The Music of Kevin Wayne

New Country Demo: Rock 'N' Roll Is Going Country

2011-07-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

One of Kevin Wayne's previous attempt's at breaking into the Country market as a songwriter, the song Rock 'N' Roll Is Going Country has been turned into a full-production demo.

Influenced by Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam & Roy Orbison, the song tells a story of Jimmy, a busker who travels the country trying to make a living playing wherever he can. Through a turn of events, Jimmy is discovered as an artist and sent on the road to stardom.

The song was produced by Mark Riddick Productions in Nashville, TN markriddickproductions.com The origianl singer on the project was Red Marlow.

UPDATE: 08/22/2011 - More recently, Kevin cut his own vocal for the song and released that version in late August. Now the song is closer to the original Roy Orbisonesque vision he had in writing it.

Press play to hear Rock 'N' Roll Is Going Country now.

The Rose Of the Streets Album Project: Is it Morning yet?

2011-07-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that whine Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was about to finish up the 40 - year delayed Smile album that was supposed to have been released long ago, he had a similar question on his mind.

As well as Axl Rose, when he was finally getting the long-awaited Guns & Roses album Chinese Democracy album finished and ready for release. I'm sure he was asking the same thing I am asking now.

"Are we there yet?"

In the year 2000 I began recording an album. I was using the home-built studio of a friend of mine's who lives south of the Portland Metro area way out in the country. I had no idea what I was doing. To be brutally honest, neither did she (although she had more experience doing music as a whole than I did at the time.) Some nice arrangements came out of those sessions, but nothing ever approached CD quality. I chose to not release them on an audio CD, but I put them on the Internet where they have remained ever since. Well, until I came up with arrangements that I liked better. If you are sampling through the .mp3 player on the left sidebar of this blog, the recordings of Beatitudes & Live For Today are from those days. I hope to replace them with sparking New Rockin' tracks soon.

The music I was working on back then - even though these are much the same songs - would have taken on a totally different direction if I had released them as a commercial album. The movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" was what I was digging on at the time. Yeah, me and Kid Rock both agreed that the Sound Track was the best CD of 2000! So I had some songs that were acoustic only whit no drums, others with full instrumentation. Tired to go for a folksy-bluesier feel. Maybe I thought it was a quick way to get a project done. But when I heard the final masrers, I knew I couldn't invest in making an actual CD out of them, so I never did.

But ten years later I'm returning to the original vision I had, after getting a renewed and reconnected interest in Garage Rock. Six of the songs I was working on back then: "A Part Of You," "Faith," "Hello," "Beatitudes," "Live For Today", and "The Rose Of The Streets" are carryovers from the 2000 -2004 sessions. The title cut to "Rose" was written during the sessions, inspired by a homeless girl whom I used to let crash at my place.

I'll be laying down the bass and drum tracks at Opal Studio in Portland. To hear demos of all the tracks I will be working on, go here.

Speaking of being homeless, it was during those years that I was involved as a Music Minister for an outreach to the homeless spearheaded in conjunction with the Mennonite Church. back then, i don't know if you could call the songs I was working on anything more than just Contemporary Christian songs for those involved with the Homeless. In fact, most of the songs really were just ones that I had written in times past, but grouped them together because they seemed to revolve around a theme of the poor, needy, and dispossessed. or at least bore some semblance thereof.

But they weren't necessarily my experiences. Only the song "Rose Of The Streets" was written about the experience of an actual person that the theme of the album was (and is) about.

To understand what this is all meant to me, one needs to realize that I, a guitarist and songwriter who sang for the Homeless wound up Homeless myself. In the ensuing years, and due to a long series of circumstances, I would up out of work, depressed, and in need of housing. I was up desperate to get housing to avoid being on the streets. I played music for spare change in Downtown Portland. Some of my adventures from those days will be included in an upcoming documentary being filmed for release on PBS. I wrote a few songs about my own experiences, which will round out the album: "Street Corner Rock Star," "Simpli 'N' Angel," "This Ain't Wall Street." More songs related to these events will be on future projects. The slavery folk-song "Follow The Drinking Gourd" will be added to the mix, and given a Rocking approach. I chose it as a token Folk-Spiritual in place of Wayfaring Stranger, which I had originally intended. But it's like everyone & his dog has done that song by now!

