Guitarist and bandleader Keith Allen recently sat down with us to talk new music, mental health and the lifelong creative process. Allen this past month released his first new original song in years, re-launching The Keith Allen Circus into orbit. He is a longtime friend of the Greensboro, NC music scene, founder of local stalwarts the Mantras, and is now taking on new creative endeavors.
“This last year was kind of a warm up for me getting back out there, and I’m really excited to see what happens in 2024,” Allen said.
Keith Allen is a staple in the Southeastern music scene, and he often links up with up-and-coming regional talent like Ranford Almond. The Mantras host the Mantrabash festival outside of Greensboro at the end of each summer, where the band collaborates with artists including Bernie Worrell, Consider the Source and Big Something. For more than two decades, Keith Allen has created memories for anybody who comes to watch him demonstrate both the light and dark tones rumbling from his axe.
Read what Keith Allen has to say about the past, the present and the fruitful future below:
AM: Tell us about the origins of The Keith Allen Circus.
KA: The circus started a few years ago but only played one show. The name was actually given to me by my friend Charles Frank. He has a way with words. I love the idea of the circus as a metaphor for art and life. It’s a little dark and scary sometimes, but always fun and interesting.
The first show was like a holiday party and we mostly played covers and then I didn’t really think about it too much for the next few years. Once I realized I had all this material and intended on releasing it, I started trying to come up with a name and The Circus just stuck. If you know me, and know my energy, it’s the perfect name for my band.
AM: Lets look back for a minute — October 2022 saw the last venue billed Mantras show. It’s been more than a year. At the time were you looking at a hiatus from music for yourself, or more toward presenting new things? Feel free to go deep.
KA: I guess a little of both. First off, I am The Mantras biggest fan, and always will be. We spent 20 years growing up in that band, and it was the best 20 years of my life. There were obviously a lot of moving parts, and I can only speak for myself, but I think we all felt like it was time to take a break from The Mantras. I personally needed a break from everything. Playing in a touring band is rewarding, but brutal sometimes. It takes a very special type of person to deal with that lifestyle for years and years. The rejection, financial ruin, time away from family, are a few of the things you have to endure and it can wear on you.
At the time, my Dad was at the end of a long battle with dementia, and my mental health was anything but good. Watching a loved one pass away like that is not something anyone can be prepared for. I’m still mentally unpacking a lot from that time period, and I think there was a lot of guilt about not being there as much as I could’ve been. That was one of a myriad of things from the last five or so years, from COVID to divorce, etcetera, that had pushed me to a point where I didn’t want to be on the road anymore.
While all this was going on, I was leaning heavily into music for comfort and support. I was writing a lot and have always enjoyed recording and making music in the studio. For years I have been keeping a sort of musical journal on my iPad with Garage Band, recording bits and pieces of things while bored in the van or randomly inspired. After years of this, I had a ton of half finished ideas that I never had time to fully realize and didn’t really fit The Mantras catalogue. So I started working through the pain.
At first, I just wanted to make this music for myself, but as I started to complete projects I began to feel more and more empowered. I believe that art is the only logical byproduct of suffering. It’s helped me through the worst times in my life, and as an artist, I felt I wanted to share that with people in hopes they might also find some reprieve from it.
But alas, I am a performer, and it didn’t take long to realize something was missing in my life. There is a visceral connection with my soul that happens when playing music in real time with others that you cannot duplicate. And even if I didn’t want to be on the road, I had to play. I started putting a band together to finish these tracks and start getting back out there slowly.
I don’t think I could ever take a break from music. My Dad would’ve wanted me to see this through, so I feel like I’m doing this for him in a lot of ways.
AM: I know a lot of stories are still left to be told from your guitar — Can you tell us about some of the music and art you’re making now?
KA: The art I make is always a reflection of what’s going on in my life. Some of the tracks from this EP are dark but hopeful. I think that a lot of music totally cuts out an entire spectrum of emotion. It’s OK to not be OK sometimes. Plus, I’ve always liked the sounds of bands with a darker side. Pink Floyd, Widespread Panic and Tool are three of my favorite bands and I don’t think that side gets represented enough.
I’ve also been a visual artist since before a was a musician and have been following that path a lot recently, designing all of the posters and images for The Circus.
Ultimately, I just want to make art that’s real and that helps me process trauma and maybe helps someone else find inspiration.
AM: Let’s talk about the people you’re playing with right now; you’ve impacted the East Coast scene in a dynamic way and it shows. Tell me about some of the stuff you’ve done over the last year.
KA: I’ve always been a huge fan of the local music and festival scene. We’ve had the opportunity to play at a few really cool festivals, Casual Campout and Graveyard Getdown.
And played with some great bands in the North Carolina scene and had some really cool sit ins from guys in Big Something, The Wright Ave. and more. I’ve been doing Keith and Friends shows spotlighting some of the best local musicians, and a duo with Ranford Almond. This last year was kind of a warm up for me getting back out there, and I’m really excited to see what happens in 2024.
AM: Let’s talk about going forward, can we expect to see releases from you under The Keith Allen Circus in 2024?
KA: Yes, absolutely. The EP is all but done. I’m putting together a release plan and hope to have it out by the beginning of the year. It’s 4 songs out of about a dozen more that I’ll be working towards a full length album release!
The Keith Allen Circus released its first single, Rob’s House, earlier this month on Spotify. Click here to listen in and stay tuned for more on this exciting new project.
Courtesy: Uncle John’s Bone
After Midnight 
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