Who: Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster / Thunder Comfort
When: 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13
Where: Stage Eighteen, 18 E Center St, Fayetteville
Cost: $10 in advance or at the door
Info: All-ages show
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, formerly of Oxford, Mississippi-based band Water Liars, is now a solo artist and a Fayetteville resident. Kinkel-Schuster’s old band were Arkansas regulars, and went from playing small shows to playing at the Fayetteville Roots Fest. This rise was due to three incredible records and constant touring. After Water Liars disbanded, Kinkel-Schuster released an excellent solo record, Constant Stranger, that was named one of the Best-Of 2016 by the NWA Democrat-Gazette. Before moving to Fayetteville, JPKS opened shows for Angel Olsen, and Julian Baker.
Kinkel-Schuster’s upcoming tour is called the All Songs Considered Tour, and allows those who purchase advanced tickets to request a song. It begins Friday, Oct. 13 at Stage Eighteen, with an opening set by Thunder Comfort (Zach Holland of The Good Fear). I think JPKS is one of the best songwriters working today. His songs are minor miracles of lyrical storytelling.
I talked to Pete before his tour, and here it goes.
Q&A with Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster
You’ve upgraded from frequent visitor to official Fayetteville citizen. How does it feel to be one of us?
It feels great, man. When I was growing up in Greenwood coming to Fayetteville always felt super cool so in some ways it’s like my dream come true. Coming home somehow.
What are some of your favorite local spots, and what attracts you to these places?
I like both of the Arsaga’s joints, Petra Cafe, Dickson Street Bookshop, Block Street Records, the diner at the bowling alley is cool. I’m pretty much a homebody really, especially as I try to move gracefully into being an old man. I think Arsaga’s has the best coffee and some of the best grub, and I can’t stay away from books and records so those spots are always magnets for me.
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster / Photo: Matt White
What have you been working on lately? Any new releases coming up?
I’m working on songs for another solo record and also am prepping for release of a new project with my friend Will Johnson. It’s called Marie/Lepanto and the record will be out early 2018.
You’ve played all over Fayetteville, everywhere from LaLa Land, Nightbird Books, Fayetteville Town Center, Heartbreak House, George’s, JR’s, and most recently Stage Eighteen – do you have a favorite show that you played here?
There was a show that we did at Nightbird Books with John Moreland several years ago that was really cool. All of the shows at JR’s for us were great. And more recently, Nina Shirkey’s Heartbreak House is a perfect spot for the more low key folky stuff I’ve been shifting toward.
You’re about to start a new tour where you’ll be taking requests, are you looking forward to revisiting your old songs from Water Liars and Theodore?
I really am looking forward to it, as I had sort of pushed all of that stuff out of my head for a long time. Hoping people come up with some interesting ones.
Any chance you’ll be playing “Another Way To Live” from the last unreleased Water Liars record? Do you think that record will get an official release?
If you want to hear it, I’ll play it. I hope that record will come out sometime in the future, just not sure when or how.
Besides older songs, will you be playing new songs at your upcoming shows?
I’m going to probably try out a few new ones, to see how they do.
I know you’re a fan of film, any fall movies you’re waiting to see?
I need to see Blade Runner 2049, but other than that my watching is pretty much consumed with Cubs postseason baseball.