Decisions will be made following the creation of the rhythm tracks as to how to go about finishing up the songs. Do I record all the other instruments here at home? Do I finish it all up at Opal? A combination of both? I keep upgrading my equipment and finding ways to improve my sound. My other current project, "Pictures Of You" will feature a vocal I cut right here in the privacy of my own living room. Final master should be in my hands any day now. I hope to have the whole Rose Of The Streets album done by this Fall. The Morning can't come soon enough for me.

Kevin Wayne's New Mp3 Single: Pictures Of You

2011-07-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Pictures Of You is available for purchase on Kevin's SoundClick, Bandcamp & Reverb Nation sites for only $0.75 cash.

This year of 2011 promises to see more of Kevin Wayne emerging from the shadows as a formidable songwriting force. In July, time is already booked at Opal Studios for beginning the final recordings of the long-delayed album The Rose Of The Streets. One has to liken the delays in this project with famous ones such as the Beach Boys Smile album, or Gun's & Roses' Chinese Democracy, both of which took years before they were finally released.

But now coming even sooner is the release of Kevin's version of Pictures Of You, a song originally written for the General Market. Co-produced with UK Songsmith Nigel Cuff, this will prove to be a foretaste of good things to come as older ideas for songs are finally realized.

"Originally my idea was to have a Female vocalist do Pictures Of You," explains Kevin. "But Nigel heard the vocal track I provided for him and said it was pretty darned good, and that I should try it with me singing the song instead. So there you have it!"

Kevin got the idea for the lyrics to the song by reading over the blogs and looking at the artwork of many Goth-Emo bloggers & general teens & twenty-somethings on MySpace & Tumblr. "Sort of a love for poetic imagery and plays on words- the way Youth tend to express themselves from the heart, when given an uncontrolled forum, it's just simply amazing" says Kevin. "Also the more that I listen to the lyrics, the more I get the feeling they foreshadowed a recent relationship of of my own."

"Remember" Mark Brewer of 25Gauge

2011-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Some things you never expect to find yourself writing about. Today I'm doing one of them. My good friend and Christian Brother Mark Brewer passed away this month, while at his townhouse home in the country in Dayton, OR. During his last days on earth, he was working on his 1st album under the auspices of his musical identity, 25Gague. Unfortunately, he never finished this ambitious project, a Rock Musical based on the turmoils of his recent divorce. To hear the in-progress recordings of this album & hear his music streaming live, go to http://members.soundclick.com/25gauge.

Mark wrote on his SoundClick member profile: "Born with a heart condition Docs said I wouldn't make 4 months. Almost 40 years later still kicking it. Thank you Lord Jesus for watching over me and protecting me." Indeed, all of us who were his friends knew Mark struggled with his heart problems until the end. But somehow in between all of the repeated trips to the emergency room with chest pains, he managed to turn out the basic tracks for a solid, adventuresome Avant-guard Rock Album. To my ears, it recalls bands like old PiL or MX-80 Sound. But Mark considered his influences included Rock/Industrial music such as NIN & Ministry. And at least one person has noticed a resemblance to Pink Floyd.

Mark had a bizarre sense of humor that wouldn't quit, as everyone knew. I met him as a prospective student for George fox University in early '92. As an RA (Resident Assistant) for his dormitory, he hosted lots of interested 17-year old kids during that time, and so when he came to greet me on campus, he was not expecting a thirty-something guy with a guitar. As a result, upon our meeting he walked up to me and asked "So... you must be Kevin's Dad?"

From then on, Mark always had fun with that when we were talking with other people. "Hey I have a song about Kevin's Dad called 'Your a lot cooler than your son.' Kevin I remember that day I met your Dad, and he came to visit Fox for you. He was awesome!!! We went swimming, and he played his guitar. Good times!" - is what he wrote in a mutual email to myself and a couple of other fellow home recorders.

He named his "band" (mostly a one-man project) 26Gauge as he put it: " from the size of needle I used when I injected prescription pain killers into my thigh." Of his influences, he wrote "I'm inspired by Bloodgood, Judas Priest, Saviour Machine, but I can really relate to Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, he lived in Mercer, Pa about 45 miles where I lived. He grew up with Fire and Brimestone from his Granma. As I did from my Preacher Dad. His lyrics are very deep and painful."

Mark I also wrote a song together called "Remember" for 25Gauge album project. You can hear the song on the SoundClick player at the top left of this blog. I also tried to do an alternate version to fit more with disturbing, honest style. You can hear the in-progress version below, which was recorded by myself but remixed and EFX added by Mark himself:

Kevin Wayne's upcoming collabs with Useless 'N' Pointless, 25Gauge

2011-03-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

Click on the .mp3 player to hear Kevin's collabs with 25Gauge & UNP!

