Kurt Baker is an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his energetic and catchy power pop sound. He was born on January 31st 1987, in Portland, Maine, and grew up with a strong passion for music. Baker began his musical journey at a young age, playing in various bands throughout his teens and early twenties.
In the mid-2000s, Baker co-founded the punk rock band The Leftovers, which gained a dedicated following with their high-energy performances and infectious pop-punk hooks. The Leftovers released several albums and toured extensively, building a reputation for their energetic live shows.
After the disbandment of The Leftovers in 2010, Kurt Baker embarked on a solo career, focusing more on power pop and incorporating influences from classic acts like Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and The Jam. He released his debut solo album, "Rockin' for a Living," in 2012, which received critical acclaim for its melodic hooks and catchy songwriting.
Since then, Kurt Baker has continued to release a string of well-received albums, including "Brand New Beat" (2013), "Play It Cool" (2015), and "In Orbit" (2018). His music often captures the spirit of the late '70s and early '80s power pop and new wave era, delivering memorable melodies, upbeat rhythms, and lyrics that touch on themes of love, youth, and the joy of rock and roll.
Baker's live performances are known for their energy and audience engagement. He has toured extensively in the United States, Europe, and Japan, building a loyal fan base around the world. His music has also been featured in various films, television shows, and commercials, further expanding his reach.
Kurt Baker's contributions to the power pop genre and his dedication to crafting memorable, infectious music have earned him a solid reputation among fans of melodic rock. His songs often evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining a fresh and contemporary sound, making him a beloved figure in the indie power pop scene.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
Fun story, so, the band originated in Maine... but Maine is not really known for Power Pop Music, actually, it's not known for Punk Rock Music... or if we really wanna get down to fine detail, Rock N Roll Music. So obviously, none of us met through our mutual love for music, because frankly there just wasn't any of that music happening in the mid to late 90s in Maine. Most of us were into organized sports. Unfortunately, none of us were good at sports. 3/5th's of the band dropped out of high school (before the band formed), and others had issues with glue... it's a long convoluted story (and yes! We did do time on lobster boats). Finally, the band formed because we honestly had nothing else we could do to kill the boredom of living in Maine. Nobody that we knew of in the local art scene had started a power pop/punk/rock n roll band, so we bought guitars, learned how to write catchy music, and boom, here we are now. What does the name mean? I think our friend Dick Hazelwood suggested the name be something like "Kurt Baker and his fabulous Kurt Baker Band". Sometimes we go by that, other times just Kurt Baker, mostly, and then occasionally the Kurt Baker Band. My name is Kurt Baker, so I guess it makes sense.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I've had so many previous musical projects I've lost count! But what is important is the here and now! I've been rockin' with the guys in the KB Band for a while now, and the last few tours and shows we've done have been the best we've ever played, and the new music we've written and recorded is on a higher level than ever before, so that's what I'm excited about. We're really happy about the response to the latest single "Anchors Up" and are gearing up for the full album, which is going to be epic. "Rock N Roll Club"!
First concert that you ever went to?
My first concert ever was Weird Al Yankovic, on Halloween. A Star Wars film had just come out, one of those bad ones with Jar Jar Binks, and I recall the bass player dressed up as Jar Jar Binks, how unreal! There was a local opening act for the show, I can't remember her name but it was a solo folk acoustic artist. Definitely had a Lillith Fair kinda vibe. Didn't really mesh well with Weird Al Yankovic, but this was the 90s, before Yelp reviews or social media, so my memory of the whole event makes me think it was a REAL GOOD TIME.
What's your writing process like?
Spontaneous, frustrating, at times sporadic, and exciting.
5. What other artists or songs inspire your music?
From Cheap Trick to Daft Punk, or Green Day to Electric Light Orchestra... my inspiration comes from music that is well crafted with melody, a good chorus, HIGH ENERGY, and enthusiastic and upbeat rhythms. Music is my life. I wanna celebrate life! So I like the happy upbeat stuff. Big fan of Two Tone Ska too!
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
A lot of people grow attached to the way a record sounds, and when they see their favorite artist playing to a pre-recorded backing track, the volume and the stage show can be so well produced that they don't even notice and have the time of their lives at the concert! To each his own! I think for Pop artists, it's important to stay sharp and calculated in their live shows. I for one, don't have the budget to do something like that, and two, ethically, I think it's better to give the audience a real interaction between song and human. A real connection. It's not perfect and it's not gonna sound exactly like the record, but it's gonna be loud, fun, and a time to remember for all who attend. Sometimes when you are on stage and having a great show you almost understand why people want to be cult leaders. However, anybody who isn't a psychopath knows that playing music and bringing joy to the masses is much better than tricking people into pyramid schemes and drinking Kool-aid.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
We have toured a lot. We'd like to tour more. If you are a booking agent and reading this, please shoot me a DM! We just did a fantastic tour of Spain. All the shows were well attended and the band was on fire. Most of our shows are pretty great, we just want to have fun and make sure the audience has a good time. Sometimes shows can go bad, though. Once in Albi, France the bar owner wanted to kill us, he also convinced most of the bar that we should be kicked outta town, like one of those bad motorcycle gangs! We honestly weren't looking for trouble, just trying to play a gig. The music scene can be really cut-throat too. A lot of bands will try and sabotage a gig so that their own band, for example, let's call them "FeeFeeFooDude", who is billed as the headliner can play in the best slot, usually in the middle of the night, even though they are the headliner and your own band was booked as the main the support act. So then everybody at the show leaves because they think the gig is over, yet you've got to play after FeeFeeFooDude, to absolutely nobody. This has happened to me more than a few times, but it won't happen again, ha!
What's up next for the band?
Gonna be taking over the world with this new album "Rock N Roll Club", due out Sept. 29th on Wicked Cool Records. Tour of Japan in October, gigs across America, Europe, and beyond. Stay tuned and get ready to rock out and have a good time with all the jams we shall present you!