In Conversation With Contour

Photos by Will McLaughlin

Khari Lucas (Contour) sits down with Amplified to discuss his show at Pitchfork Music Fest, musical inspirations, and upcoming UK tour.

Will: You started your concert with a reading. Do you want to tell us more about what exactly you read from?

Khari:  Yes, I read from Amiri Baraka’s volume of poetry called Transbluesency which is a collection that spans across his entire career of work. I kind of like to evoke the spirit of an artistic ancestor when I'm making my sets. I'll usually find a poem hours before that feels resonant with where I'm at.

Will:  So when did you pick it today, how soon before the concert?

Khari: I picked it during my sound check which would have been, like, two hours before.

Will: You've got a radio show called Footprints in the Dark. Could you tell us a little about it and what your goals are with it?

Khari: I have not been keeping up with that show, I'm so behind. 

Will: When was the last episode you put out?

Khari: The last episode I put out was in February. The point of the show is that It's just nice to share… it's nice to maybe nourish somebody’s creative life that isn’t my own. It was supposed to be like a fun accountability measure to make sure I stay on top of my own research, which has not worked. But the episodes that I put together have been really impactful for me personally.

Will: When you are creating your own work do you find that location kind of plays in? Like your recording space, does that play into your work, kind of where your head's at?

Khari: I've made almost all of my work at my home in Charleston. But the times that I have written in other places have definitely… I mean you know it may be an obvious answer but everything plays into it, surroundings, what I ate that day, what I was listening to. 

Will:  So you're going on tour in Europe

Khari:  Yes, UK in August and then greater Europe for about a week. 

Will: Have you been before?

Khari:  I've been a couple times.

Will: Is this your first tour in Europe?

Khari:  First like, solo tour. First tour that’s like my tour.

Will: Do you feel excited? Nervous? 

Khari:  All of those things.

Will:  Anything that you want to do when you’re over there?

Khari: I was actually given a tip earlier today about a radical soccer team organization that's in Bristol. Apparently they would like travel to other places where their visa…basically the U.S. does not want you to go visit places where people are anti-government, anti-imperial… I'm saying way too much.

Will: No this is very interesting. 

Khari: Basically there's a soccer team I want to check out. 

Will: Alright, very cool. 

Will:  We've been asking people what their most recent listened to song on their phone is. What did you pause when you stopped, presumably to play your concert?

Khari: Lets see… Oh my god, okay I’m not gonna lie. The last thing I listened to on my phone was “Addiction” by Kanye West from Late Registration. 

Will: Alright, very interesting… Read into that however you'd like.

Khari: (Laughs)

Will: Thank you so much for sitting down with us for a little bit, this has been awesome. You played a great set today, what else do you have coming up?

Khari:  I’m gonna rest until I have to leave for the UK. 

Will: And that's in August, alright very exciting.

You can find Contour’s music on all streaming platforms. Follow him on Instagram (@ccontourr) to stay up to date with new releases.