Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Renick.
Hi Kevin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I had a quiet personal dream of being a singer/songwriter, as I loved music and felt I had plenty to say. I grew up listening to the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY, and many other artists popular at the time. But I did not think my dream was possible because of my stage fright at the time and the lack of money to invest in my longed-for career. I was making a living as an advertising proofreader, something I did for many years. An incredibly serendipitous thing happened in 2009 when a song I’d written a couple of years earlier (“Up in the Air”) seemed like it might be thematically related to a movie that was about to be shot in St. Louis, also called Up In The Air. The director, Jason Reitman, was a rising, buzzed-about filmmaker who gave a lecture at my alma mater Webster University. Miraculously, I was able to slip him a demo of my song. He liked it and used it as the closing credits song for his movie. Suddenly I had a whirlwind of attention and all sorts of opportunities I would never have had otherwise, and my dream started coming true! I began recording my original songs, playing gigs, and building my musical persona. As a side note, people started telling me I sounded like Neil Young in both my voice and style. So I was able to start, as a side project, a Neil Young tribute band called Shakey Deal. So I could now book myself as an original singer/songwriter and a guy who could credibly do Neil Young songs. It was the start of a pretty fantastic adventure that is full of surprises to this day!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it most certainly has NOT been a smooth road. I always had turbulence in my personal life and finances. And even though “Up in the Air” made me a lot of money, it couldn’t buy me security. I had tragic losses (my parents died within 14 months of each other as my music career was starting), had to move several times, and could not truly book enough gigs to keep me in a healthy state economically. Also, the music industry was amidst sweeping changes, which ran counter to my “old school” approach to music and technology. I had to fight for or get lucky with almost every good thing that happened to me with music. And I still haven’t even recorded or released a third of the songs I’ve written, despite having five completed projects out there (a sixth is now underway). It doesn’t help that I battle anxiety and depression off and on.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve always been passionate about communication and wanting to get people to think about/talk about all the important issues in life: relationships, stewardship of the environment, the arts, how humans relate to each other, politics, what makes life meaningful or magical, etc. I received a degree in “English with a Journalism Emphasis” from Webster University in 1983. I won several awards and co-founded a couple of local publications, one of which was Playback: STL in 2002. So I was known as a writer who covered left-of-center popular music and artists that might slip through the cracks. I was known for my eclectic tastes, such as my passion for Scandinavian pop music. But I wanted to be a musician, and I kept writing songs here and there in my spare time. I improved my guitar playing and my ability to sing effectively (I kept getting compared to Neil Young). I am known for my intimate vocal and writing style, my popular song “Up in the Air,” and the themes I choose to concentrate on in my songwriting, including loneliness, the passing of time, the difficulty of making relationships last, and the rapid, often negative changes taking place in society and around the world, and how that seemed to be alienating us from each other at a faster rate. My songs seem to speak to a specific type of audience, people quietly given to contemplation and philosophizing. I am most proud of my overall sound and style, which reflects a high degree of empathy for the human race and the struggles of individuals, mostly those who are sensitive and self-aware.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
I love to collaborate with other musicians and writers. I’ve done so several times and have co-writing credits with several women writers and one or two male collaborators. Where I mainly need help, honestly, is when it comes to technology. I am not very tech-savvy. My website is out of date, I only have a couple of music videos out there, and I don’t know which music platforms are most effective. I would welcome the involvement of a few others who are more knowledgeable about these areas. I’d also love to perform with other sympatico musicians. I would happily share a bill with other singer/songwriters who are stylistically in my musical “wheelhouse.” I want to mention that I have a brand-new 5-song CD called “FORECAST,” and this will be available for just $7 at my big show at the Westport Playhouse on Friday, Nov. 4 (this is a Neil Young tribute show featuring Shakey Deal). Interested listeners can also get it by writing me at PO Box 31785, Des Peres, MO 63131 or via Paypal at kevinrenickbusiness@gmail.com. If folks want to come to the Nov. 4 show, just go to thewestportplayhouse.com and you can get advance tickets. After that my next two shows are at Johnny’s Hideout in High Ridge on December 2 at 7:30, and Lake Creek Winery in Marthasville on Sun., Dec. 18 at 1 pm. I’m very good about responding to ALL communication.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kevinrenick.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/kevin.renick.54
- Other: www.numberonemusic.com/kevinrenick, www.reverbnation.com/kevinrenick
Image Credits
Jennifer Goldring Thomas Whitener
