Check Out Kapali Long’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kapali Long.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Aloha, Y’all; My name is Kapali Long; I was born & raised in Honolulu, Hi. In my younger years, I was raised by my Grandparents. My Papa started teaching me Ukulele and Piano at 3-4. I remember writing my first song in 1st grade, although it was very elementary. Music has always been in my blood. My Grandparents both performed and toured, Papa working as the MC for the Hawaii section of the 1964 worlds fair. My Grammie was a hula dancer then for many famous artists as well as the World’s fair. That’s where they met. Papa was a singer and ukulele/guitarist, Grammie was a queen of Hula, and my Grammies Brother was a famous Hawaiian musician named Buddy Fo. Recording at Capitol and A&M (Chet Atkins is credited on some of his tracks as the session guitarist) and one of the first Hawaiian groups to record at the capitol. My Grammies sister was Mikilani Fo. She won Arthur Godfrey’s ukulele contest and brought her to America (raised my Grandmother on the road), but “They” terminated her contract, falsifying that she had breached it. Still, we were Brown, and they didn’t like our features; my Grammie always said she passed from a broken heart. She also was one of the First female Lapsteel players. My Lapsteel mentor Alan Akaka (Who studied Jerry Byrd, who recorded Lapsteel for Hank Sr. to Ernest Tubb) reveres her as one of the best vocalists and ukulele players. Gabby Pahinui (revered as one of the best Lapsteel players, songwriters & prolific artists in the history of Hawaiian Music) used to put her on the B side to help. Gabby had a young musician who he worked with on his “The Gabby Pahinui Band Album One” by the name of Ry Cooder. My great-great-grandfather was in the First Graduating Class of Kamehameha school; they went to school with a young man named Joseph Kekuku, the creator of Hawaiian Lapsteel, The Bar & Metal Finger picks. Joseph taught many of his classmates.

Fast forward a few years, and you have Jimmie Rodgers, king of country music. They used to have a Native Hawaiian Lapsteel player named Joseph Ka’aaia Kaipo. Still, Jimmie could only tour the Chitlin circuit with his Brown musician, so he yodeled our Hawaiian Lapsteel lines. We all know Jimmie influenced Gene and Hank Sr & I studied Lapsteel from Alan Akaka, who studied from Jerry Byrd, who recorded for Hank Sr, so there’s the full circle. The irony is I’ve played Lapsteel for some other country artists for some time now in the background; I need to spread the true influence of Hawaii & Hawaiian artists on Western & American Country Music.

I moved to LA the day after I turned 18, although I started playing in coffee shops around my hometown when I was 13 years old. I always was a songwriter and a singer, guitar I picked up at 9 years old. My brother had a broken guitar with 1 string, and I figured out how to play the top melody of 11 songs, and my mom said to my dad, “We need to get him a guitar!” I was always in love with Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” & ALL OF Jimi Hendrix. I eventually saw Eric Sardinas play slide guitar, and I fell for the blues; that became my world, and I would dive deep into slide guitar, which brought me back to putting the guitar on my lap and learning Lapsteel. In LA, I did whatever I could to play as much as possible. I used to book shows from LA to Texas, drive in my Trailblazer, and then Jetta alone for months playing. I used to get teased growing up and even starting in LA and Hawaii for “Sounding Country.” Or “Oh, why do you play Country cuz you’re from Hawaii?” Little did they know my grandparents owned a ranch, and I was raised by a cowboy & a sheriff, so it just was in the stars. Eventually, I played at SXSW, where I was invited to open for Robert Earl Keen, and I realized, “I love Country, we are Country & I play Country.” I was hooked, next to Muddy Waters, Hank Sr. & Jones n’ Strait, my Fathers, Sons & Holy Spirit. Later I got invited to perform with Eric Sardinas (Mentored by Johnny Winter & BB King) became my friend & mentor, always there with words of musical wisdom to push me forward.

12/2020 I played the Troubadour in Los Angeles on a sold-out night. I eventually met another Hero of mine, a songwriting one, Carolina Liar, Chad Wolf, who then, once again, took me out on the road, and I played piano and guitar with him. He’s now one of my greatest friends.

Last year 11/2021, the Rosedale Collective invited me to be a part of an Event at the Grammy Museum, Shining light and recognizing past, present, and future BIPOC country artists. Other artists apart of this event were Allison Russell, Gabe Lee to Rissie Palmer. My Sister & Brother-in-law live in Nashville and have been trying to get me to come out, so I finally did, and I was once again hooked; although I never got the chance to play, I’ve always dreamed of Moving to Nashville and getting that publishing deal.

In August of this year, I made my Nashville Debut playing Whiskey Jam and Mahalo Ward & I got into the Bluebird and played on a Monday Open Mic & plan on spending most of my time in Nashville now. I also recently joined NSAI, which I am honored to be a part of, along with the International Bluegrass Association & Blues Foundation Member & Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts member.

I have 2 songs out right now, “Homesick,” which made its debut on Lonehawk Records Compilation, entitled “Me & My Guitar,” put together by Charlie Overbey. All the proceeds went to SaveOurStages, which had Marcus King, Jim James, Suzanne Santo, Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke, Particle Kid & more. My song closed the record.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a rough road but the right road. I have been in the Continental United States for almost 13 years, the hardest ones. One of the premiers, Mgmt agencies, contacted me at 19 to write in studios in LA for one of the biggest producers in the world, just to get shelved twice & shopped to three tv shows just to never get aired. From self-touring out of my car to touring on a train for 6 months to getting locked up on record contracts and working at a Starbucks to teaching to back this go. I wasn’t ready then, but I am now. I’ve always dreamed of making it to the Opry stage.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always lived by this state of mind of serving the song first. When I was 13, I used it to play the songs I wrote; people would Ask me to play this song or that song, but I wrote my own & people would give me such a hard time for that, but now it’s truly helped me sharpen my song crafting. I truly specialize in songwriting, storytelling, and guitar.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My Grandparents Sally & Oliver Crowell; my Mom & Dad Melanie & Charlie Long; my Wife Lauren & my Sister & Brother in Law, my Brothers. My Aunty Kalei, my homies Jake Burman & Mark Agnesi, and my bandmates in LA & Nashville. Hawaii for always being there for me & my musical mentors like Eric Sardinas, Chad Wolf – Carolina Liar (I play piano and guitar currently with that band as well), Justin Kawika Young, Charlie Overbey, Kaye Reznick, Alan Akaka & that Brother-In-Law Mike Monaco for really making me believe that I have a shot in Nashville & that I’m special. Whiskey Jam for taking a shot on me & Gibson Guitars for always being there for me, Beth, César, Rae, Ryan, Mac & the LA crüe. And Nashville for making me see that dreams are possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: KapaliLong.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/KapaliLong
• Facebook: Facebook.com/KapaliLong
• Youtube: YouTube.com/KapaliLong

Image Credits
Watson Isbell @_watis