Purchase "American Lies" - UNP w/Kevin Wayne as a bonus track on the album Water, exclusively on SoundClick.com.

Two upcoming collaborations with Kevin Wayne and other recording artists are currently in the works! The upcoming CD release from east Multnomah county rockers Useless 'N' Pointless (UNP) will feature a guest harmonica track from Kevin. UNP laid down the tracks for their upcoming release titled "Water" on Sat March 13 at Opal Recording Studio in East Portland. "I've heard most of the tracks they are busy working on, and it spells good things for the progression of their overall sound" noted Kevin, who dropped a blues harp part on the UNP original "American Lies." "Lots of it reminds me of Alice In Chains or even The Clash. They'll go far with this one."

Also, prior to the ending of last year saw the partial fruition of the Kevin Wayne/25Gauge co-written tune "Remember." The song is to be released in two different versions by each of the collaborating artists. Kevin's version of Remember is already online for previewing. Mark Brewer, the genius behind 25Gauge has stated that "Everyone who's heard it loves it" (Kevin's version.) Mark hails from

just outside the Portland Metro area, in a little secluded spot called Dayton, where he collaborates with his son Brendan Brewer and other artists in his vision of musical alchemy. The project is envisioned as a Rock Musical centered around recent family issues in Mark's life, as a sort of catharsis for happenings of days gone by. Tentavily titled "I'm Coming Apart," the album is to feature the 25G version of Remember.

Useless "N' Pointless expect their EP to be available soon. The project by 25Gauge will hopefully be completed by the end of this summer. Kevin hopes to feature collaborations with both bands on a future release of his own.

Contact Useless 'N' Pointless at: http://myspace.com/uselessnpointless

25Gauge's website is at: http://25Gauge.com

Kevin Wayne Searching For A Heart

2010-12-22T05:20:00.000-08:00

Kevin Wayne - This Ain't Wall Street

2010-12-22T05:19:00.001-08:00

Kevin Wayne - Hope v Hope

2010-12-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

Kevin Wayne - Hello (I'd Like To Be Your Friend)

2010-12-22T05:17:00.000-08:00

My Currrent & Upcoming Projects

2010-07-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

CURRENT ALBUM: What's been cooking at the musical kitchen of Five-Star Musical Chef, Kevin Wayne? Last April, I released my Internet Album, "No Use In Cryin" 12 tracks 45 minutes running time. This album is available for purchase & download for $7.99 at my SoundClick.com Store, or a hard copy is available for $8.99 (shipping included) by PayPal-ing me your payment & shipping info to KevinWayne@gmail.com. I put this collection of songs together from the best of the most recent recordings I had been working on. Just stuff I was tinkering with on my PC. The relase of "No Use In Cryin" will coincide with an upcoming ew film documentary that I'm featured in about Street Musicians in Portland, OR.

UPCOMING FILM: Speaking of which, that Documentary is tentatively titled "Artbeat of the City" and is currently in post-production by Ailgif Studios. Last year Filmmaker Mary Anne Benner joined me and a few other friends at one of my live appearances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbMFdCyTr6E

NEW ARTIST COVER: My song "Pictures Of You", a composition from the days when I was trying to write for the General Market, will be covered in an upcoming release by Dutch female vocalist Miriam Brinkman (or Mirjam, as she's known in her homeland.) The song was originally written with an up an coming Teen-pop artist in mind, sort of an Avril Lavigne type breaking into serious Rock. Miriam has been racking up live performances and TV appearances in the Netherlands, and doing alright for it by all accounts!

Pictures of You has been previously covered by French/Italian artist Wania Weller, who's currently being approached to do a French language recording of the song. The goal of all of this? Multi-platinum Songwriter status, of course! Well, OK - "Without a vision the people perish" as some say, so if I ain't dremin', I'm dyin! ;-)

NEW RECORDING PROJECTS: And finally- Salem, OR area producer Charles Normal is being talked to about a couple of possible recording projects involving myself. One would be the Soundtrack/Companion CD to the upcoming Artbeat of the City movie, and the other is a new album by myself. Trust me when I tell you that Charles is world class, having toured & recorded with Gun's & Roses, Frank Black of the Pixies, Larry Norman, and has won awards for his production of Indie blues artist Mark Lemhouse. Keep checking for further updates.

Ciao For Now!