February 2003

During the last one or two years, singer/songwriters have been paid a lot of attention, not just because the success Dashboard Confessional achieved in America. In my opinion, the debut of Kevin Devine is one of the most beautiful records of that style, which has been licenced by Defiance Records in Germany. So we were finally able to see the boy from New York live, when he travelled across the country, accompanied by Koufax. I asked him for an interview in the Wild at Heart club in Berlin, where he presented himself as a very likable conversational partner instead of being serious or introverted, like you might have expected it because of the music.

You are normally playing with your band Miracle of 86. How was your solo project started?

When I went to college, I suddenly had a lot of time and my band wasn't around me. I've always written a lot of songs, but I've never played them and especially in that time I listended quite a lot to Bob Dylan and Elliott Smith. I played my first live show in January 1999, and I played a lot of shows around New York in 2000, and I released my first solo record in 2001. You see that I've done that for 2 or 3 years now.

How have you set your priorities?

My first priority is undoubtably the band. I've been on more tours on my own, but simply because it is easier. By the way, our new record is out in March and here in May, I think. In the last time we did not have a solid line up and lots of changes, but that's over now and in the states the bands is much more famous than I am, here in Europe it's the other way around.

Do you try to use this fact to push your band here?

Yes, since the tour give me great possibilities. Every night people sign in my mailing list, so I can mail them band matters as well. Furthermore I've met lots of people here, who can help me with the band as well, such as for example Ralph from 2fortheroad or also people like you doing interviews and when we come here with the band, then it makes the thing easier.

Do you already have a label here for Miracle of 86?

I hope Defiance will do it, because they did a great job on my records and are very nice people. I think they already have the new record and like it and I'd be more than happy if it worked. I think they've got some trouble with our American label concerning money, because we're on Lakeshore now, a bit bigger label, who also released the first Queens of the Stone Age records and they want a bit more money, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

You have just finished an MCD/7inch for Defiance, and I wondered why it is not going to be released until the end of your tour.

I've already finished it and at first I was a bit nervous, because I was thinking that it is not going to be released until I'm back home again. But the point, as far as I understand it, is a different one: the don't want to compete with me, and so I'm able to sell it during my tour and after that it is gonna be sold in the stores, which is rather nice of them.

Above all I love the second and the third song. What made you decide to cover "You're my sunshine?" The song is happier than the music you actually make.

I just love the song and it's actually a song for little children. Normally, you only know the chorus and not the verses, but they are actually very sad. They are about a boy who had been terribly kidded by a girl/woman, and the lyrics are rather sad. Moreover I just love the country-swing and I've always played it at my shows. And when we decided to do make this 7inch, I asked myself why shouldn't I record it?, and now I'm quite satisfied with the result.

At all effects, it's become really good. As regards the cover of your CD, it's really cool with the Guns'n Roses poster in the background..

I have this poster since I'm eight years old and it's still on the wall in my kitchen, I just like it and I thought it'd be a cool motive for the cover..

The self-painted Eminem shirt was funny as well, what about that?

I like Eminem and I also love the shirt. I also have a hoody and another self-painted shirt. I also like hip hop, but the motivation for the photo was, that I just find it funny, that's my kind of humour. Many songs on the record are very serious but that doesn't represent me totally so I wanted to make sure people see, I'm not only like this.

How do your songs develop?

I always write the lyrics at first, most of the time when I'm on a train or at work. Actually, I never sit down and say to myself, "Okay, I'm gonna write a song now." It just comes, no matter where I am and so it happens that I write 20 songs within 2 weeks and then just one within a month. But it always occurs that I finish the lyrics before creating a tune, which is sometimes pretty hard. The other way might be easier.

How important is a tune of a song for you? Or is it just background music?

I've always liked the bands that write good lyrics and I've always read a lot. There are so few people writing good lyrics, that are really different and that's already my priority. I know that many people disagree with that, but to me it's just like that and I love Bob Dylan. He's like Shakesphere for me.

Listening to the MCD I had the feeling that partly different people sing and that it contains more instruments. Do you have people now who help you?

I know which parts you mean, but I just doubled my voice in the studio and sang a bit different. It's funny cause with this three tracks I actually had less help then with the record. On the first song I played everything, on the second one everything except for the drums and on the third one everything except for the piano.

It just reminded me a little bit of Dashboard, who started solo first and has a band now, would that be a possibility for you,too?

Lots of people did so. Elliot Smith for example,he's done the first three records on his own and suddenly he had a complete band. I'd like to play with a small band, but on the other hand, touring is easier for me like that. I just take my guitar and go out and play. But when I'm home again, I will do something about that, cause I'd like to play the songs in the way they are on the record.

Will it be the guys from Miracle of 86?

I would very much like to do that, but I think they would feel awkward by only being Kevin Devine's backing band. And I also got a few friends who like to join me.

What are you going to do next?

I'm only going to do stuff for Miracle. Our new record is going to be released soon and we'd like to tour for a while, in the USA, in Canada and hopefully in Europe, too. After that I'm going to record another acoustic album, which is probably going to be released by the end of the year.

Kai