A change is coming - The Kev.O interview

Written By: Raven Ekundayo

This year has been one of evolution and true transformation for me. I don't think anyone I interviewed this year understands that as well as Kev.O. By the time you read this he will have gone into his chrysalis and been born anew. So this is in essence my final interview with the artist known as Kev.O. This brother has been down with The Misfit Movement since it first started. I'm happy to witness his growth and change into who he is now. So much has changed for him over the last year. Enjoy my interview with the one and only, Kev.O….

Raven - Give us some background on who Kev.O is.

Kev.O - KEV.O is originally from Atlanta, GA and left to attend Howard University in Washington, DC, where he lived for nearly a decade, after which he returned home to Atlanta. He wears many hats in the entertainment industry; he is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, vocal arranger, vocal producer, actor, model, vocal instructor, musical director, vocal director, and independent artist consultant. He has completed three solo recording projects - 4 Singles Only!, LOVOLUTION: The Urban Alternative, and disCOVERy - receiving a nomination for the first and an award for the second. He was also a member of the singing groups Afro-Blue and Reverb, both of which have received local and national recognition.

Raven – So that's the end of the interview, no more questions left, Lol. When did you first fall in love with the arts and singing?

Kev.O - As I watch my nine-year-old niece and infant nephew grow, I realize that falling in love with the arts doesn't happen at a particular time in our lives, per se; it's inherent, at least as far as our family goes. My first grade teacher, who is still a very close friend to my family, talks about thinking something might have been wrong, because she'd always find me "drifting off" in class. After a while, she understood that it wasn't the case at all; I was actually so in tune with my environment and everything happening around me that I'd often get "caught up" in the beauty of the details. Interestingly enough, I still do it as an adult, but I've learned to embrace it as a fact of my life as an artist.

I pretty much grew up in a black version of the Partridge Family! My parents were always around the house singing. My Saturday morning "wake up" call was usually my dad crooning Marvin Gaye tunes in the living room. He has a very unassumingly resonant voice! Soon thereafter, my mom would follow-up with passionate renditions of old-school gospel or hymns. So, it was only fitting that my sister played the saxophone, my older brother played cello and now guitar, and my younger brother played the saxophone and is now a DJ. It was nothing for us to strike up songs on road trips...in three-part harmony, no less!

My first instrument was a toy drum set, which quickly got switched out for a toy piano after my parents found me, a toddler at the time, climbing all over the church organ one day after service. From there, I started taking piano lessons, and the snowball just kept rolling.

Raven – That has to be an awesome feeling having music around at all times. It was pretty much in your blood. At Howard you were a part of the Jazz collective known as "Afro Blue". You were also a part of the long standing DC based group, Reverb. How did being a part of these groups help you as an artist?

Kev.O - I can't say enough about how great an experience it was singing with Afro-Blue! Additionally, I'm so proud that the nation gets an opportunity to see them on NBC's The Singoff! The Singoff, for me, is like the Superbowl - no talking, and no crossing in front of the TV!

Singing with them for almost 8 years was like a master class on vocal-musical contextual consciousness, for lack of better wording. I became very aware of how each note and vocal mechanism played an important role in the scope of the entire musical picture. Of course, that resonated very well with my anal nature.

Now, Reverb revived the showman in me. After years of being in music classes all day everyday, which catered more to the technical side of musicianship, this was the element that had gone relatively untouched, for me. They were also very strategic about the performances they'd agree to do; if it wasn't in some way connected to uplifting the community or acknowledging history, they weren't doing it. So, I credit what I know about being professional, engaging, and conscious to the six years I spent touring with them.

Raven – THAT truly creates a well rounded singer my brother. This year has been very moving for a lot of people. You can truly feel change in the air. Why is this year significant for you?

Kev.O - Besides Afro-Blue making their network TV debut and getting the opportunity to be at the hospital when my nephew was born, there is surprisingly even more that makes this year significant. Like I said before, in addition to being an entertainer, and among so many other things, I am a vocal instructor, and I've always dreamed of working with celebrities. Well, just earlier this year, my first celebrity client came a'knockin'! I've also been writing songs since I can remember, and I scored my first song placement on a major artist's album this year! I can't believe I actually got to meet and work with Travis Payne this year as well!!!

