“The first vinyl album I ever listened to was an Elvis LP, Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite, that my parents housed inside a beautifully ornate 1970s wooden vinyl contraption that took up half of our living room.”
“As a young boy growing up in the 1970s I would leaf through their collection and constantly look for that Elvis record. It was the one thing that stood out among their collection of soft rock and country hits. Not only was Elvis wearing some strange bejeweled white jumpsuit, but it had a gatefold and sounded glorious. As I grew into my teenage years, a neighbor down the street introduced me to The Moody Blues, The Beatles, and Black Sabbath. The album that seemed most peculiar to me (and I love peculiar) was the John Lennon album Shaved Fish. I started collecting my own albums in the early 80s and my taste became more solidified with the onset of new wave and post punk.
I grew up in Grand Rapids Michigan and the only vinyl store close to me at the time was a 30 minute drive down 28th Street, but it was always packed with the latest and the best. The Smiths’ Meat is Murder was the only album that I literally could not find as it was sold out quickly, which prompted me to have to order it through the store. When it arrived some weeks later, it became my most prized possession in a collection that was mostly Duran Duran, The Cure, and Depeche Mode. The Smiths became a musical escapism for me, and their unique sound and lyrics would continue to inspire me for years to come.
Today I feel that vinyl still holds a place for me that digital, CD, or live cannot. I am still creating a musical project once or twice a year and for the last 5 years have included vinyl options with each of my releases. The company that distributes for me is called SMLXL and their office is right around the corner from my house in Franklin, TN.
In my studio I have two bookshelves from Restoration Hardware that shelve my favorite novels and my favorite LPs. I play the vinyl on a retro looking vinyl box bought from Costco. I know I should have a better hi-fi experience, but there is something about the limited speaker system that draws me closer and makes me investigate that artwork and the lyrics inside the gatefold. I guess at 50 years old, you can officially call me ‘old school’ in my choices when listening to music… but I am encouraged by how many of my younger fans and listeners want to purchase the vinyl options.
My favorite shop in Nashville, by far, is Grimey’s. Mike Grimes was a good friend of mine in the early 2000s when I went solo from dc Talk. He owned a club downtown in East Nashville called The Slow Bar. All of the great alternative, indie, and rock and roll bands were constantly booked at the club. He gave my first two albums Stereotype Be and Between The Fence and The Universe a platform to expand my audience in a more grass-roots setting.
Mike later started his own vinyl shop called Grimey’s and now has two locations in Nashville, including a great showcase venue. Being from a huge band like dc Talk, it was almost like starting all over again as my solo music was so different from my original band. dc Talk was known mainly in the Christian music market, but my solo music was definitely general market and alternative bound.
Throughout the years as a solo artist, I’ve experimented in everything from rock and roll to electronica. This latest album, Awol, saw things come full circle to my love of the new wave music that shaped me and specifically the band The Smiths. We were fortunate in that my producer for this album Kieran Kelly, knew a connection to bass player Andy Rourke, and we got him to play on the album.
Working with Andy was a huge feather in my cap, but it went beyond a fan moment, as he really brought a great feel to the album. Awol is a culmination of all of my greatest influences and all of these records I listened to obsessively in Grand Rapids Michigan growing up. To me, new wave music is still the best genre on the planet, and I’m excited to hear other modern bands taking bits and pieces from that influence.”
—Kevin Max
“Moonracer” is taken from the brand new full-length release from Kevin Max, Awol, arriving in stores on June 8, 2018—on vinyl. Preorder the LP here.
