Exclusive Bacon Brothers interview about 2024 goals, new album and Abilene performance

The historic Paramount Theatre will be presenting The Bacon Brothers for a one-night only event Thursday, January 18.

Although siblings Michael and Kevin Bacon have played music together since childhood, the brothers banded together forming The Bacon Brothers in the mid-1990s to produce and perform their music worldwide.

Proud of their band’s unique sound, the brothers credit their everchanging musicality to their openness to create without genre barriers or pressures.

“I don't think we have a ‘sound,’ and I don't really want to have a ‘sound’ because if I went to see a band, I want to hear everything! I don't want to hear just one thing, you know, give me everything you can possibly do,” Michael stated.

Throughout their time working together, the pair developed a blended sound called “forosoco,” a mix of folk, rock, soul and country music. They shared the joy of getting to create what they want due to the lack limitations.

“One of the things that’s really great about this band is we really do call the shots,” Michael said. “We just let the songs drive everything. We have some songs that are very, very intimate and some songs that are very, very crazy and everything in between. Trying to have a sound to me is really limiting and not a good way to navigate the music business because you can get stuck.”

Kevin shared that The Band, a Canadian-American rock band formed in 1967, brought inspiration to the team throughout the years. The Bacon Brothers even had the opportunity to open for the group at a concert and play with them in their encore. Michael said it was one of the “most memorable moments” in his career.

“The Band certainly was influential to both of us,” Kevin stated. “It was made of a lot of different kinds of players from different styles like country to blues to classical, and I think they're a pretty good example of what we'd call our first record ‘Forosoco.’”

With the band’s variety of songs in the track list, the brothers bring showcase their talents in the numerous instruments they can play.

“You probably met somebody in like high school where they played every sport, and they can just do it. That's how I am with instruments. It doesn't mean I play them well but give me anything and I can figure out how to play, or at least make some music,” Michael said.

Michael’s specialty is fretted instruments: guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin and cello.

“I just love instruments. I always have. I can pretty much remember every encounter within history of my childhood to do with instruments,” he said.

Kevin gave all props to his older brother when it comes to playing instruments, understating his own ability to play guitar, harmonica and percussion as “perfunctory.” However, he shared the same sentiment in loving instruments.

“Like Michael, I really love instruments. I’m glad I never got into collecting because I think that could be a dangerous thing to start putting all your money in,” Kevin joked.

In December 2023, The Bacon Brothers released a new single titled “Ballad of the Brothers (The Willie Door)” inspired by Texas’s own Gruene Hall in New Braunfels where the band had previously performed.

The single serves as the title track of the band’s upcoming 12th album set to release in April.

The brothers shared they will be adding some of the songs from the album to the Abilene show set.

“We're definitely playing that, probably about four of those tracks from the album,” Kevin said.

With the release of the album on the list of things to come, the siblings shared some of their aspirations and goals for the 2024 year.

“Honestly, I tend to just kind of wake up and take it one day at a time,” Kevin said. “I'm excited for some of the work that is in the can coming out this year. I have a few movies coming out and I feel good about them. Then, of course, I’m really excited for our record to come out, and I am just putting one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.”

“I have the same goal I've always had since I was 13 years old which is to have a hit record. There’s something about having a piece of music that you wrote and produced and sang that has its own life. So many of the things that I do, I've got to sort of push them along myself and it'd be nice to have something just take off. Have lightning strike and have a song everybody really likes,” Michael said.

Kevin and Michael shared their enthusiasm for performing in Abilene and giving the crowd a good show.

“We just want people to have a good time. We have a good time, and we like to get out in front of people and play our songs,” Kevin said.

“I think among everything, we're entertainers,” Michael stated. “We feel really strongly that if you spend the money and the time to come see us, we want you to have a fantastic show, and we'll do whatever to work and struggle to make the show as best as we can.”

The Bacon Brothers will be performing in concert at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress Street, on Thursday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Limited number of tickets are still available online at paramountabilene.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 'We're entertainers,' exclusive interview with The Bacon Brothers