Finally - and this may come as a bit of a surprise - this is KEV.O's final interview, and this year is KEV.O's last year onstage. Now, there are some great transitional things happening during Scorpio season, but folks will have to pay very close attention to my Facebook page and Twitter feed in order to stay updated. My screenname is "KevOTheArtist" on both. (At the time of this interviews release his name is now @Kevinmaxim on Twitter)

Raven - How has being back home in Atlanta effected you?

Kev.O - It was a little quiet for me, at first. Of course, I had begun to grow fond of the congestion, noise, and hustle of living in DC, and I had forgotten how spread out Atlanta is and how laid back we southerners can be. That's not to mention the fact that both my social and professional network was primarily in DC. So, it was super quiet for me, which actually turned out to be a good thing.

After I was able to readjust to the experience of living in Atlanta as an adult, I realized that my life had been so noisy that I couldn't even hear the voice of reason. As an up-and-comer in the entertainment industry, there are three ideal places to live - New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta! Add to that the fact that my family is here, a critical element that's been all but completely missing for me over the decade I was away, and relocating to Atlanta became a "duh" moment.

While I had grown to appreciate the faster-paced lifestyle of DC, I realize now that I had lost a critical element of being an artist - heart. Granted, I'm a southerner. So, being polite, courteous, and gentle are traits that will always describe me, but my soul had iced over. It wasn't until I got home for a while and got to experience the warmth of my family, who loves me just because, that I realized there was so much of me that needed to be restored.

So, my Atlanta experience has helped me to be a lot more meaningful in my approach to life and a little less rigid in my application!

Raven – I think what you just said will speak to a lot of people. I think it will resonate with those who are afraid to leave home and those who are afraid to go back. Now with all of that being said; how do you cope with fear?

Kev.O - Most people may not realize this, because I've always intentionally camouflaged it in order to encourage others to be better, but Fear had practically become a spouse for me. It was such a big part of my everyday life, but I've recently pulled out the divorce papers! I look at my life now and ask, "Who would I be if I wasn't afraid of anything?".The laundry list of self- expression that comes as my answer is the big chunk of my life of which I'd allowed fear to rob me most of my life.

So, I now take fear head on, intentionally placing myself among the elements of which I am afraid. Generally speaking, we're only afraid of the things we don't understand, but immersion facilitates the understanding necessary to eliminate fear.

Raven - At this point in your career can you name 3 highlights thus far?

Kev.O –

1. Winning Steve Harvey's New Star Competition earlier this year was such a pleasant surprise! It's been hard enough for me to win a toy from a cereal box, even more to actually win a singing competition.

2. I was completely blown away when I received a call to perform for Banana Republic's new season launch! As an independent artist, I solicit opportunities to perform as part of my full-time job, but it's amazing the ones that actually come through, even when and where I'm not looking.

3. Getting to coordinate background vocals and also sing background for one of my favorite voices (and people, because she was very nice) of all time, Kim Burrell, was probably the coolest experience for me! It was as if she respected our musicianship as much as we did hers. I got to meet Nikki Ross that day too. Double treat!

Raven – Earlier you spoke on being a vocal coach. What is some of the best advice you can give to someone wanting to sing, but afraid to do so.

Kev.O - Fear is a result of a lack of understanding, and the learning curve for singing is virtually infinite with a seemingly very gradual incline when experiencing it subjectively. From the outside, the thought to of singing in front of people, not even considering the thought of making a career of it, seems huge and very intimidating, especially when ones "good singer" examples are those believed to be further along. The key to overcoming this fear is understanding that most singers start at the same place, left of center at the bottom, knowing absolutely nothing concrete about music, or even the voice for that matter. Once an understanding of the curve is reached, the playing field seems a little more level, and all that's left to do is take a deep breath, open your mouth, and let'er rip!

When my clients are nervous about singing in front of me for the first time, I usually play my first studio recording for them. Their response is almost always something like, "Whew! You were really shopping that for a deal?"

Raven – LMAO! Wow, you have to let me hear that one day man. So what's next for Kev.O?

Kev.O - Absolutely nothing. He dies in November. Who know's? He may come back as a butterfly, phoenix, or any other mystical creature with wings!

Raven – Wow, we've had talks about this bro; the death and the rebirth. I feel that. What does eXcaping the matriX mean to you?

Kev.O - "EXcaping the matriX" means pursuing the fullest and highest expression of myself and overcoming the influence of ego, especially fear. It means receiving every experience as an opportunity to further my understanding of life. It also means accepting all my past, without regret or grudge, as that which has brought me this point in life, this point being an opportunity to move forward with a better understanding.

 

 

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