If the members of A Family Curse look familiar, no wonder: The psychedelic blues-rock duo of Papa Niz and Baby Kiz are actually 54•50 frontman Neil Osborne and his singer-songwriter daughter Kandle. They are also no strangers to these pages; over the past few months, both artists and their various musical projects have premiered videos and singles around these parts. Today, their cursed luck continues as they try to make some sense of my dimbulb questions. No wonder they’ve got the blues.
Introduce yourself: Name, age (feel free to lie), home base, other details you’d like to share (height, weight, identifying marks, astrology sign, your choice).
We are A Family Curse we are two years old (terrible twos). Papa Niz and Baby Kiz, a Taurus and a Libra.
What is your musical origin story?
Slide guitar, microphone and a beat-up old drum.
What do we need to know about your latest project?
It’s not a project, it’s our life. We live this Family Blues, every day. It’s a curse!
What truly sets you apart from other artists?
Well, we are a family. When we look in the mirror, we don’t see any other artists.
What will I learn or how will my life improve by listening to your music?
You will learn what not to do. You’ll also learn how to dance.
Tell us about the first song you wrote and / or the first gig you played and what you got paid.
The first song we wrote was In Every Town, the sad story of Kiz’s life as a starving artist. We played our first show, sold out, Montreal, our fee was the bar tab.
What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you gave?
The first one, because it was so fun we can’t remember but we’ve heard great things.
What is the best / worst / strangest / most memorable performance you’ve seen another artist give?
That time we saw Bob Dylan walk on stage and walk off stage but didn’t understand what was happening in between.
What do you want to be doing in 10 years?
Living? Hopefully
What living or dead artists would you collaborate with if you could?
Kip Tyler. Is he alive?
What artist or style of music do you love that would surprise people?
Ethiopian jazz and voodoo lounge music.
What are your favourite songs / albums / artists right now?
Kandle and 54•40 and this super-underground artist Niz Wiz.
How about some other favourites: Authors, movies, painters, you name it.
Paris, Texas; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Unfuck yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life.
Who would you be starstruck to meet?
Elvis Presley and Britney Spears.
What’s your favourite joke?
Knock-knock.
What do you drive and why?
Barracuda … JK, no license.
What superpower do you want and how would you use it?
Mind reading, so I could read my own mind.
What skills — useful or useless — do you have outside of music?
Niz is good at breathing and cold showers, Kiz is good at creepy cartoons and snack platters.
What do you collect?
Hopefully royalties.
If I had a potluck, what would you bring?
Bourbon and a tambourine.
What current trend or popular thing do you not understand at all?
Pop music and TikTok.
Tell us about your current and/or former pets.
Kiz just got a baby cat named Pussy Galore … We prefer dogs though.
If you could have any other job besides music, what would it be and why?
Mailman: Like to walk and be off by 3.
What’s the best advice and/or worst advice you were ever given?
“It’ll all work out in the end”
Soak up some LA Blues above, sample some more sounds from A Family Curse below, and get cursed via their website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
