Kirby Heyborne Question & Answer

Email interview conducted by Kent Olmstead from questions provided by ldsmusicians.com members (May 2005):

While some of us may have been surprised to learn about this seeming actor-turned-pop-songster, those who have followed Kirby's career more closely know he was a serious and accomplished songwriter and musician long before his more recent success as an actor. 

From his first stab at recording an album with a 4-track in his bedroom as a sophomore in high school ("Pennies for the Player"), to guest appearances with Ali Ali Oxen Free, to collaborating with Marc Thorup in u4ea/Shasta Daisy, to forming Bentleigh with Marc after Kirby's mission, and opening for N'SYNC at the 2002 Olympics Medal Plaza--music, writing and performing, have been a constant passion.  Even when key roles made acting take priority, Kirby kept the musical fires burning, with solo tracks on the R.M. and Sons of Provo soundtracks. 

"Beautiful Inside" (from Sons of Provo) caught the ear of LDS filmmaker Christian Vuissa (Roots and Wings, Unfolding, Baptists at Our Barbecue).  Their collaboration led to Kirby's most recent (but far from first) album.  One listen to "Inside" will have you convinced that this is not just carefully planned hype.  Well crafted lyrics, guitar driven arrangements, emotion packed vocals--it's the total package. As Kirby shares in his website bio, "Everyone has music. How we shape it and emote it is what makes us unique. Music is an easy thing to love." And echoing that sentiment, Kirby's uniquely shaped musical gifts make this album easy to love.

Kirby is currently in the middle of a busy promotional and performance schedule that began with the debut of "Inside".  He's had close to 20 performances at Deseret and Ensign Bookstores in Utah, Nevada and California since April 1, with upcoming performances in Oregon, Missouri, and Idaho.  Plus he continues to pursue acting, with several roles coming up in the near future.  He recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us here at ldsmusicians.com.  The questions below came from several of our group members.

We want to thank Kirby for taking time to answer our questions and wish him the best as he continues his acting and musical journey.

For more information about Kirby, his album "Inside", and upcoming performances, visit his website at:

http://www.kirbyheyborne.com

Of all the movies you've done, which is your favorite and why?

I've learned different things on each movie. I think you get better each time you do something. I really enjoyed Saints and Soldiers because the character was so different from characters I had played in the past. I felt the most comfortable on Sons of Provo. Probably because that was the most recent one I've filmed. I feel that I understand more with each project. The RM was cool because it was my first major starring role. I was on set everyday. I got to be really close with the crew. Best Two Years was fun because I got to play a really fun character. I brought a lot of things from my childhood and family to that character. I was born in Wyoming and my grandparents came from Delta, Utah.

The most fulfilling thing on all of them is that they all involved a lot of hard work. I learned how to study and develop a character. I learned how to "dance" with the camera. I learned how to feel honesty and truth. I learned about consistency and continuity.

Of all the movies you've done, which is your least favorite and why?

I really had a hard time with one in particular. I would rather not mention the title. The whole experience was very difficult. The director did not really understand how a film is supposed to run. He was a very nice man, but an uneducated director. A film is like a well-run ship. The captain of the ship has to run it in an organized fashion. There are protocols and standards that have to be followed by everyone, no matter how different you are trying to make your movie.

The funny thing is I made more up front money on this one than on any other previous movie.

Tell us about your musical background.

I started playing the piano when I was 5. I learned by the Suzuki method. I continued lessons until I was 14. I taught myself guitar at 15 with a Beatles song book.

I wrote my first song at 13.

I recorded a solo album when I was 16. We made 50 to 100 copies (I can't remember) and sold all of them within 2 weeks.

I started doing shows at my friend's house. At the beginning of my sophomore year, we started free shows with about 10 people. By the end, we were charging people and having to turn some away. We managed to pack just under 100 people in his house every weekend.

In the fall of 1993, I was an avid follower of the band "Ali Ali Oxen Free." They would play in Provo, Utah, at a place called Pier 54. I don't remember how it happened exactly, but something that Tyler said to the band lead to me playing a few songs during their break. I met Steve Lemmon, the guitarist and singer, and we recorded a "bigger and better" album in his studio, Spiral Studios, during the early spring months of 1994.

After recording the album "Looking for Tomorrow," I hooked up with the coolest, long-haired, chick-magnet-artist, Marc Thorup. He was a wizard on the guitar. He had a band called u4ea and they had been playing together for a long time. I had been an acquaintance of Marc's since 6th grade. Through a common friend, I was reintroduced to him and we hit it off both musically and as friends. He invited me to join in a jam session with his band. It was the most amazing thing: 5 musicians playing the same song together. After playing a few covers, I whipped out some of my original stuff, hoping that Marc would be impressed that I was retuning my guitar to DADGAD tuning. I was in heaven (once everyone knew the chords) because we were all playing one of my songs!

