Kuntry Strong – An Xperience Interview

9 Hours in a Basement, Frozen Fried Chicken, and the Casting Couch Scoop on the BoonDock Kingz

By Jason Irwin.

Some artist interviews take place in a studio. Some happen backstage before a show. And sometimes they happen in a basement — with a “conversation” that keeps running far longer than anyone expected. Most of my interviews are about 20 minutes. This one went for several hours — and adult beverages may or may not have contributed to that — but we lived through it. This was a hard one to trim down, so an “extended play video” of the day does exist (although who knows if it will — or should — ever surface). It started and ended with laughs. In fact, when my subject walked into my basement studio, the first thing he noticed wasn’t the camera or audio recorder. It was the black faux-leather sofa. “Is this the casting couch?” he asked, eyeing it as if it might come with a waiver form. That’s pretty much how my recent talk/hangout session with hip-hop artist Kuntry Strong (aka Bryan Delurey) unfolded as we talked about new music, old memories, and the strange path that led from upstate New York to a country rap career built 800 miles from where it started. We both currently live in Schaghticoke and have become friends over the last few years, so this meet-up was ultimately inevitable. 

Kuntry Strong is one half of the BoonDock Kingz, alongside his longtime collaborator and Georgia resident Danny McAllen. Together, they’ve built a sound that blends country storytelling with hip-hop energy – along with a tinge of Irish heritage, and shaped as much by lived experience as by geography. That foundation is at the center of their upcoming project, “3 Piece N’ a Biscuit,” which is now a fully recorded EP headed toward a mid-May release. Much of the project has been built in a way that reflects how modern music is made now — not in a single room, but across distance. “At the moment, I’m in my studio at my house; he’s down South,” Kuntry explained. “We’re video chatting, going over songs, writing together. I’m doing a session, recording my parts, and sending the whole session over. He uploads it. It’s all coming from the same place, even though we’re not in the same room.” Kuntry is originally from the Valley Falls area but moved to Atlanta to pursue his music career at age 21. He met his partner through a mutual friend, and within a year, they had formed the group and recorded their first song. 

His musical roots include growing up with the sounds of Chuck Berry and Garth Brooks, and later being exposed to Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg. That could explain the origin of his interest in this particular cross-genre sound. He also cited Bubba Sparxxx, who he described as “a hip-hop guy from the country.”  

His favorite rapper of all time? “It’s Jay-Z by a mile.” I also happen to know he’s a huge Guns N’ Roses fan. That’s a pretty broad range of musical taste. 

At one point, I asked him the reason for his return to the North Country. Every musician has a legend attached to them. Kuntry’s involves an “accidental discharge,” an apartment ceiling, a very unlucky cat,  and the authorities asking him if he thought the situation was funny. “Not funny ‘ha ha’ … funny  ‘peculiar,’” was apparently his response. Epic. For the rest of this one — again — the video (if I ever obtain permission to release it). PS … don’t worry, the cat survived. 

This conversation was — probably for the best — interrupted when my wife, Lisa, surprised us with a full chicken dinner with biscuits. It was a sneak attack by the Irwins, and Kuntry didn’t see it coming. “That’s wild,” he said, laughing. “That’s actually a 3 Piece N’ a Biscuit. Perfect.” We all enjoyed the dish while listening to the new EP. It just seemed fitting. Between bites, Kuntry described the project as a “country rap mud park party record,” rooted in trucks, whiskey, and storytelling that reflects their world. The tracklist includes “Who I Am,” “Time Is On Our Side,” and “Pull Up,” which is the first single, being released on April 23. A fourth song exists, but Kuntry described it as “top secret” and chose not to share details. I tried bribing him with more chicken, but he wouldn’t budge. He also talked about music production and how collaboration has changed over time. He referenced how songs used to require physical travel just to make small edits, compared to now, where entire sessions move instantly between people. The moment turned into the running theme of the interview — things just happened naturally and somehow fit the project perfectly. 

Earlier in the day, Mr. Strong and Mrs. Irwin both took part in what I called the “Eddie Vedder Challenge,” a sort of game show-type contest in which they both tried to interpret lyrics from Pearl Jam.  This was staged and “hosted” by yours truly, as it’s well known that Kuntry isn’t a fan of the band or  what he calls “‘90s depressing rock.” He immediately reacted. “Man, I can’t understand a word this dude is saying,” he said. “This sounds like somebody singing with a mouth full of peanut butter.” After a few rounds, he emerged the winner — barely. “I’m sticking with hip-hop,” he proclaimed. 

From there, our parley-turned-party drifted into a series of hypothetical scenarios and creative tangents,  including what kind of score he would create for a sequel to “Big Trouble in Little China.” He declined, but added that it “would probably sound like Wu-Tang.” “I would contribute a song, though,” he said. “I’d  call it ‘The Check is in the Mail.’” Fans of the film will get that one. This is another running joke with us, as we are both big Kurt Russell fans – and self-proclaimed co-founders of the yet-to-be-materialized Schaghticoke Chapter of the Big Trouble in Little China Fan Club. That led to other strange ideas (mostly mine), including a fake collaboration tied to the 2010 film “Country Strong,” and whether he would do a duet with star Gwyneth Paltrow. “I’d let her handle the hooks,” he joked. He also assured me that he “had that name first,” and added, “And if it wasn’t for my rap spelling, I could have collected on that.” 

There was also a deeper moment when he discussed his speech patterns and stutter, which shows up from time to time. “When I’m performing or recording, I don’t stutter at all,” he said. “Everything has to have rhythm. If there’s a pause in the rhythm, that’s when I get stuck.” He explained how speech therapy helped, but music ultimately gave him structure and confidence. He also talked about how hearing his own voice recorded was something he had to adjust to over time, like most artists. 

The conversation also drifted into family, which I noticed is important in his life. In fact, Kuntry’s own daughter is included in many of his group’s videos. They are fun to watch – and uplifting … packed full of friends just having a good old time sharing positive vibes. I also heard a great story about his grandmother, who is still very socially active in her late 80s. “She’s a socialite,” he said. “She’ll be 88 in June. She still loves going out, talking to people, having a beer.” We stretched far beyond music at points — including discussions about tattoos, late-night creativity, and a question about whether anyone would ever believe half of what was recorded if it was released uncut. I picked up a guitar at one point, and he joined me with some freestyle verse. Kuntry even joked at one point that the entire thing felt like a documentary in real time. And in many ways, it was. 

By the end of the afternoon (OK, fine … the very late evening), nothing felt structured anymore. It had moved from music to memory to family to absurd humor to real reflection — often without warning and often while someone was laughing in the middle of it. But that kind of chaos is exactly what made it work. Because sometimes the best interviews aren’t interviews at all. They’re just friends in a basement,  shooting the breeze — with chicken on the table, drinks in hand, music in the background, and a story that keeps writing itself. This one is just getting started.

Pre-save “Pull Up” from BoonDock Kingz and D. Thrash of Jawga Boyz now on all streaming services, and visit the group online at facebook.com/BoonDockKingz.