Kevn Kinney has a chat with us about his latest solo record ‘Think about It’

Frontman of Drivin n Cryin Kevn Kinney, has been in the works of putting together his first solo record in 10 years which dropped last week!

Kevn’s new album Think About It features R.E.M co-founders Peter Buck and Bill Berry, as well as Brad Morgan of Drive-By Truckers, Laur Joamets (Drivin N Cryin, Midland, Sturgill Simpson) and many more incredible musicians. The record is rooted in introspective solitude within the pandemic and glimpses at the emotions experienced during the passing of the iconic oddball musical/improvisational genius and lighting-rod philosopher Col. Bruce Hampton, an old and dear friend of Kevn’s. 

A collection of songs that show Kevn’s talents in their purest form, Think About It was recorded in indie-music mecca Athens, GA., with ex-Sugar bassist and driven producer David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Lee Bains, Son Volt) who took the wheel and slammed the accelerator. By unveiling some new dimensions of the artist who is continuously expanding and reflecting through his muse, Kevn intertwines and embraces various styles and genres of music. 

“When Col. Bruce died [back in 2017], I had the idea of taking a different approach, having all these different styles of musicians play with me—something, in the spirit of Bruce, that was a little more out there,” Kinney expresses. 

In the collection, Kevn explores a down-to-earth alt-country and Americana atmosphere through his tracks, Half Mast and Close the Door, then delves into a more sinister folksy tone through Catching Up to Myself. Through Scarlet Butterfly and Stop Look Listen Think he makes his way over to a melodic, hook-heavy driven clinky-clanky rock feel.  To completely change up the vibe, Kevn enters into a finger-snapping beatnik jazz and spoken word trance in Think About It, Shapeshifter Grifter, and Never the Twain Shall Meet. To end this wild ride of an album, Kevn cranks a proggy tone as the use of flute guides a traditional folk sound in Down in the City as it explores feeling alone in a crowd or a vast space. The delicate and beautiful overload of strings sparks the track Wishes, which is a tribute to vagabond truck drivers, salespeople and circus performers. It explores the story of a man who is stuck behind the wheel, yearning for home in a time when communicating with your distant loved ones was only possible through a pay phone. But here this man learns to embrace the feeling of loneliness, becomes familiar with it and less afraid.

The making for the album didn’t kick off until a few rotations around the sun, in January 2020 at Barbe’s Chase Park Transduction Studios. The album gradually evolved into a split of two distinctive sets of musicians who vibrantly complimented each other. The first side is coloured with acoustic, brushed drums, double bass and projections of spoken word that are carried with rhythmic essences from Scott and Stanley. Whereas the second one is coated in a full sound of electric rock and roll, pounded with drums from Morgan and oozing with Barbe on the bass with Buck leaving a distinctive guitar riff plucked on his classic Rickenbacker 6- and 12-strings, as well as a potent nudge. Coming in with the dynamic Stop Look Listen Think, Berry beats the kit and percussion as well as bringing his knowledge for key arrangements for several tracks on the album, including the intrinsic Half Mast. These two halves of a whole album that delves into an exploration of genres are sewn together delicately by Kevn’s flowing lyrical thoughts, Joamets innovative pedal-steel guitar playing and Barbe’s sharp musical vision and sonic qualities. 

Isolation and separation were apparent in the making of this album as the musicians were surrounded by the pandemic and unable to be completely together. This distance intertwined itself into not just the recording process but the atmosphere of the album. “We ended up working with a lot of amazing musicians who were available locally in Athens and Atlanta, and the situation made it easy for David and I to focus on the music since there weren’t friends and guests dropping in all the time. I really appreciated that aspect of it” Kevn expresses. Beyond this covid-lockdown self-reflection mindset that the album consists of, the tracks provide new abstract and pointed critiques of modern instant-gratification social media and cell-phone culture, nodding to hyper-connected people who clutter their lives with digital detritus to the point that there is no longer room for dreams and a sense of curiosity about the world or themselves. 

“Really, it’s a record for people to listen to by themselves” Kevn believes. “There’s a lot of longing and thinking in it. I grew up in a version of America and the world before even answering machines or Star 69. The album expresses this desire to have time to actually ponder and reflect—like, give me a minute, let me think about it.”

Loneliness is exposed through this collection of songs as something that can be a positive experience if one obtains the right mindset within it.  “I think a lot of people these days are afraid to be by themselves or to not be connected,” Kinney says. “And I think when you embrace the loneliness, there can be enlightenment in that. And that idea is central to Think About It…all the conversations we have with ourselves while sitting alone waiting to do things…Am I in touch with who I think I am? Where do I stand in the world?”

Happy got the chance to have a chat with Kevn about the production and writing process of Think about It as well as his musical journey so far. Have a read below to learn more about what this incredible musician has been getting up to.

Kevn Kinney’s Think About It is out now! Check it out below. 

Interviewed by Olivia Adams.

Photos supplied.