Once in a great while we get the chance to speak with someone we’ve truly admired for years. In this case it is decades, plural, and Winger has been deep in our acoustic DNA since 1991. On today’s show we reached for an out of this world guest and are so excited to share this interview with you. It was a true thrill speaking to Kip Winger about the impressive and dizzying number of projects and albums from the rock world to the classical music landscape.
Those of you who are fans of hits like “Down Incognito“, “Easy Come Easy Go” or “Headed For A Heartbreak” (just to name a few) might have missed something Kip dropped on the world in 2010: a stunning album called Ghosts – Suite No, 1. Following his inner compass, he began a shift to classical compositions and, spoiler, he’s just as good at orchestration and arrangements as he is at rocking out.
While we were eager to dive into Kip’s experiences writing and performing albums like In the Heart of the Young and Better Days Coming, we’re fans of film scores and symphonic music so it was more exciting to talk to about his new interests. Following the 2010 album, Kip released Conversations with Nijinsky in 2016 which received a Grammy nomination.
After that was the Jack the Ripper inspired musical titled Get Jack in 2019. Then the band released another rock album in 2023 – the hard-hitting Seven which is full of greatest hits material. And while touring for that, Kip has been equally hard at work on the forthcoming Violin Concerto No. 1 which is set for a world premiere with the Nashville Symphony in May 2025. Now for a bit of fun…during our interview, Kip was kind enough to give us a sample of what’s he cooking up in an exclusive first listen. Hearing snippets from the concerto was an unexpected surprise to myself and my good buddy and co-host Matt Jacobs on the show.
So, to clear the air, the change in focus and direction from hard rock to ballet did not come out of nowhere. Kip tells us that, as far back as 1990, he recalled a specific interview where he stated, “From very early on, I was like ‘I’m gonna finish my last chapter writing classical music.’ I’ve always known it, I’ve always been trying to prepare for it. The difference is that I wanted to do it for the love of it. It moved me at a core level and I knew it was my destiny. I’ve always know that since I was 16 years old.”
“The objective is to chase the sound that I’m hearing that I haven’t been able to find.” To do this, Winger went on to study up and look for mentors to legitimize his efforts, “I wanted to grow the skills to be able to write organically for the orchestra, and be able to really speak in that language. No bullshit. Walk in and communicate to them on their terms.”
Kip was in Texas with the band for a show at Lava Cantina (above and header images), and it was amazing! Just hit after hit after hit, and the crowd loved it. These are world-class musicians and seeing them live brought new perspectives to greatest hits and personal favorites. In our initial email exchange, Kip noted that Seven would probably be the last of its kind. Also, in the interview, he tells us that touring is not something he wants to keep doing. And we get it, he’s on to different things now, and that’s not a bad thing.
With seven albums to his and the band’s credit, four solo albums and the above-mentioned classical works, Kip has done what he always set out to do. He’s comfortable, confident, curious and courageous. He’s also found his groove. While some consider changing direction like this to be sudden, again, he’s had his blinker on for a while. He just wanted a few more laps around the neighborhood to get there.
Closing the book on hard rock, and putting pen to paper for the symphony and ballet are just as thrilling for him and the listener. The work is more engaging and fulfilling mostly because that’s what he’s always wanted to do. Take a listen to what’s been released so far. The compositions are just as impressive and colorful as Pull or This Conversation Seems Like A Dream. The only thing missing is a Reb Beach solo or a signature seven-second Kip scream to put it over the top.
Now sit back, grab your headphones, and plug into this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience!
So what did you think? Can’t get enough? Well, you can get lots more info about Kip regarding his solo career at his website. And all you Winger fans can head to the band’s page to check out videos and get info on their tour. They have over a dozen shows for the rest of this year. If you see Kip, tell him we said hi. Rock on!!
