After decades of playing in scores of different bands, tackling a myriad of styles, and performing in every imaginable type of venue, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Kenny Schick has stripped down to basics over the last several years.  

His vehicle of choices vehicle of choice for perfomance these days? An acoustic guitar and his voice. After decades of playing with big loud bands, appearances on nearly 30 albums, and 3 albums of his own densely layered experimental music, Schick found himself wanting to get to the simple essence of a song in a quiet manner, far away from the bombast of his earlier musical assaults, carnivals, and stampedes

Though one could be tempted to hastily cast him in the mold of ‘singer-songwriter’, Schick’s diverse path, which has led him to play in genres ranging from jazz to punk, and share stages with performers ranging from Bobby McFerrin to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has presented him with a unique perspective to an often predictable genre. 

Rather than coming from the typical singer-songwriter avenue of open mics, coffee shops, and 3 chord progressions, Schick approaches the genre from a perspective of large music halls, festivals, and intricate orchestration. Still present in Schick’s writing is his penchant for unique and creative approaches to music - now joining along is his irreverently humorous presence as a front man, which adds a great ying to the yang of his often darkly poetic songs. Under the vivid imagery of his lyrics is his very unique guitar style, which blends lush harmony with percussive techniques, giving the subtle illusion of multiple musicians. If one could imagine a hybrid of Elliot Smith, David Rawlings, Nick Drake, and Michael Hedges, that would put you in the ballpark of Schick’s musical leanings.

Always interested in extremes, both musically and personally, Schick’s entire life followed his musical career into the realm of dramatic change. Shortly after stripping down his music, he decided that his life too was in need of a remodel. In late 2005, Schick decided to take his music abroad to visit other parts of this world, and in the process of deciding where he would go, he met Australian, Sabine Heusler by chance on MySpace. 

Having much in common musically and personally, their friendship quickly grew and Schick found himself on a plane 8 months later bound for Melbourne, Australia, where he would meet his new muse for the first time in person. 8 months in Australia led to his latest CD, ‘Under’, the first album to showcase his new ‘naked’ approach. Also born was Heusler’s first CD of music - an atmospheric collection of her ‘ghost stories’ entitled ‘Alternative Gothic Swamp Lullabies’. The new music, a collaboration between Schick and Heusler would go under the moniker ArtemesiaBlack. 

Always a closet songwriter until meeting Schick, Heusler too would have her own ‘naked’ experience and begin her ‘rebirth’ as she would introduce her music to the public and begin to perform for the very first time. After 8 months in Australia, Schick returned to the U.S. due to illness in the family, so the new couple would again be on opposite sides of the world for the next year and a half. In August of 2008, Heusler joined Schick in the U.S. and the two immediately embarked on a 2 ½ month tour across the country and back, playing some infamous venues such as the Blue Bird Café in Nashville and the National Underground & Arlene’s Grocery in New York . 

To bring a happy ending to this dramatic union born in the modern day meeting ground of cyberspace, the couple married in February 2009. 

Along with their personal union, the two now perform each other’s songs as a duo and have started a company called Basement 3 Productions which incorporates all their artistic talents: music, photography, graphic design, recording/production, and teaching. 

On his own for most of 2008, Schick independently booked and performed nearly 100 shows nation wide, recorded several albums for others, and sold a good deal of his photography. 

Together, the two expect to up the ante, playing larger shows with more notable acts, such as the recent Richard Buckner show and the Left Coast Live festival. They are also putting together their own multi-dimensional shows in alternative venues to give audiences a much more unique, dramatic, and inspiring experience. With ArtemesiaBlack has come a theatrical, thematic approach to performance centered around Heusler’s ‘ghost stories’. This has led to a move to create not only music that is transportive, but environments that take audiences to another dimension away from their every day lives.