Come On Down (and share the journey)

I don't know how common it is for a musician to invite fans to not only share in their journey, but actually influence it, be a big part of it. That is what I am doing these days. Whenever I meet someone new or get back in touch with a friend from my past, the journey changes a little, and there are new possibilities. My particular adventure really depends on the people in my life, and their support for me both emotionally, and in terms of what the music actually needs. So...come along, everyone! Be part of this with me! Share the music, the fun and the open road that I'm traveling here. I need every one of you, as I am by no means secure in what I'm doing yet.

Despite having very little money, I've somehow managed to release two new CDs, and these are certainly kicking off a new chapter for me. The Road To Olandra is a spoken word/ambient collaboration made with my friend John Sobocan from Canada. The recording was made well before "Up in the Air" happened, and it represents a very important part of the creative journey I've been taking. The pieces on this record are contemplative, introspective meditations on the solitude and uncertainty of life...my voice with John's evocative, stirring soundscapes accenting and illuminating what I'm saying. If you are a thinker, or find yourself in a transitional place in your life, I recommend you give this disc a listen. It is available through my website right now, kevinrenick.com, or at my shows...and we'll have it in iTunes and cdbaby.com as soon as possible. The other disc is titled Come On Down, and it's a sort of "mini-album," a 7-track disc that represents, I suppose, the follow-up to Close To Something Beautiful. It's a big step forward with the band I'm playing with that includes Ned Watson, Ted Moniak and Andrea Spencer, and we had alot of fun recording it with some sharp young engineers. It includes "Goodbye Typewriter," a song that most of my fans seem to like, "No Second Dates," a surprising tune that was co-written with old high school friend Christa Juergens, and "Call It A Life," a potent little song about regret that features Gretchen Hewitt and was produced by the Grammy-nominated engineer Adam Long. I have alot of material I've been working on, and no one project can represent everything I want to do. I'm still planning this personal album that will be a tribute to my mom, hopefully to be recorded mostly with Adam, and Ted and I are in the early stages of discussing another album that would be very Pink Floyd-influenced. I love making music, but each project has boundaries and sets its own terms. I don't have a label yet, so essentially I have to finance things myself, and it's very difficult. But I learn so much from every recording, and every new person I work with, such as the amazing Justin Robinson on the new mini-album (which will be out next week). I look forward to continuing, to getting better and more professional, and to hearing from my audience, which hopefully will keep getting bigger. I have a fair number of gigs this summer, including the exciting CD release show at the Sheldon Concert Hall on May 19. So again, let me say, "come on down," y'all, and share this amazing ride with me.

End of a year, end of a decade?

Some people say this year marks the end of a decade, some say no, it was the beginning of the millennium's second decade. I'll have to come down on the former side: a decade has ten years, and by any reasonable standard, this decade officially began with 2001 and ends tonight. At any rate, there are plenty of reasons for being reflective right now. I can scarcely even deal with trying to look back at the last ten years...way too much happened. But this past year? Sure, I'll give that a shot. The year began with me continuing to get attention from "Up In The Air," including more interviews in the media and more opportunities. The film kept opening in new countries around the world, and someone always mentioned my song at some point. It was simply amazing. The biggest adventure of the year was in March, when Ted Moniak and I were privileged enough to go to Tokyo to help promote the film in Japan with actress Anna Kendrick. I loved every minute of the trip, and I completely fell in love with Japan. I'll never forget how well I was treated, how intelligent and attentive the members of the press and radio were over there, and how quickly fans found out about me, showing up at my hotel to get autographs and pictures. What an experience! Ted and I also went to Dallas the very next month to perform at the C.R. Smith Museum for "AA Administrative Professionals Day." For both these events I am grateful to Paramount Pictures and American Airlines; everyone I met from these organizations was courteous and respectful.

Throughout the winter I worked on my very first CD at a basement studio run by Mike Martin. I learned so much about the recording process, and had a blast playing with Ned Watson, Ted, Larry Perlmutter and other musicians on the songs. A highlight was spending time at Keysor School, my old elementary school, with the kids who sang with me on "Read A Book." All four of them were wonderful, as was their music teacher, Tracy StClair. My CD, "Close To Something Beautiful," was officially released in April, one year after my mom passed away. And of course, a major part of the year I was in a continuing state of grief over having lost my mom the previous year, and spending the final months with my dad at Bethesda. He had gone into sharp decline this year and finally passed away in July. I miss my parents more than any words can say. My next album will be a tribute to my mother, and a photograph taken by my dad will grace the cover of the ambient side project I recorded with John Sobocan, to be released in January at last. It's hard these days whenever something good happens, knowing that I don't get to share it with Mom and Dad. But at least they both got to hear me sing before they passed.