I sort of invited myself to be a part of the band and we started playing all over the Salt Lake and Utah County areas. We changed the name of the band to "Shasta Daisy" and recorded a great album, "Alaska" in early spring, 1995 at Spiral Studios. We kept playing right up to the time I went on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in October of 1995.

Marc and I wrote to each other frequently. We would send new songs and lyrics. After the two years, Marc and I got back together, renamed the band to "Bentleigh" (a combination of our middle names), and invited 3 new members to join. We played all over the state of Utah. In 1999, we recorded an LP. Marc and I would open as an acoustic duo for various artists like Peter Breinholt and Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band.

During the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, Bentleigh performed at various events and parties and opened for N'SYNC at the Olympic Medals Plaza.

On the RM soundtrack, your rendition of "Kolob" is a favorite of many. Tell us how it came about. Who created the arrangement? Who played the tracks?

While filming the RM, I let Kurt (the director) know that I was interested in doing a song for the soundtrack. He had heard the single "Chances" and agreed to have me do it. He told me to choose the song and show him the arrangement. I have loved "Kolob" for a long time. I wrote down the words on a piece of paper and put them with a chord progression I was working on at the time. I arranged it to fit a more standard pop song formula: verse, pre-chorus, chorus. I loved the phrases at the end of the hymn: "There is no end…" I thought this would be perfect for the chorus.

I actually wanted to change the whole tune, but Kurt wanted to have some semblance of the original. So I sang the first part of the first and second verses in the traditional melody. The rest I "fixed."

I played a couple of acoustic guitar tracks. Marc Thorup played many electric guitar parts. Todd Sorenson played drums and the legendary Craig Poole played bass. I sang lead vocal and a couple of backing vocals. I had my younger brother sing the main harmony parts.

Was this CD ("Inside") done independently or did you sign with a label?

I did this CD independently. My producer, Christian Vuissa, and I, partnered on our own label. He served as executive producer on the album.

Tell us about a few of the songs!

Sometimes, I feel very insecure. I tend to write songs from that perspective. You know, not feeling adequate enough, giving my best but still feeling like it's not enough. These songs are about hope and overcoming those feelings of doubt and inadequacy and realizing that I am okay. As long as I do my best, I will be successful.

The song Simon is about Simon Peter. It takes place the days just after the Savior had given his life. He was questioning, "Am I strong enough to do this? I've failed so many times." He looks inside and realizes that as long as he follows the path, he will be made equal to the task presented to him.

The song "this" is about believing. I was at a point in my life when I felt very lonely. I felt like I had let people down. This song is about getting through that. We may feel alone, but there will always be someone for us to believe in. At that time in my life it was my fiancée (my wife now). Our relationship and friendship and love are what I mean when I say "this" in the song.

"Beaten by anger, I breathe in the warm light" = Being angry at what had gone wrong in my life only left me a beaten person. I stopped being angry and believed I could be forgiven.

"Torn by the echo sounds" = I had been going in circles with what I knew needed to be done.

"I let my defenses down" = I opened up.

"I'm not a martyr" = I'm not trying to say that I am someone amazing or that I do amazing things.

"But I'd lay down my life for this" = The relationship that I share with my wife is so important to me. I could not live without her and everything she encompasses.

How did you choose the songs?

I picked the ones that I had always wanted to record. I had recorded many songs on other albums. These were the ones that "fit" me at the time.

Who did you grow up listening to?

Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John, David Wilcox, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Smiths

Who are your favorite artists in the mainstream?

Coldplay, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Maroon 5, Keane, Damien Rice

Who are your favorites among LDS artists?

Ryan Shupe and the Rubber band. I also am a big Kenneth Cope fan.

What influenced you in the arrangements?

I love albums that sound raw. I wanted to have an unpolished feel. I wanted to be as bare as possible. We used little or no effects on my voice. I wanted the emotion of the songs to come through. I had never used a cello or violin on previous albums. I wanted to get a simplistic sound enhanced by the two instruments. I love dissonance. I love the way it evokes feelings. I used a lot of passing tones in both the violin and cello.

What's your marketing plan? Do you have distribution?

I am an interesting phenomenon. Because I have a familiar name and face in the Mormon market, I have been able to get my cd into a lot of stores. I have gone to the LDS Book buyer's convention for the past 3 years. Because of that, I have a personal relationship with a lot of the store owners. The stores that I have visited to promote my cd are eager to have me. When I'm there, the stores can sell a slew of "Kirby Heyborne" products. They are happy and I am happy.

I was able to contact the owners of Sounds of Zion. They have helped me get into Deseret Book and Seagull Book and Tape. They have been fantastic.

My plan is to tour the country visiting the LDS bookstores, setting up in-store signings and doing shows wherever and whenever I can. So far, this has been very effective.

What's the process you go through when songwriting/arranging/recording your songs?

