Kevin Ray Brost
Feed the Band
Our interview with
Kevin Ray Brost
Patrick L.
We have been on an amazing journey here at Southern Fellow. Our Feed the Band series has connected a multitude of people from all over the globe. Each and every one of you are on this journey with us. Each one of you have added your talent and treasure to support this endeavor. You keep the passion of food and music alive. Our next artist in the Feed the Band series is someone who puts all his might into this very endeavor.
Kevin Ray Brost has become a personal friend of mine over the past couple of months. I think he is one of the nicest guys you will come across. Not only is his character represented by kindness, but also in his work ethic. Kevin Ray Brost has been working at a feverous pace to bring his music to all of us. He has a lot of music coming and more roads ahead. I know personally that he will achieve his goals and vanquish his hurdles in a way that only Kevin Ray Brost can.
Kevin Ray Brost started his singing career like most boys growing up on the Mississippi do. He started singing at his church. That, and the music that had surrounded him largely impacts his music today. He is not the the traditional twangy artist you find in Nashville. Kevin Ray Brost has brought a smooth bluesy and soulful sound to the capital of country music.
It was an honor to have such a good friend be part of Feed the Band. Also stay tuned to the end. We have a giveaway. Kevin Ray Brost took time to answer a few questions. So let’s get on with the interview and learn more about Kevin Ray Brost.
Tell us about your journey to Nashville.
I was living in a town called Murray, KY while going to school. It was rare if my roommates ever saw me as I was constantly commuting back-and-forth to Nashville and back. I’d be going down there multiple times a week to play, co-write, go to shows, or network; anything I could do to immerse myself in the music culture there. One night I wound up at an artist showcase at the Union Station Hotel in downtown Nashville, where I got to talking with one of the artist’s managers after the show. He invited me to BB King’s Blues Club afterward for an after party, where one of the other bands he managed was playing. We hung out and chatted over food and drinks and that was that. A couple months later, we ran into each other at a “mixer,” of sorts, for different people working in the Nashville music industry; everybody from artists to managers, agents, etc. Again, we hit it off, and things were great. That was in the spring of 2016. Fast-forward to that following summer, and I’m living in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I decided I really wanted to get into my solo music after playing in bands since 2009. I recorded a video on my phone on me sitting on my couch, playing a mashup of Come Together by The Beatles and Lose Yourself by Eminem. I posted it to YouTube and the next day, he texted me and said, “Hey, I saw your video. When are we going to get you on the label?” I replied with, “Let’s do it.” Two weeks later, we were in the studio at The Tracking Room on Music Row to record my debut single, and the rest was history!
If you could not do music, what occupation do you think you would have?
Good question. I have a wide range of interests. I always thought having my own late night talk show would be fun. I have always enjoyed Letterman and Conan as well as shows like Graham Norton, among others. I’ve always had an interest in earning a pilot’s license, so maybe that. I do have a collection of pilot watches haha. I’ve really been into cooking the past couple years, however. I absolutely love Gordon Ramsay. I’d want his job, I think.
Here at Southern Fellow we are always creating recipes. What recipe do you use in your songwriting?
It’s not always the same. I never want to make it too robotic or formulated. Sometimes I think of an idea for a song or even just a title at first and keep it in my notes for a writing session. Other times, I’ll just pick up a guitar or sit down at a keyboard and work up some progressions and arrangements that I find groovy and build everything on top of that. I’ll often have many different songs I’ve written and take lyrics or melodies of one and match those with the chords from another and build it from there. I really took a piece of advice I saw Dave Grohl giving once in an interview. He said something along the lines of, “Whenever you feel the need to write or compose, get it all out of your system at once. Whatever you’re feeling in that moment, get everything out. All of it. Then later, you can go back and make edits and smooth it out.” I find doing this more organic and natural and is actually how I’ve written everything I’ve recorded and am planning on recording. It makes my music really transparent to who I am. I’m writing from within, instead of thinking about what catchy hook can I tie this all in with along the way.
I understand you like to test your skills in the kitchen. What do you like to cook?
Something new. I like to challenge myself in the kitchen and try making something new every time I cook. I love foods from many cultures, and have really been getting into Indian and Vietnamese cuisine lately. However, I really love breakfast food; and late night breakfast is no exception. And I’m also a big Tex-Mex fan. So probably some sort of breakfast quesadilla with eggs, chorizo, peppers, cilantro and hot sauce. Maybe some salsa to dip it in. Since moving to Louisville, Kentucky, I’ve been trying to incorporate more bourbon into my cooking, because when does bourbon bbq not sound like a good idea!
You are getting married pretty soon. If we interviewed Morgan, what secrets would she share?
