Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith Cantrell.
Hi Keith , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was four years old when I discovered the power of a song, the magic of music and the strength of a voice. The most haunting sound came from the radio we had in our living room. It was Johnny Cash. And I would sit motionless by the radio, waiting to hear that voice that moved me so much. Over the next few years, spending most of my time sitting by the radio I had fallen in love with the music of the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Earth, wind, and fire, kiss, Rick James, Parliament, funkadelic, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd.
My mother put me in a repertory theater. During my preteen years because I loved to sing and dance and being in the theater, gave me an outlet to perform on stage and keep me in a healthy active environment. In eighth grade I bought a bass guitar with my paper rout money. And started writing songs of my own. I had discovered slayer, merciful fate, exodus, and venom from the friends I had where I grew up in the Bay Area of California. Once I graduated high school I left for Austin Texas hearing it was the live music capital of the world. I made money working at restaurants and became an executive chef starting at Pearl oyster bar, then I ran the penthouse/perfect 10 for several years and went on to catering all over Austin. During this time I was in and out of a few bands that were very successful, 665, 28 mph and Sycamore went on to play for crowds as big as 20,000. I got a strong dose of the rockstar lifestyle and enjoyed managing my band, as well as my chef career simultaneously, but settled down for a few years after getting married and having a daughter who I cared more about than my music or my culinary career. I accepted a very high-end job as executive chef at Loyola University in Chicago cooking for 3000 students three times a day that cost me an average of 16 hours a day and I was clocking up to 114 hours a week. After 14 months with this, I knew it was literally killing me so I stepped down and finished my three-year break in Chicago returning to Austin and getting back into music. I left the restaurant industry and got into painting custom portraits, cleaning pools, and other odd jobs that let me do more with my music. I currently play for.4 bands here in Austin including Roc Holiday, an original band, friends of friction which does classic punk rock, old school, metal, heavy alternative, and other guilty pleasures. But my most successful musical achievement has been Cold Heart Cash, a tribute to the man in Black. I found my voice in an open mic a few years ago, and several of my peers had suggested to me I pursue singing his songs more often. I have an incredibly supportive and loving wife who loves nothing more than to see me perform on stage and hear me sing Johnny Cash songs. I’m very close with my daughter who is 16 now and enjoys watching horror movies with me. Every dream I ever had came true in Austin, Texas. There is something about the soil here that keeps me dreaming and keeps those dreams coming true. I’m grateful to God for giving me an open ear and mind for many genres of music. This has enabled me to understand more about the people around me. Music is the universal language, and I am blessed with more friends and support than one could ever Ask for because of this.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a chef and a musician are very similar in some ways. They both require teamwork and you are only as strong as your weakest link. The only struggle in being an executive chef was discovering what a thankless job it was. I had lots of passion for cooking and giving people an incredible dining experience, but frankly, the profession never loved me back. Being a musician is as challenging as you want it to be depending on how successful you intend your project to be. Unfortunately, success in some of my previous bands, led to many forms of addiction within the bands and like I said before you are only as strong as your weakest link.. It’s hard to keep everyone focused on the next goal if they are indulging in the success of a current achievement
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am certainly proud of my ability to wear several hats. Meaning I am known still for my cooking as I do cooking classes out of my home. I do custom acrylic paintings and always have offers for work in that area. I love learning new songs and sitting in with other bands when I can as well as adding new songs to my cover bands and writing new music with the original bands, I play with. I don’t watch a lot of TV or get too hooked on other people’s stories as I am constantly writing the next chapter of my own. I think that might be what sets me apart from others as I’m constantly asked where I get the time to do all of this. I love staying busy and I love having something to show for it.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I enjoy documentaries of other artist I’m fond of and or look up to. I don’t read much but when I do, it’s typically a biography or autobiography.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coldheartcash.com
- Facebook: Cold Heart Cash , Friends of Friction, Cantrell Canvas, Keith Michael Cantrell, Chef Keith Cantrell , the Quarentined home chef
- Youtube: Cold Heart Cash
