Ken Pomeroy: Christmas Lights in April
If you have never watched Ken Pomeroy perform or have never seen a photograph of her, you might have a hard time believing that the powerful voice and weighty lyrics come from someone so young. The Moore, OK, Cherokee singer-songwriter is a budding 19 years old. And if you think that's impressive, wait until you hear the album, knowing she penned some of the songs on today's release, Christmas Lights in April, as early as age 14.
To Ken's credit, she was an ambitious and gifted child. Beginning at the age of 9, Ken was singing and writing songs. At that time, she had learned the baritone ukulele, eventually the concert and soprano ukulele, and by age 10 she began playing guitar. Her accolades began mounting as early as 2016 when she received the Rising Star Award from the Songwriters Association of Norman. In 2018, Pomeroy opened for the legendary "Queen of Rockabilly," Wanda Jackson, at the Oklahoma Rodeo Centennial Opry. She took home the top honors in the 1st Annual Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest that same year. She shared a stage with Stoney LaRue and Bo Phillips at the Bob Childers Gypsy Cafe Event benefiting the Red Dirt Relief Fund. 2018 also saw her debut at the inaugural Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL, which is where I became a fan of hers, as well as attend the Folk Alliance International Conference. In addition, Ken is a staple performer at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. Her first EP, Minutes to Hours, was released in 2017, followed by Hallways in 2018.
With her father, Skippy, and local musical influence, Kyle Reid, Ken teamed up with Jason Weinheinmer from Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, AR to record Christmas Lights in April. Pomeroy has expressed that she experienced a shift and growth in her songwriting capabilities since her prior releases. While writing for this new album, Ken was more comfortable being forthright with her feelings and perspectives. For her two previous projects, she wrote more metaphorically and mainly from an outside point of view. Conversely, Christmas Lights in April was a work of self-observation and self-reflection.
The album opens with the airy and melancholy "Joan" which was released in October as the lead-off single. "Magnolia" is a sweet and soft love song lullaby. "Goodnight my Magnolia / I hope you sleep well / Then the next day / More in love I fell / Then I got you / Then I got you, babe." "Truth" became one of my initial favorites with the forlorn pedal steel, acoustic melody and aching vocals that lend to the bitter realizations of coming into adulthood. It's the sometimes painful, yet inevitable transition in life that no one can escape. We all go through it and must learn to thrive.
Pomeroy showed off her vocal chops this past weekend singing "Flannel Cowboy" as part of the Chris Jones and the Flycatchers' set for a sold-out Cain's Ballroom (Tulsa, OK) show with headliners, RC & the Ambers and Kyle Nix & the 38's. The Amp Managing Editor and photographer, Melissa Payne, was there to bear witness to the charmed crowd. The song recounts the protagonist blaming herself for damaging a relationship. "Broke you like a mirror into pieces / A few of me staring back in disbelief." She goes on to ask for forgiveness. "Flannel Cowboy, I'm sorry for what I've done / I still hope we can fall asleep together in the sun." However, she knows she's asking a lot. "There ain't no way that I deserve it / Then again, I'm taking what I want / Ain't that the way I always do it / That's just the web we weave / And now we're caught."
The title and final track, "Christmas Lights in April," ruminates on young heartbreak and the time that passes trying to mitigate the sadness until another reminder appears. The feelings seem prolonged and out of place like seeing Christmas lights still hanging in April.
Introspective, yet pensive and hopeful seem to be the recurring themes of Christmas Lights in April. Ken Pomeroy is at the helm of bigger things in the Folk Americana scene and we're looking forward to seeing it. Download Christmas Lights in April out today via Horton Records.
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