Kev Rowe: Interesting
Newspaper articles and interviews
-05/19/10, West Of Newspaper, SC - writer, Andy Lassiter
"DO YOU KNOW KEV ROWE?"
West Ashley resident Kev Rowe has been rocking for over a decade. He released his third long player a few weeks ago
Local musician Kev Rowe has paid his dues over the past 10 years. Gigging regularly on Folly Beach in between national tours, Rowe has made a place for himself in the world of eclectic singer songwriters. In between his busy schedule of touring, which includes over 1,000 shows to date, Rowe has managed to released three albums and work with a variety of musicians and side projects, including his previous Americana band, Big Leg Emma. Originally from Jamestown, NY, Rowe has called Charleston home for the past few years.
Kev Rowe's music has received numerous awards and recognition for his honest and intimate style of songwriting. Rowe has just released his third album, called "hi love," which was recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, under the direction of producer Danny Kadar, who's worked with The Avett Brothers, Trey Anastasio, and My Morning Jacket. The album was recorded over two years, with a variety of musicians including members of local bands Sol Driven Train and Slanguage.
"Making 'hi love' was an amazing two-year journey of recording for me," says Rowe. "Every week I'd go up to Asheville, record a few tunes with some great musician friends, and then come home. The songs on "hi love" are straight from the heart and describe the things closest to me."
The CD, which pictures Rowe on a beach chair with toes dug in the sand, is a simple, summery showcase of Rowe's laid back singing style, which falls somewhere in between Jack Johnson and James Taylor. Each of the 10 tracks has an obvious theme, which is conveyed through Rowe's thoughtful, delicate voice. Lyrics of love and loss, lamentation, and social disparity are woven into the straightforward soundscape of acoustic guitar, drums, horns, and organ. Truly a CD for the summer, "hi love" would be a great listen on a ride out to Folly Beach or on a romantic afternoon with a date.
-05/01/10, Chautauqua Star Newspaper, NY, -writer, Dusten Rader
"Kev Rowe Returns to Jamestown and Brings New Album with Him"For the last ten years Jamestown raised Kev Rowe has been touring the nation hoping to spread love with his music. With the release of his third full length album hi love, Rowe will be returning to Jamestown to celebrate as a special guest to his former band Big Leg Emma at their reunion show.
I had an opportunity to talk with Rowe to learn more about his music and his new album.
Chautauqua County native Kev Rowe's newest latest album, hi love, is available at several local stores, including Chautauqua Music, the Labyrinth Press Co., and Townhouse Records, all in Jamestown. Rowe will also perform with Big Leg Emma on May 7 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. (Submitted Photo) DR: What inspires you as a musician?
KR: I wake up in the morning and like to be creative. That applies to music, lifestyle, business, family, all of it. I like to be alive, give it everything I have, and just see what happens and enjoy it. So, as to what inspires me to play music, a better question would be to ask what doesn't.
DR: What are a few of your favorite tracks on the new album and why?
KR: "Burn Away" and "Light in my Life" are a couple of favorites for me on the cd. They are both songs I co-wrote with friends. "Burn Away" with Todd Dalton and "Light in my Life" with Ron Lorenc. Both of those tunes have positive messages and kind of an uplifting vibe to them. They take you away to somewhere else. "Something's Going Down" does too, but more in a fun way. Don't get me wrong, there are a few heavy heavyhearted songs on hi love too. It's a balanced attack.
DR: Many musicians contributed to the creation of your new album "Hi Love" including Jamestown locals: Amanda Barton, Anthony Brown and Cale Hawkins. What was it like working with them?
KR: Having Amanda Barton, Cale Hawkins, and Anthony Brown on the cd was great. I try to keep things experimental, and that is comfortable for me with people I know and trust. Amanda and I have a certain musical kinship and connection that is pretty strong, and has gone on for about 7 years now. Of course, there's our time together in Big Leg Emma, but she's been on all three of my solo cds too. She is the most natural singer and musician I've ever played with. Cale is amazing too. Incredibly natural talent and it's nice that he hasn't been jaded by the big, bad music business yet. Unlike many people I know who have been up and down that river a bit (hey, including me). Cale is wide open and like a sponge at this point. Anthony Brown is a very versatile guy. He's a great engineer and studio guy, but also and incredible piano player, making him a serious double threat.
DR: You've taken the stage with some great musicians, what are a few or your fondest memories from those experiences?