Good friends enabled me to meet some of my challenges this year: I owe special thanks to Ted Moniak, Leslie Elpers, Gretchen Hewitt, Annalise Raziq, Melinda Farrar and others for the many ways they helped. New musical friends from Greenville, Illinois, proved to be wonderful additions to my journey, and I have the utmost fondness and respect for Dale Hanabarger, Erin O'Toole, Craig Baumberger and several others for inviting me to play at shows in Greenville, and facilitating some new opportunities. Dale joined me for the successful Neil Young tribute at Off Broadway in November, which was one of the most fun shows I've ever had. Special thanks also go to new friends Ryan Kirby and Chrissy Renick, both very talented singer/songwriters that I was proud to share the stage with for several gigs, and I look forward to doing that again with both of them. Ned Watson and Kathy Pour were loyal and flexible as always, and each had changes in their lives that impacted them, but they always made the gigs. John Sobocan, my collaborator from Canada, made several fateful visits to St. Louis, and helped me assemble a live CD from a gig at The Grove Deli recorded last year. Mr. Moniak, of course, was the big story, getting a job at St. Louis Strings and moving in with me in June, a pivotal event that allowed many things to go more smoothly, not the least of which was rehearsing new songs right away, and being able to perform either as a duo, trio or full band, depending on the nature of the gig. Thank you, Ted...wish I had some special award to give you, but hopefully my gratitude will suffice for now!

In the last quarter of the year, there were so many remarkable surprises: getting together with Jeff Viers, who invited Ted and me to join a "Mastermind" affirmation and goal-setting group that has been enormously beneficial; communicating with Christa Juergens for the first time (see previous blog) and finding common ground so creatively fertile that we've finished writing two songs together that I'm truly excited about; reuniting with childhood friends Rick and Mary K Haegg in Springfield in September and sharing a stage with Rick (who plays guitar), thanks to the wonderful opening slot made possible by my friends Brian Capps and Steve Newman, and the booking savvy of Liesl Aldridge. A special friend from France, Katherine (Renaud) Tardivel, also tracked me down at Facebook and we were able to catch up with each other after about 30 years of trying to find each other again. And, through it all, I evolved as a musician and songwriter, learning more and more about my abilities and passion for this craft of music. It hasn't been an easy year by any means. I'm haunted by the loss of my parents, I've had other painful losses I don't want to go into, and my working situation is very unpredictable and challenging. This path I've chosen has its ups and definite downs. But I am so grateful to be making music, and the new year begins with sessions for my next CD already under way, an article in Empire Magazine's January issue now published, and opportunities on many fronts opening up, aided by good energy from my manager Robynn Ragland  and new publicist Ben Flug. Despite some difficult times, I genuinely look forward to 2011, and I am determined to keep working to bring the magic and wonder into my life, like the best moments of this past year. My life is certainly interesting these days, and I love being surprised. Bring 'em on, 2011! I can't wait!

A rather skewed Christmas this year

It's been a long time since I updated this blog. For that matter, it's been a long time since I've known anything close to normalcy. When you get a song in a hit movie and lose your parents in the span of 18 months, life isn't going to be the same anymore. It's a very difficult holiday season. I'm not truly in a Christmas-y mood, and I miss Mom and Dad like crazy. Right about now, Mom would be baking her many famous cookies in huge batches, cheerfully preparing packages to give to people. Dad would've already gotten the tree up, with slightly tangled strings of lights and the same ornaments we used for years. Classical music would be playing constantly at their house, and my parents would be waiting to see what visitors they'd have this year. Well, there won't be any at the house anymore. It's been sold, and they are in heaven now, whatever that means. I am in a house with a great roommate, something that has allowed me to keep feeling at least the semblance of security and basic comfort. I have wonderful friends, and they all know how I am struggling to overcome the grief about my parents. Meanwhile, on the music front, I continue to be active and optimistic. Had what is probably my best gig ever at The Grove Deli, a wonderful show in which billing was shared by my friend Gretchen Hewitt, with a beautiful, electrifyin' crowd of fans and supporters. I have written alot of cool new songs. Startling, unexpected things have happened, such as becoming friends with Christa Juergens, the girl I had a mad crush on in seventh grade but never could talk to. All these years later, not only are we friends but we've co-written two songs together! It blows my mind. Every one of my friends, both those involved in my music and those who aren't, has given me something to feel grateful about. And I'm starting my second CD, the one about my mom and loss and the power of friendship, right now as you're reading this. Is Christmas different for me this year? Yes, in every way. Do I dread it? Yes. But I am not losing sight of the wonder of my life, the opportunities I have, and the people I cherish. For that, I am grateful, and I truly wish EVERYONE out there a Merry, safe Christmas.

