Get To Know Raveis Kole…
Raveis Kole (Laurie Raveis (Ray-viss) and Dennis Kole) is a singer-songwriter interplay melding Raveis’ caramel smooth, emotive vocals and groove driven acoustic guitar rhythms with Kole’s fingerstyle counterpoint and harmonic explorations.
Town and state you grew up in: We both grew up on the East Coast; Dennis from Albany, NY and Laurie from Fairfield, CT and lived separately in various locations around the US, such as Chicago, Michigan, Seattle and Boston.
Town and state you live in now: Bellingham, Washington on the Salish Sea and near Mount Baker, an active volcano and part of the Ring of Fire.
First instrument: Dennis’ was a cardboard piano keyboard in early grade school and Laurie’s a recorder. Good thing our first instruments weren’t our last. Quickly following, Dennis got a violin and Laurie piano lessons.
Instruments you currently play: Improvisation and sonic textures make us crazy happy, so we explore and play inspiring instruments such as a mandotar, Nashville high strung guitar, tiple, sitar guitar, fretless bass, cajon, cabasa, xaphoon, etc! for fresh, cool sounds. Our go-to and every day instruments are guitars; acoustic and electric but we can both tickle the keys and keep a drum beat.
First performance: The first public performance was on a violin in the 6th grade all-city orchestra for Dennis, and a double header in first grade for Laurie as the lead role, “little princess”, in the lower school play and on a grand piano in a recital hall with blinding lights and an audience of thousands or so it seemed!
Last book you read: Our local bookstore, Village Books, is a community hub and recommended Barbarian Days, A Surfer’s Life which deserves to be finished because it’s extremely well written, engaging and describes the mental landscape between passion and obsession. Dafnis Prieto, one of our favorite musicians, stimulating new book: A world of rhythmic possibilities.
Favorite movie: Dennis: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Laurie: Caddyshack
Favorite song: Holding onto a Rainbow
Who would you most like to have Dinner with: The Dalai Lama.
Three CD’s you can’t live without: At moment we are diving into emotion through lyrics and rhythms so today those three CDs are; Bob Marley Exodus, Miles Davis Bitches Brew and Joni Mitchell Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter and Hissing of Summer Lawns but talk to us next week, it may be different! There are so many inspiring artists to tap into and we buy lots of CDs at our local music shop, Everyday Music.
Your most recent project: Our new studio album, “Electric Blue Dandelion” produced in Austin, TX with 9 lush stand-alone tracks.
Message to the world: If you are having a tough day turn your attention away from yourself and towards trying to help someone else – you’ll feel better and you will be helping to make the world a little better place for others. Talk the talk and walk the walk.
Find out more about Laurie and Dennis at www.raveiskole.com or contact us at info@raveiskole.com. “The Rave is Raveis Kole”.
