Hauppauge Singer Releases Solo CD

Hauppauge singer Ken Carmen has released his first solo album "Angry on a Tin Roof," with its 13 tracks becoming available for purchase on the Internet last week.

Carmen, lead singer and songwriter of established pop rock "The Mondays," said self-producing his first CD "Angry on a Tin Roof" has been a lifelong dream fulfilled. Over the years, he has been a member of Kerridian and MK5.

The singer said his musical style is heavily influenced by Rob Thomas, former leader of Matchbox Twenty. Carmen's album combines The Mondays traditional pop-rock style with more classical rock sounds.

Patch caught up with Carmen for a question-and-answer about his new album.

Q: "Why did you decided to branch out solo?"

Carmen: "I Don't really know why people do it. Everyone asks after a while, 'Did you ever put out a solo record."

After thinking a while, he added, "Doing a solo album is more personal. It's not really about egot. It's something as a songwriter you want to do, just because you've never done it before."

Q: "Where does the title "Angry on a Tin Roof" come from?"

Carmen: "I was on vacation with a bunch of friends. We were in a movie theater on Block Island in Rhode Island. It was raining and you could really hear, it was a tin roof. Later, the roof heated up because the sun came out, and I remember that."

"It's also in the song 'I'll be" by Edward McCain in the second verse it says 'Rain falls angry on the tin roof." 

Q: "Do you have a favorite song off the album?"

Carmen: "Forget About Me. It's about an experience that happened to me, the whole vibe of the Boardy Barn and the experience of hanging out in the Hamptons. I'm sort of glad those days are over."

Q: "How was it different working solo, rather than with a group?"

Carmen: "The other people arent' there to get excites, it's just you and the sound engineer. But having 100 percent total control rocks."

Q: "Did you learn anything while creating a solo record?"

Carmen: "The whole record was a learning curve. The growth process is amazing. I learned I like working with logic pro over pro tools.

"Also, I learned a lot about getting the sound I like. While doing 'Storyteller,' I didn't know different guitar sounds. I had to do a lot, to know what sound you are looking for."

Q: "How did the other members of The Mondays respond to you going solo?"

Carmen: "They were completely supportive. They were 100 percent for it."

While Carmen was in the process of producing his solo album, The Mondays released their second CD " and have performed both in the and a

Q: "Do you think you'll produce another solo CD?"

Carmen: "There's more I want to do with The Mondays crew because we are more established. I want to concentrate on the other members."

"I want to start bringing the other member sin more, having them sing lead and co-writer. I don't know if I have time to do another Ken Carmen CD."

Carmen's Album, "Angry on Tin Roof," is available for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and other sites.