Getting out there to play live

Starting August 7th, I kick off a series of live performances the likes of which I've never done before. It's fitting that roughly one year after I first got the news that my song would be used in the movie UP IN THE AIR, that I would finally have the energy and confidence to play out of town, and try to really make this musical dream come true. I've been talking to other musicians, studying this process, trying to understand the many different elements involved in being a performer. I am getting better all the time, trying to learn from my mistakes, and trying to understand the booking universe, which is one of the tougher things about being a musician in the early stages of a career. I don't know if anyone even reads this blog, but if you do, I'd appreciate any feedback you might have. What is certainly clear to me is that listeners and fans are essential...I can write a zillion songs, but if no one hears them, what have I really accomplished? The creation of a song is just part one of the process; after that, I want to enable people to hear it, either through performing or recording the song. So, whatever I have to go through to make it possible to gain listeners, is worth it to me. There is something I want to communicate about life in my songs. Something about the pain, the loneliness, the beauty, the magic, the hunger, the joy of finding friendship and love in this world, but sometimes losing it. I'm compelled to write songs, and I'm always trying to write better ones. And I want to invite any of you out there who are reading this, to come to one of my shows. I hope that proves worthwhile to you. Live music is one of life's potentially invigorating experiences. I'm excited about the gigs I have scheduled for the next three months, and I'm going to do my best to deliver a decent show. There's really nothing else I'd rather be doing...

Summer....and a summary

I've neglected this blog for a long time...partly due to confusion over accidentally creating TWO blogs, and partly because so much has happened it makes my head spin. In March, I had the opportunity to go to Japan, accompanied by Ted Moniak, for what turned out to be the most spectacular trip of my life. We were there to help promote the UP IN THE AIR movie, and I did scores of interviews for press, radio and television, all of which were fantastic. The Japanese people were so incredibly nice and respectful, that I fell in love with the whole country. I was absolutely fascinated by everything. I will hopefully post a detailed essay at some point about the trip. But the highlights were: performing my song at two amazing venues (The Blue Note and the Cotton Club), meeting adorable Anna Kendrick, eating amazing and unique food every day, staying at a fabulous luxury hotel, exploring the legendary Harajuku neighborhood (the pop culture mecca of Tokyo) and experiencing the high level of intelligence and charm of the Japanese media and people in general. I loved every minute of it. In Dallas, Ted and I performed for an American Airlines-sponsored event at the C.R. Smith Museum, for which I composed an original song ("Hats Off to AA Administrative Pros"). My debut CD, "Close To Something Beautiful" was released, with 12 songs and a hidden bonus track. People seem to like it, but I haven't yet promoted it very aggressively and we certainly haven't sent it to the press yet. I need to get on this, and soon. Considering the limitations I had, I think the disc is fairly strong...but it certainly isn't slick or polished. On April 23, we played with a full band for the first time at the Hwy. 61 Roadhouse in Webster Groves. Drummer Larry Perlmutter and sax player Angelo Shaw really helped make this gig memorable, and people complimented us on the sound, even though I thought it was rough. On Mother's Day, my dear friend Annalise Raziq joined me for a "Songwriter's Showcase" at the Globe Theater in Greenville, Illinois. This was a magical gig, played on a beautiful stage under optimal circumstances, and the audience was attentive and enthusiastic. Annalise added unique, memorable harmonies and spirit to songs of mine like "Cry. Hope. Lose. Sleep. Repeat.," "The Woods Around That House," "The Horse on the Old Brown Card," "Everything Reminds Me of You" and others. Oh, we had such a special time! Then on June 6, Ted and I had the opportunity to perform at a small venue in New York City, Bar On A. I had a bad cold for this event so I wasn't at my best, but the staff told us they liked us, so that was great. Finally, Ted, Ned and I opened for national touring artist Pieta Brown at the Old Rock House in St. Louis. There wasn't a big crowd, but the sound system at this venue was extraordinary and I considered it one of our best gigs ever. It felt really, really good to be up there, and I think all of us gained confidence from this performance.

