WAIM 176: Kevin Kinney of Drivin’ & Cryin’

Kevin Kinney has been singing for himself for more than forty years now. You are welcome to sit and listen, but Kevin will still be singing songs, even if no one else is there to hear them. Kinney first formed Drivin’ & Cryin in the mid-1980s, on a foundation of jangle, grit, and honest storytelling. Kevin describes the band as a “quasi political self help garage rock band.”

Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kinney fell hard for rock and roll at an early age. As a teenager he co-founded a local music zine called The Shepherd Express, and began playing in various bands around town. By the time high school had ended, Kinney was looking for options outside of the confines of Milwaukee, and made his way down to Atlanta where he would eventually start Drivin’ & Cryin’.

After more than four decades as the head of Drivin’ & Cryin’, Kevin Kinney is just now learning to get better at being himself. He no longer feels the need to prove his worth to others in the industry, saying, “I am not fucking auditioning anymore. I am presenting.”

This newfound confidence has been borne out in the form of Drivin’ & Cryin’s terrific new record, Crushing Flowers. During our conversation, Kevin and I chat about his long career, including many of the big names with whom he has collaborated. We cover his Wisconsin childhood, the evolution of his songwriting, and Kevin even shares the beautiful story of the song on the new album about his mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

In addition to a tremendously thoughtful and fulsome discussion, Kevin even shares a brand new song that he wrote for a veteran’s group to help prevent suicide amongst military vets. There is a whole bunch packed into this one.

Let’s get into it.

Cheers,Matty C

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End Credits

Thanks so much to Kevin for joining me. You can find out all about his work at https://www.drivinncryin.com/

The What Am I Making podcast is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C.

Our theme music was written and recorded by David J. Baldwin.

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