By 18 years old, Kristen Ford had lived in six different states. As a queer, biracial individual, she found it especially difficult to adapt to new environments and establish herself in predominantly white areas; more specifically, as a musician on a “white man’s stage.”
In Ford’s newest single, “White Man’s Dream,” she discusses the pressure she has experienced to define her identity in an industry that historically favors white men.
Known for her unique sound and energetic live performances, Ford has released five full-length albums, including her latest, “War in the Living Room.”
Ford will be performing alongside Grammy-winning musician Ani DiFranco at Iowa City’s Englert Theater on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
The Daily Iowan: What initially drew you to music and at what point did you decide that this would be your full-time career?
Kristen Ford: I picked up my first guitar when I was 14; I’m left-handed, but I only had $200 and I couldn’t afford any of the left-handed guitars, so I bought a right-handed, red Ibanez guitar. Then, I learned how to play guitar with my right hand and, once I nailed down a few chords, I started writing my own songs. This became my way of getting through things that were difficult, but also celebrating moments that were enjoyable. At 15, I attended the legendary June Millington’s rock camp for girls and, that same year, an older friend I made at camp drove me to an Ani DiFranco show. We waited in line all day to get into the show. Once we got in, we made our way to the front row and saw Ani, with a broken foot, just sitting there, right in the center of the stage. She’s all over the place on stage like a live wire, so for her to just be sitting still, soloing a show with one acoustic guitar, one voice, and an entire crowd became a moment of clarity for me where I was like, ‘This is what I want to do with my life. This is it.’ I can’t believe that, in a few days, we’re going to be sharing the stage together. Truly full circle.
DI: Your fifth full-length record, “War in the Living Room,” was made possible through a $20,000 crowdfunding campaign. What was the experience of crowdfunding like for you, and how did it make you feel to know that so many people believed in your art?
Ford: Raising that much money felt absolutely incredible but, before we met our goal, it was down to the wire; during the final minutes of the Kickstarter, we cleared our goal by, like, $11. It was really tight. When I was younger, I spent my allowance on a $17 Sugar Ray CD, and for a while that was the only way I could listen to and discover new music. Now, I get to hear the music my friends have made touring around the country through Spotify’s release radar, streaming right to my ears. The fact that music is so abundant now means that, as an artist and as a creator, you have to come at it from the same level; you have to be limitless with your music because it’s going to be out there for free among every other song, ever. But it feels fantastic. Though that was a monumental point in my career, it would be boring to call that my ‘big break’ because it is one in just a series of moments that makes me want to keep pushing the envelope. Enjoy the moment, then strive for the next big moment.
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DI: In your latest debut single, “White Man’s Dream,” you sing the lyrics: “Won’t you check one box, won’t you choose one race, well I’m a mixed girl rocking on a white man’s stage,” acknowledging the dichotomy you feel as a mixed-race person, how does that duality influence the creation of your music?
Ford: I mostly grew up in Western Massachusetts, which is a very white part of the country. I’m so proud of my heritage on my father’s side as I feel it’s where I get my rhythm and my voice and my curly hair. But at the same time, I have a lot of white privilege. There is a disconnect between who you are in your heart and how people treat you, look at you, and respond to you. Because of that, I always try to challenge myself to just connect with people, to look into their eyes and try not to form an immediate story or an immediate judgment about who they are and what they’re doing. That line, ‘I’m a mixed girl rockin’ on a white man’s stage,’ relates to growing up, taking standardized tests, and having to check just one box for your race. As a sassy 11-year-old, I’d always write in my own box that said, ‘I am biracial.’ Why not have a multitude of options, especially when it comes to gender?
There’s all different kinds of ways to be in the world. In terms of the ‘white man’s stage,’ if you start to peel back the layers of the biggest corporations in the industry, such as Live Nation and Ticketmaster, it’s white men at the top that are controlling everything. I’ve played so many ladies’ nights or queer chick nights and it’s like, ‘Do we have to be put in a little aside like that? Can’t we all just hang out?’ The most beautiful thing about music is that it resonates regardless of what language you speak or what your cultural background is.
Everybody has a voice; everybody can move their body, and everybody can enjoy the rhythm. The problem smaller artists find is that the industry prefers formulaic songs. Big-name producers will listen to like 100 songs and, if the production is not totally perfect or if it doesn’t sound exactly like something they’ve heard before, they’re not interested. Well, f*** that. I’m just going to write my own way, and I’m going to do my own things. I don’t want to be part of that world, so I might as well enjoy making music and trying to connect with people because there’s no better feeling than playing ‘White Man’s Dream’ live and hearing people start to sing along by the third chorus.
DI: You’ve recently signed with Righteous Babe Records. What has the transition to working with a record label been like and has your process of creating music changed since signing?
Ford: I feel so grateful to everyone who has been with me along the journey. I’ve been playing 100 shows a year since 2008, and my process in the past had been to raise money using any means possible.
I used to work at Guitar Center, and I once bought like 10 sets of headphones with my employee discount and then traded those headphones in for time at a studio where I would cram in as much recording as I could in the short time I was given while playing all the instruments myself. I was always just rubbing two dimes together in order to make it work. And this, signing with Righteous Babe, has made it possible to explore different ideas, try different songs, and record them in different places with different musicians, which has been so liberating. Additionally, it has been magical to be able to visualize a finished record, one that has registered records, a logo, a seal, and a label that stands behind it. I found two dimes, and now I’m making a record, and then we’ll just try to promote it and see what happens. It’s been really exciting and feels very freeing.