So...I've stayed busy, but there has been alot of stress in my life. Finances continue to be very tight, my dad's health is declining, I still miss my mom horribly, and progress is slow in this music career I so badly want to cultivate. The songs keep coming, though. I keep getting ideas, and I have finished roughly a dozen new songs since March. Among the most promising, in my opinion, are "A Question For You," which we performed at the Old Rock House, "Promise Man," an uncharacteristically funky tune for me which we debuted at the Hwy. 61 Roadhouse April 23, a song Ted and I wrote together called "The Box It Comes In," and a melancholy but graceful little song that I'm calling "Out of Town." I've reached 112 on my list of finished compositions, and many more are in the works. I feel very creative and assured in my compositional instincts these days, and I can hardly wait to share the new songs live. But getting gigs remains a challenge. And so does simply maintaining confident through the daily struggles of life. Any of you reading this, let me know what you think about my journey. If you haven't ordered my CD yet, please do...it will help support me and you'll be getting a nice set of songs in the deal. Come to the shows when they are listed...I really want to play for bigger crowds. And always, always remember--don't take things for granted. Life is fast-moving, unpredictable, exciting but also heartbreaking. Appreciate the people in your life and the good times you have. I'm certainly trying to appreciate what is happening to me these days, and hoping that the best is still to come...

February...the Biggest of Anniversaries

I haven't updated this blog for awhile; there has been so much going on that my head is spinning, and there have been numerous technical difficulties. But things are gradually getting taken care of, fortunately. February marks the one-year anniversary of both the best and worst events of my life in recent years. The 12th marked the one-year anniversary of when I met Jason Reitman and gave him my song "Up in the Air," which has opened so many creative doors for me. And the 15th was the anniversary of when my mom had her accident, a devastating occurrence that led to her death and forever altered the way I look at things. I've talked about both these events extensively elsewhere, so for now I'll just say I reflect on things continuously...but there is something about an anniversary like this that makes you take stock of things. I miss my mom beyond words, and at the same time, I am so grateful to be able to make music now. I've just finished the recording and mixing of my first CD, and it's something I am very excited about, but also realistic about. I worked with limited funds and some daunting circumstances, but I think I've made a worthwhile, entertaining debut. You'll hear the results soon yourself. Meanwhile, I continue to write new songs...finished one about J.D. Salinger which I debuted live at The Grove on Feb. 20, and a new one is in the works that I will probably call "A Question For You"; it has a nice feel to it. I am in fairly constant motion, and definitely constant E-motion these days. I have alot that I want to do, and seemingly never enough money or time to do it. But it's a milestone to get a CD recorded, and I find I am growing more and more comfortable as a performer. Interesting things are on the horizon, and I'm moving ahead at my own pace. An update of the website is in progress...be patient as we try to iron out the considerable kinks in this net pre-order plan.

Where Am I Going?

There has been enormous confusion with my blog, my website, trying to coordinate all the social networking sites, etc. I don't even want to waste space explaining it, but...I hope some of you find this blog and comment here and there. I don't know who is reading it, and I am not "with it" enough technologically to run all this without considerable help. I'm grateful to have some smart, enthusiastic friends who help out. After reposting my year-end blog from 2009 (due to needing to change hosting/access info), I thought about what I wanted to say now that 2010 is under way. How about the title of the first song on my debut CD (called CLOSE TO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL), which is "Where Am I Going?" The CD is almost finished, and I have it sequenced the way I like, and I'm starting it off with this older song that I still relate to. It asks that universal question...where am I going? And I sure don't know. My adventure with Up in the Air has made it impossible to predict anything from here on out. I am anxious to get my CD out there, to reach more people, to keep writing new songs. It's an exciting time, but paradoxically there is a deep sort of loneliness that goes with it, an ongoing uncertainty. I miss my mom terribly, and I don't get to see most of my friends as often as I'd like. A different side of me has emerged in the past year, and I am trying to get to know that person. It's not always easy. But I do know that I want to play music, and affect people in a good way, and be able to pay my bills. All of those things are "up in the air," but I'm putting forth the effort. And I'm hoping this year will keep bringing me surprises, and showing me the road ahead. I don't know where it's going...but I'm in motion. And I feel e-motion as I follow this strange road...