school easy for you or does it “get in the way” of your music?
A: I’ll take a music festival over school any day- who wouldn’t? I had an easy time up through the eighth grade. High school has been a bit tougher so far. I went from a graduating class of 4 to a class of 500+ so that has been a noticeable difference. I’m also in a few honor classes which are keeping me on my toes. I think playing music helps with many subjects like reading and math. I tested out of freshmen math so thank you Mr. Mandolin!
Q: You have an EP that recently came out, produced by Nat Keefe of Hot Buttered Rum. That must have been quite an experience. What did you learn from working with Nat?
A: Nat is a great person. I was so thankful that he agreed to produce the album. I learned a lot about playing with a band from Nat. I normally play solo or duet my Dad on guitar but playing as a member of a complete band is a bit different. Nat said, “Allow the space for everyone in the room to contribute to the sound.” I had never really played with a complete band before- bass, banjo, fiddle, guitar. It was such a treat to hear all the different voices and they were singing my songs. Priceless.
Q: About The Brothers Comatose. How did you meet them and end up opening for them?
A: We met briefly this year up at the Northwest String Summit. I handed them a copy of my CD and told them to give it a listen when they were traveling down the road in their van together. A few months later, BroCo held their second annual, Comatopia in CalPine, CA. That festival started off with a front porch pick with the band. That was the first time I got to jam with the guys. I think that was the point when I got on their radar. They are all such great guys and have an amazing vibe when they perform. I am so thankful they let me open up for them in Auburn and that they called me up on stage for a mandolin duel with Ryan during their encore song.
Q: What is your experience with performing?
A: I love to perform. I don’t have terrible nerves or anything like that. I get an amazing energy burst up on that stage. There is no better feeling when the crowd cheers after a solo or the love you get after a song or set. It is amazing. I just got back from Camp Deep End and got to play a few songs with Hot Buttered Rum for their late night set. The rest of the festival, people kept coming up and complimenting me or giving me a high-five. It just puts a smile on my face and encourages me to push harder.
Q: You had a lot of friends and family there supporting you, but I’d say you made a lot of new fans that night. What did you think about that crowd?
A: Amazing! I had a lot of family and friends that came to the show and I love their incredible support. I also love my music family and I’m so grateful when it grows in numbers. I was signing concert posters after the show. I had to pinch myself to make sure this was all real. I hope I made a good impression with Scott Holbrook from Keep Smiling Promotions and that he’ll have me back real soon! I love that venue and now that it is a 21+ venue, my only chance of catching a show is when I get stage time. That’s a fun loophole…
Q: The guys really seemed to treat you like a little brother they’ve taken under their wing. How was it playing with them for the encore?
A: I had the time of my life. I’ll seriously never ever forget that night, that moment. It was the first time I ever took the stage during the headliner’s set. The energy in that building was electric and I was so thankful to share some time up on that stage.
Q: What’s the most interesting experience you’ve had because you play an instrument?
A: This question could go so many directions. I’ve had lots of amazing experiences from gig offers and things like that. Interesting experiences must include very late night jams where everyone might get a little bit crazy. The final scheduled event from Camp Deep End was a campfire jam. The band that played on stage last had a horn section that walked off stage, rounded up the crowd, and led them to the campfire. I was ready to pick. All the musicians must’ve been tired so they went back to their cabins. I got to close out the festival picking with my Dad to 50-60 well partied-up fans. They got a bit wild but it was all in good fun and I was happy to be entertaining that small group. We played for almost 3 hours!
Q: If you could perform one set with anyone, living or dead, who would be in your “dream band”?
A: Well I’d put Bryan Sutton on guitar, Noam Pikelny on banjo, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Edgar Meyers on bass, and Jerry Douglass on dobro. We’d have to have Jerry Garcia sit in on a song or two and I’d like to sing a few songs with John Hartford.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: I’d just like to say thank you to everyone that has given me support in any way. Thank you for helping me follow my passion in life. I feel blessed that I’ve found my passion for music at such a young age. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Crooked Mandolin yet, please do! I think you’ll really enjoy it!!
Go to kyleledson.com to purchase your own copy of Crooked Mandolin and help Kyle follow his passion!
