Interview with Kevin Drew
Words: Steven Hobbs
Photo: Jesse Senko

Appeared:
August 29, 2007
McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn

Tucked away a few blocks off Bedford Ave in Brooklyn, the McCarren Park Pool is a venue that has long since captured the attention of everyone in the world—including the folks at Clear Channel.  Their 35 dollar price tag for the triple bill of Feist, Kevin Drew and Grizzly Bear had everyone in town phoning their parents to deposit a little extra money into their checking accounts. 

Situated in the deep end of a gigantic, trashed and graffitied pool, the stage offers a good view for those who choose to watch from the shallow end.  Around the outskirts of the pool, there are both beer and ice cream trucks, peddling waffle cones and Brooklyn Lagers.

Kevin Drew took the stage after Grizzly Bear to the backdrop of a setting sun and a somewhat restless crowd.  He, along with fellow Broken Social Sceners and American Analog Seters, performed songs from his upcoming record; Spirit If…The band courageously stumbled through the new, not properly rehearsed material, causing Drew to rely on a cheat-sheet of printed lyrics.  “I’m still learning it,” he confessed at one point.  The rest of the ensemble could have used a printed guide as well.  The amount of false starts and stops were as ridiculous as the ticket price. 

Halfway through the set, the crowd grew weary of listening to unfamiliar songs, prompting the inevitable cries for former Broken Social Scene anthems.  Understandably frustrated, guitarist Brandon Canning eventually replied, “It’s 2007.  There’s a new program.  I hope you like it.  We could play old songs, but it wouldn’t be as much fun for the people onstage.”

The highlight of the evening for everyone—including the people onstage—came during the final song, “Major Label Debut.”  The popular Broken Social Scene tune brought Feist from backstage to dance and provide vocal and tambourine backup.

Despite the lackluster performance, Kevin Drew’s Spirit If…is a solid record.  It’s full of understated arrangements, modified by his brooding, shadowy vocals.  The album is earnest and true, revealing Drew’s immense talent and capability as a songwriter.  

In the lounge area of the SoHo Grand Hotel, I sat down with Kevin Drew to discuss Spirit If…, the cult of collaborative community, fear and scoring films.

REAX:  You’ve been instrumental is bringing attention to the idea of collaboration and large community when making and performing music.  Why, more than ever, do you feel this resonates so strongly with fans?
Kevin Drew:  I think people want hope—false or true.  They want to feel like they’re apart of something.  They want to be able to clap their hands with other people.  Everybody wants a family, especially right now.  I also find that there’s a lot of pressure wherever we go, and everyone’s feeling it.  The anxiety level has definitely risen in the last few years, and we’re constantly getting more and more information.  And it’s not good.

REAX:  “Spirit If…” seems to address this idea both in the mood and the lyrics.
KD:  Spirit If… is the battle over the “What If.”  “What If” has taken over the whole way this world is run.  It’s upsetting.  Imagine if you woke up and had a group hug everyday?  How different would your day be?  Fear is everywhere, and once you see it, you’re never going to not see it again.  I’ve never been more frightened in my fucking life, and I don’t know what of.  What decisions am I going to make, all of that.  I don’t really sleep anymore.

REAX:  Before last night’s show, did you feel that anxiety or pressure?
KD:  Yeah, we all did.  But the show felt like a big breather to everyone, like a burden was lifted in someway.

REAX:  The guest list on "Spirit If…" is star-studded.  Was it a conscious effort to have these people on the record?
KD:  Well, I wanted to get people to play on it, and I was fortunate to get everyone I wanted.  It more or less just evolved on it’s own.

REAX:  The album was recorded over a two-year period.  Did you often reexamine the early songs as you continued evolving as a songwriter?
KD:  We weren’t making a record.  We were just making songs.  And yeah, we did go back quite a bit.  I had the best producers.  And we worked really hard on it.

REAX:  Did you feel pressure making this record?
KD:  The only pressure was making the end.  I really had trouble with it.  But I think we got it.  I also think people are going to eventually figure out that we’re just going to keep making records, and if you don’t like them, fine.  But if you do, take it and make it your own

REAX:  With a name like Arts and Crafts, it seems like you might explore other mediums?  Will there be anything else besides music?
KD:  Maybe (laughs).  We’re in talks, you know

REAX:  You’ve scored films in the past.  What attracts you to that medium?
KD:  Well, I wanted to make films.  That’s where I originally started.  And it’s just a lot of fun for me.  

REAX:  Are there any other projects in the works?
KD:  We’re working on it.  It’s definitely something I want to keep doing.

REAX:  What films have you seen recently that you would have liked to work on?
KD:  I haven’t really been watching anything.  Maybe Who Killed the Electric Car? or the cartoon, Spirited Away.

REAX:  What books have you been into recently?
KD:  A lot of self-help books (laughs).

REAX:  Who would you pick for you super group?
KD:  I already have my super group. 

REAX:  That’s a good answer.