I keep a pad of paper with ideas for choruses and cool lines. I write down anything and everything I think sounds remotely poetic. I play around with different chords. I work with new voicing of chords. I find words that fit with the emotion of the music.

Your CD was produced by filmmaker Christian Viussa. How did this relationship develop? 

A song of mine from the "Sons of Provo" soundtrack, "Beautiful Inside," caught the attention of filmmaker Christian Vuissa. Christian and I had met earlier that year during pre-production of his film "Baptists at Our Barbecue." We hit it off as friends and talked of working together. We recorded the album "Inside" during December of 2004.

How did you finance your CD?

I was fortunate enough to have private investors involved. The studio gave me a discount for a share in the profits down the road.

What did it cost to produce your CD?

More than $2 less than $30,000.

How long did it take for the recording sessions?  Where did you record?

Recording took about a week. We were in studio all day. By the end, my fingers were numb and my voice was almost gone. It was intense.

I've heard you've been looking for acting jobs and other projects outside of the LDS market. How is that going? How has the work done in the LDS market impacted your ability to find work in the "real world"?

It's all about experience. Because of the films that I have done, I have been able to find a fantastic management team. I am that much farther ahead of other actors here in LA. When a producer is looking at me, I have a track record of movies that make money. It doesn't matter whether it's a genre film or a big box office Hollywood film: if it made money that's all that matters to producers.

How do you pitch your materials to the powers-that-be in the movie world.

I am fortunate to have personal relationships with film makers. We talk about ideas in casual settings.

How were you able to break into the business and how much acting did you do before his first role?

I have been acting since I was a child. I participated heavily in Community Theater, Middle School Theater, and High School Theater.  I won national tournaments in High School in Theater and Debate. (I competed in Humorous Interpretation.)

After I graduated from the University of Utah with an Economics degree in 2000, I hit the street and found an agency. I auditioned and auditioned and auditioned. I finally started to land some small local commercials. The summer of 2001, I booked two independent films: "Social Suicide" and "The Singles Ward." Needless to say, the first never made it outside the directors house.

After "Singles Ward," I auditioned and booked the role of Oliver Cowdery in the Church's new History of the Church. After that, I filmed "The R.M.", "Saints and Soldiers", "The B.O.M.", "Best Two Years", and "Sons of Provo." In between the films, I did short films and commercials. I also have been active in the improv comedy troupes The Skinny Lincolns and Comedy Sportz for the past 4 years.

During the year I filmed "Saints", "BOM", "B2Y", and "SOP", I commuted to LA to look for an agent and manager. I was fortunate to find a great boutique agency quickly and started auditioning for "bigger" things here in LA. I moved my family to LA after completing "Sons of Provo."

I have since been on "Everwood" and on a couple of national commercials. I found an amazing manager last year. We have now moved to one of the bigger agencies in the country. With this management team, I am looking at 4 scripts: Three that I will star in and one that I will star in and produce.

Do you do any seminars for budding aspiring actors/singers?

I haven't done seminars. I have done career nights for the young men and women in different wards. I also speak at youth conferences.

When/where did you serve your mission?

I served in the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo East Mission.

Do you have a band available to perform with?

I have toned down from my band days. If I want a little something more, I call my friend Marc Thorup to play electric with me. I like the sound of just an electric and an acoustic. It is very haunting.

Do you have plans for a tour?

I am currently working with Deseret Book to visit all of their stores across the country. I am setting up shows wherever and whenever I can.

Are you looking for a major label deal?

Always.

Will you be producing a music video?

Yes. I will.

Do you view the LDS music market as a key part of your marketing effort, or just a starting point to branch out from?

I think that I am a recognizable figure in the LDS market. To ignore this would be financially unsound. I would like to branch out to the mainstream. I hope the CD sales in the LDS market will impress other distributors and music stores.

Regarding CD sales, how is it going so far?

Great. We are about to press our next bunch of CDs.

Do you sell more at concerts, via your website, through Deseret Book, or other outlets?

I sell the most CDs at concerts and events. When I make scheduled appearances at stores, I generally sell quite a few. People like to have the personal experience associated with a purchase.

What percentage of your CD sales are to church members?

Right now, 99%

Any other advice for an LDS artist considering producing a CD for an LDS audience?

Don't think that you have to be the typical church sound to be an LDS artist. I may not write about a lot of LDS themes, but the fact that I am LDS definitely influences my understanding and view of the world. This comes across in how I write lyrics and songs.

How do you think a group like LDSMusicians.com can best help/support developing artists?

Do exactly what you're doing. Just having this website is a great help. I think that if there were concert series, that may help. Put a couple of developing artists with an established one at a concert.

[End of Interview]

Thanks, Kirby, for answering our questions.

For more information about Kirby, his album "Inside", and upcoming performances, visit his website at:

http://www.kirbyheyborne.com

-Kent
http://www.ldsstyles.com
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