Category Archives: Artist Interviews

Interviews with KC Cafe Radio Performing Artists

John Batdorf

John Batdorf – Living the Ordinary Extraordinary Life

John Batdorf

John Batdorf has been making his living as a musician since he was a teenager.  Yet he is about to celebrate nearly 50 years of marriage.  There is something ordinary yet extraordinary in that statement.  That is what makes John Batdorf’s life and career even more intriguing.

He was discovered by music guru, Ehmet Ertegun and signed to a recording contract. He was half of the legendary folk/rock duo Batdorf and Rodney, who have been inducted into the Las Vegas Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. He was the lead singer on the hit record, Wham Bam, by the band Silver, which, thanks to a little blockbuster movie titled “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2,” have had over 8 million plays on YouTube of their top 20 hit from 1976.

You will also know his music from various commercial jingles and TV and film scores like Touched By an Angel and Promised land.  John has also spent quite a bit of time as a backing vocalist and songwriter for artists like Adele, Rod Stewart, America and Kim Carnes.  Yet, John lives a very ordinary life at his home in Oregon where he loves to fish and spend time with his family.

KC Café Radio’s Music Director, Kathy Forste, recently Zoomed with John, in his home studio about his ordinary extraordinary life.  John performs a few songs, including a Batdorf and Rodney classic.  They discuss his newest solo album Last Summer and his upcoming EP.  John also shares why his album Soundtrax2Recovery is so important to him.  John tells us how he has been spending his time since his tour last year was cancelled because of Covid.  Kathy and John talk about his songwriting process over the years.  And, John tells us what he hopes his plans are for the coming year.

Watch the interview here:

Cej – A Friend to the Sky and All of Us

Cej - A Friend of the Sky

Cej, (pronounced siege) began his musical career in the 60’s listening to folk music of the era. By the 70’s he had been signed to two major label recording contracts with two separate bands. By the 1980’s he became disillusioned with the music industry and went to college and got a degree in social work.

He took his training and began working as a social worker in almost every corner of the world. Now he fuses his talent as a musician and his compassion as a social worker into his music career. Since returning to recording Cej has been taking his experiences as a Social Worker and his talent as a Musician and making wonderfully inspiring albums. Cej’s latest album “Friend of the Sky” takes inspiration from working in Djibouti and Bavaria and delivers an album of 14 songs seeped in the Americana tradition. Filled with songs that examine the human experience.  Recently Kathy Forste had the pleasure to chat with Cej on Zoom and have him play a few tunes from his album, “Friend of the Sky”.  www.cejsongs.me   

Watch the Interview Here

Josie Bello is the Boss!

Josie Bello

Josie Bello started her music career only a few years ago but her voice and songwriting approach is as distinguished as any veteran singer/songwriter. In the last two years she has recorded two albums. Her latest, “Have Purpose, Live Long” is a collection of eight tracks of emotional, personal, and socially conscience songs. They are worthy of a place alongside the greatest folk songs of the last sixty years.

KC Café Radio’s Kathy Forste chatted with Josie about her music and her musical journey, starting with her learning to play accordion as a child to her collaborations with her husband and the band they formed. They talk about her song writing approach and her musical influences. And as a special treat, Josie performs her songs “I Bleed Human” and the title track from her new album.

Watch the interview here:

Jackdaw: A Testament to turning back the hands of time

By: Kathy Forste

JackDaw had its roots in Eugene, Oregon in the early 70’s with friends Wayne Drury, Rob Anderson and Randall Crawford. They had a loyal following of fans. But by the end of the 70’s Wayne had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Rob moved to Europe.

Over the the years Rob wanted to pay tribute to his friend Wayne’s songwriting talent and started a tribute project that included a song Wayne had written for Rob called “The Last Cowboy in Paris”. Working on the project got the creative juices flowing and Rob starting reworking some of the old JackDaw tunes and began to write his own songs for a whole new JackDaw project.

Recently, KC Cafe Radio Music Director Kathy Forste talked Rob via Skype. They chatted about the origins of JackDaw, how Rob started songwriting and what lead him to move to Europe and make it his permanent home for over 40 years. They also discuss songs from the album and the great musicians that worked with Rob on the No Cactus album and his future plans.

Listen to and download the interview here:

Nick Justice: Taking A Road Not Taken

By: Maria Smith

Nick Justice is not only a featured artist on KC Cafe radio, he is a fan of the station. He is always writing. A Road Not Taken is his fourth album in the last four years.

Fame was never really a motivation for Nick’s writing. Rather, he simply enjoys playing his music. Even a hiatus from music while his kids were growing up didn’t stop him from eventually finding his way back to it.

Justice prefers to play alone. His favorite performance setting is just himself, a guitar and a harmonica. He likes to write the music for his songs first, which is fitting for a man who has a guitar in almost every room of his house. He loves guitars. In fact, collecting them is what got him back into music after a fifteen year break.

Recently, KC Cafe Radio Music Director Kathy Forste talked with Justice via Skype. They chat about their mutual obsession of guitars, his recording process, and more.

Listen to and download the interview here: