Kenny Schafer’s Road Racer is a glimpse into the mind of an artist who refuses to be confined by expectation. With a background in classical composition and a deep appreciation for jazz, Schafer builds his songs with the precision of a craftsman and the instinct of a storyteller. In this interview, he touches on the unexpected inspiration behind Road Racer, how his orchestral training feeds into his songwriting, and why the song’s reckless, free-spirited protagonist represents more of himself than he first realised. From layering intricate instrumental interludes to ensuring every lyric carries weight, Schafer offers a rare look into the thought process of a songwriter who isn’t afraid to let his music take unexpected turns.
Kenny Schafer, welcome to A&R Factory! Your latest single, Road Racer, marks a pivotal chapter in your work, and with your background as a classical pianist and composer, there’s plenty to explore about how that shapes your songwriting and lyrical approach. What was the spark behind this track, and what story or feeling were you trying to capture when you wrote it?
At the time I wrote Road Racer, I was working on a Latin jazz album called Ocean Breeze. I had been developing a deeper appreciation of Latin music especially of Horace Silver and Chick Corea. The Latin style suits me well as a composer—non-sentimental, non-Romantic, humorous, fun, rhythmically driven, melodic. I heard in my head a 6/4 bass groove and began developing it thinking I was onto another jazz combo work. But as it developed, it soon became evident that I was writing a pop song with a female lead vocal. The title and lyrics were suggested to me by the music, which seemed to depict a fun-loving, reckless, young girl. The music of Road Racer is at once wild and unpredictable while also hip and refined much like the character. No specific life experience directly influenced this song, but today I view the road racer (who I once considered to be a foil of myself) to be a representation of my own character. It is a side of me that stays hidden in day-to-day life, but comes out frequently my music. The central traits of this character are passion, impatience with menial aspects of life, independence, and risk-taking.
Your background as a classical pianist and composer brings a different dimension to your songwriting. How does that influence the way you structure a song compared to more traditional songwriting methods?
Most of the songs that I write use traditional song structures: verse, chorus or ABA. But what’s different is the freedom with which they are used. My background as a classical composer means I can invent my own forms if I want to; I am not tied to a formulaic groundwork to structure a piece of music. Often in my songs you will find variation between the verses, unexpected deviations from the song form, extended intros, outros, or interludes, and sometimes new forms all together. But I only do those things if the music calls for it; I do not break the rules just to break the rules. Road Racer is on the more conventional side of my songs, but the instrumental interludes in it could only have been written by someone with some classical in their background.
Classical composition often follows a different set of rules than contemporary songwriting. Do you find yourself intentionally breaking those rules, or do they naturally shape your approach to writing?
First of all, this is a misguiding question because there are no rules in either genre. We attach genre titles to pieces as a convenience to prepare the listener for the sound world they are going to hear. I would call Road Racer a pop song because if I called it a classical composition, the piece would not match the idea put in the listener’s head by that genre. However, in the case of songwriting there are patterns that are so commonly used in the idiom that they can almost be considered “rules” (things like song form, tonal harmony etc.). In the classical realm though, every rule has been broken. There exists atonal classical music, music without meter, music without melody, and in one case even music without sound (John Cage 4’33). The point is people who are deeply acquainted with the area of music we typically call “classical” are open to a vast myriad of possibilities that a pop music listener may never be exposed to. To answer the question, no I do not have to intentionally think about breaking rules because the way I write is a natural consequence of the music I’ve listened to and studied.
Some songwriters prioritize storytelling, while others focus on imagery or mood. Where does Road Racer sit within that spectrum, and do you see lyrics as a structural element or something more fluid?
Road Racer is all about story and to tell a good story, one must have imagery and mood. The imagery of Road Racer is one of the primary things that makes it unique. Throughout the song, the arrangement is constantly commenting and depicting elements of the text. For instance, when the road racer says “shut the door” we hear a symbol crash immediately after imitating a door slam. A perceptive listener can also hear imitations of windshield wipers, countdowns, and engines spread throughout the piece. The lyrics are absolutely a structural element in this song. One hears a completely different arrangement in the second verse than in the first verse and that is because I am adjustment the arrangement to depict the two different story segments.
How do you balance technical composition with raw emotion when you’re working on a track like this?
I believe that technique and emotion go hand in hand and to create a truly emotional experience, a superior technique is required. The technique comes first. Not many composers are in a state of great excitement for a track when imputing the very first notes. We honestly don’t know what will happen, if it’s the next big hit, or just another failed attempt. But as the piece builds and unique identity takes shape our excitement for that identity grows and if it is a truly special work, an overwhelming state of emotion and creative energy can ensue. But to reach that stage, we must have the technique to develop that idea and bring out its inner genius. Early on technique is key, but later in the process, emotion takes over.
Do you feel that having a classical background gives you an advantage when it comes to songwriting, or do you ever find it challenging to translate those skills into the modern music landscape?
I feel that it does (give me an advantage). Most songwriters probably have no idea how limited the world of music they live in really is. Imagine if you could use any chord, any form, any instrument, any meter. I write down every note in my songs and have complete control over every element. The modern music landscape is not important to me because I write music to please myself not others. Because of what I’ve listened to and my own natural abilities, I am the one best prepared to write the music that I have always most wanted to hear.
Looking at your wider body of work, do you feel like Road Racer is a one-off stylistic venture, or does it represent a shift in the way you want to approach songwriting moving forward?
It was a shift at the time but not anymore. It’s not that writing a pop song was anything new for me, but I had never written a song quite like this one. I had written songs about my own life from my own perspective. This song was about a made-up character in a made-up story and I had never written like that before. I decided I wanted to write more songs with this non-personal approach and that led to my 10 song album School Days.
If someone listening to Road Racer could take away one thing—whether it’s a feeling, a message, or an appreciation for a different approach to songwriting—what would you want it to be?
What I appreciate most about Road Racer is the character. She’s a confident, sassy, naïve, unreserved, unjaded young girl who wants nothing more than to make life exciting for herself and the people around her. We musicians can be very snobbish and sometimes quite stupid in the way we judge lyrics. We all want to hear something that tells our story, the depicts the person we would like to be. There was a time when hearing a lyric such as “cause’ I’m the road racin’ kind of a girl” would have led me to thumb my nose up. I’m not such a person and therefore the song isn’t deep to me. But now I see that this is not the point of lyrics. I appreciate Road Racer because it is about someone different from me. And unlike some who have critiqued this song, I don’t think she is a shallow character. I think she has a special trait that many of us could learn something from—the confidence to do what she loves despite the rules and to be who she is despite the norms. If there are some who judge her as shallow and naïve, she certainly wouldn’t mind . . . and I don’t either.
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Stream Road Racer on Spotify now.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
