Former Intern Returns and Leaves Us With a Song
Listen to From the Swing Set in Tarkington Park here.
Even experienced interns always have more to explore at the Harrison Center. Kevin Krauter, former HCA intern and multi-talented musician, returned this November to record music inspired by local Indy neighborhoods.
Music: Foundations and Present
As a child, Krauter participated in musical theatre and listened to whatever his older brother picked up on LimeWire; in high school, he began writing his own music. "Music resonated with me at an early age," Krauter says, and the band life quickly became his dream.
Now, with the rise of his indie pop band, Hoops, and his own solo projects, it has become his reality. With melodies breaching the divide between indie pop and folk, overlaid by delicately crafted harmonies, Kevin Krauter is reluctant to prescribe his music any one genre. As a member of Hoops, Krauter's solo work allows him to explore new styles, or, as he says, "whatever I feel like making."
From Home to Home-Base
Krauter is already an established Hoosier. He grew up in Indiana, attended school in downtown Indianapolis at Herron High School, interned with the Harrison Center, began college at Ball State, and formed the Indy indie band, Hoops.
The recent success of Hoops has swept the band away from the Midwest and onto tours across the United States and Europe, which, while, "mind-blowing and fun," are also stressful and not so glamorous. Although, as Krauter jokes, he's sure touring could be perfectly lovely once your band, like Muse, can afford a private jet. The strains of touring have caused Krauter to, "appreciate having a home base [and] people immediately close to you," something he directly attributes to the "DIY community" found in Indy.
This Indianapolis community has proven instrumental in Krauter's career. His first solo album, Magnolia, was produced locally with friends at college, and distributed by the Bloomington-based label, Winspear, with whom he's partnered with to release his second solo project, Changes, due December 2.
photo credit: Graham Johnson, Charlie Sorrells
A Chance to Give Back
The Indianapolis arts community has been integral in forming Krauter's career, and this songwriting opportunity allowed him to directly give back. "The Harrison Center," Krauter adds, "provides a solid foundation for the art culture here [in Indianapolis]," acting as a hub for resources, opportunities, and networking within the Indy arts community. Inspired by the HCA's Hip-Hoperetta, Krauter describes his songwriter-in-residence project as, "lyrically-centered around the neighborhood [of Tarkington Park.]" He revisited Tarkington with HCA media interns Charlie Sorrells and Graham Johnson to capture photography of the area, with the idea of creating a photo journal to accompany the song.
You can find Kevin Krauter's Tarkington Park song here:
And find his newest release, Changes, December 2 through Winspear Records.