KR: Opening for the band America was pretty amazing. Unexpectedly they brought me on stage to do the encore "Horse with No Name" with them. I was like "Are you sure? I don't even know the chords?" And, they were like, "So what kid, there are only three of them." They were really funny guys actually and very nice to me. It made me miss playing in a band again too. Just a little. The whole experience was great and is very dreamlike to me now. With Big Leg Emma, we opened for lots of great bands too. So, I had known that most of the time, big stars and nationally known, larger than life, famous musicians are usually just normal people with maybe a random eccentricity here and there.
DR: How has your music evolved over the past 10 years?
KR: I've grown as a musician because I've grown as a person. It has not been an easy road, and sometimes it's required me to step back from it a bit and do other things. I am very driven and dive into things completely, so I've had to be more patient and understanding, and keep my eye on making quality music that lasts, both for the people I love and myself. The music business does not hold those ideals in high regard. At least that's not the picture that is painted for you coming into it. I'm here for the long haul, no get-rich schemes or trap doors for me, thank you.
DR: What was it like growing up in Jamestown, NY?
KR: I have nothing but fond memories of growing up in Jamestown. Life is simple and there is less throat cutting for the dollar when there are less dollars to be had. Good values, morals, and principles are felt throughout a community, even as a child. I remember playing football in the street, driving around in my car (when old enough), and playing music with my friends with a total sense of freedom! That kind of freedom and let's face it, less opportunity, is an amazing combination for grooming great arts and culture, period. I don't think I'd make the music I do today without being a part of it.
-05/13/10, Jamestown Post Journal, NY - writer, Dave Emke
"Enough Reality Going Around. Kev Rowe to play CD Release Shows"In this world, there is a lot of reality going around - sometimes, one just needs to let the mind and heart wander away.
That's what Kev Rowe says he was focused upon in the recording of his third solo album, Hi Love. Rowe will be releasing the album in two shows this weekend for area fans - at Mojo's on Friday night and at the Bellini Lounge in Mayville on Saturday night.The record was created, he says, during a time in his life when he was starting to fade away from the music business because of the crush of reality around him.
''It seems to me in these times there is enough reality going around,'' Rowe said. ''The recession, the war, reality TV, politics, et cetera ... it's enough to make you want to escape. So that's what I did.''
Rowe said that in the fall of 2008 he needed a break in his life. He'd been touring as a solo singer-songwriter for four years after eight years of touring with bands. Saying he was losing faith in the music business and in himself, he entered into a stage of depression and personal anxiety. Creatively drained, he decided to take a new path for a while.
After responding to a classified ad looking for therapists for autistic children, Rowe said he was led to an experience that would change his life - and his music - forever.
''What I found was an entire world of heartache and frustration in these autistic children and their families, who were fighting a virtually unexplained, very controversial epidemic,'' Rowe said. ''Each day, I was exposed to the struggles of these children, and when I got home I'd write songs about the healing process of working with them. Trust me, it was as much therapy for me as it was for the kids.''
He was continuing to work on Hi Love on the weekends, making trips to Asheville, N.C., to work at Echo Mountain Studios with producer Danny Kadar. In the end, he said, he had a product that he enjoyed creating and that he felt really meant something. He said the CD also passed his ''friend test.''
''It had to emotionally connect with a certain 10 or so friends and fans that I picture in my mind, who I really trust their musical tastes,'' Rowe said. ''The record needed to create a deep, long-lasting connection with people who hear it. I figured if I made those 10 people happy, including myself, others would be too.''
While Rowe now resides in South Carolina, his roots to the Jamestown area run strong on the CD. Todd Dalton co-wrote tracks on the album including ''Something's Going Down'' and ''Burn Away''; local artist Amanda Barton, Rowe's longtime bandmate in Big Leg Emma, plays strings on the album; and 17-year-old Cale Hawkins, whom Rowe met when hosting a songwriter's showcase for the Infinity Performing Arts Program, plays organ on ''Something's Going Down''.
He has also been performing with Barton and other former members of Big Leg Emma in recent weeks as the band has gotten back together for a handful of reunion shows. While being on stage with six other people is very different from the acoustic solo project he's familiarized himself with over the past several years, Rowe said the experience has been amazing.
''It's allowed me to get back to what I really know while being more equipped to understand it,'' he said. ''There is no doubt both worlds have taught me a lot about music and, almost more importantly, they've taught me a lot about people.''
Rowe said that he is not sure what the next step in his career will be. Whatever it is, he said, he knows he's happy and content will the choices he's made so far.
''I'm very grateful for the things that have come to me, including my musician friends, fans and family,'' Rowe said. ''I guess I'll just try to keep that attitude going forward.''