Podcast 152: Singer-Songwriter Vikesh Kapoor

The music of singer-songwriter Vikesh Kapoor has always defied
logic. Here’s a 20-something artist—born in small town
Pennsylvania to immigrants from India—who seems more inspired by
Pete Seeger, John Jacob Niles and Woody Guthrie that any popular
music from the last few decades. On today’s podcast, we talk
to Kapoor about his upbringing, his influences and his favorite
guitars. 


Kapoor has a new single out, entitled “Down by the
River.” “It was one of the first songs that I wrote and I
never had it recorded in a way that I liked,” he says. Kapoor
wrote it while inspired by Seeger’s “Dink’s Song” in
essentially a day, right before his 23rd birthday. 


We also talk about guitars, including the ‘70s Gibson J-50
Deluxe that Kapoor found in a local shop, almost by
fate. It served as the primary songwriting instrument behind
The Ballad of Willy Robbins [Kapoor’s 2013 album] and "Down by
the River."


This episode of the Fretboard Journal Podcast is brought to you
by Retrofret Vintage Guitars and Dying Breed Music. Kapoor’s new
recording is available at all the usual digital music outlets and
can also be purchased as a flexi-single from Mama Bird Recording
Co.


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