Hi! This is Morgan filling in. Mmmmmm; secrets about Kevin…He shaves his feet! He claims that socks constantly pull on the hair on his feet; so he shaves them. I’ve also seen him binge watch, Bridezillas on Netflix because he found it “interesting.” He also still plays the original Pokemon games on his GameBoy from when he was around 7 years old. He says that’s not weird, but isn’t it though? I think the biggest thing though is that Kevin normally seems pretty confident and outgoing, because he really just wants to radiate a little positivity to those he comes in contact with, but in reality, Kevin’s a very nervous and anxious person. Before a big performance or studio session, he’ll get really, really quiet and will just kind of shake. He may even feel that anxiousness for weeks or months leading up to those events. Though once he gets on stage or in the studio and actually starts playing or singing, all of that goes away and he does great!
Try this inspired recipe
Southern Tour
Shrimp and Grits
What is your first fond memory of food?
Often times growing up, my mom would take me to a place next to my hometown. It’s called Wib’s Drive-In BBQ and is located in Jackson, Missouri. We would sing along to bands like Journey, Starship, and John Parr on our way there. I’d order the same thing every time and still do: 2 regulars with a bag of barbeque chips and a root beer. It kind of became our spot and we still go together whenever I have the chance to visit home.
“Stay” is smooth with a good melody. What can you tell us about that song?
“Stay” is a special song for me. It’s the song that got this solo career started for me. Is it my favorite song I’ve written? No. However, it’s given me a lot of great experiences, for which I’m thankful for. I’ve played for rooms full of complete strangers, and when we play that song toward the end of our set, and I look out and see those strangers singing along to lyrics I wrote; that’s absolutely unreal. It’s an amazing, yet strange feeling all at once. I’ve had the opportunity to meet people after shows, who have said how much that song has meant to them. That human connection is what it’s all about for me. I don’t care if I never play the Ryman Auditorium or Madison Square Garden, because I have that. Everything I’ve gotten to do and every opportunity I’ve had in my career is a result of how that song lifted things off the ground for me, and I reflect on that every time I play it.
Who are your top 3 music influences?
Ah, that’s tough. I draw inspiration from everywhere. If we took a road trip together and my phone was plugged in, you’d hear everything from Johnny Cash to Nas to Avenged Sevenfold, Kamasi Washington, Broadway musicals and orchestras, to The Beatles, Jimi, and who can forget, Smash Mouth hahahaha. But I will say this: musically, I’ve always been really into the blues; it’s how I got into music in the first place. I love old blues like Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, to BB King and Clapton, to now, John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr. There’s such soul to it and the music has simple, authentic and vulnerable qualities to it that I find very appealing. I’m also really into artists’ philosophies behind music. There’s some artists who I can listen to all day long talking about their music and the meaning of their writing: John Mayer, Dave Grohl, Jack White, Chris Thile. But really, I draw a ton of influence from the musicians I’m constantly collaborating with. I’m never a guy who just hires studio musicians. I record my music with my good friends, some of which I’ve been making music with since I was 14 years old. I’m all about having that chemistry in the studio and sharing these experiences with them. That inspires me to continue doing this more than anything.
If you wrote a song about food, what would it be about?
Ha. Probably something about how I got drunk and ate all the food. Some lyrics along the lines of, “Last night I got drunk really late, and I ate all the food. I’m so sorry babe, I never meant to hurt you.” Something like that haha. That sounds like a country song.
If I gave you $5 to spend at your local dollar store, what would you buy?
I would definitely be getting movie theater-style candy of some sort. I absolutely love going to the movies. I do it quite frequently. And I am not above going to the dollar store right before to get some cheaper treats haha.
What does the next year look like for you?
Busy. But a good kind of busy. I just recorded my newest single, “Better as a Memory,” at The Tracking Room on Music Row in Nashville and am really excited about releasing that. There’s a lot of press-related things line up throughout the next few months as well. I’ll be doing live radio interviews/performances as well as interviews with newspapers and online blogs (like Southern Fellow!), and I’ll be doing my first few podcast interviews which I’m pretty excited about. At the end of November, I’ll be heading down to Rome, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, to finish recording my 2nd EP at Mile 1 Records. That’s bound to be a fun time! Lastly, I’ll be gearing up for some of my first international shows which is such a blessing. I’ll give you a hint: some are in North America, and some are just across the pond…
Is there anything else you want readers to know here at Southern Fellow?
I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me from the beginning, those people who have just joined recently, and thank you to those who will hop on somewhere in the future. Please continue to support the songwriters, musicians, and producers you love; whoever they may be. I think music does a lot of good for a lot of people; like it always has and will continue to do. So help the music you love be heard! Thanks y’all!
It was great to have such a talented friend here on Feed the Band. This was a fantastic interview and I am excited to see what Kevin Ray Brost has coming in the future. Now is the time to add his music to your playlist. You can find him on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Google Play. Like I mentioned we will be giving away an autographed copy of his latest album. Click below to enter the giveaway. Also click here to see all the artist we have on Feed the Band.
