The Spirit Of Kevin Drew

Dashing into the Shepherds Bush hotel Gigwise is meant to be interviewing Kevin Drew at about his solo album 'Spirit If', late because of the bloody tubes and looking a little (ok a lot) flustered, we collapse out of breath in the reception and look around for the Canadian rock star. Due to Drew’s popularity in his native Canada, we’ll admit we were looking for signs of a stereotypical diva - moody and bored, maybe tended by a few flunkies or yes men, demanding a bowl of peeled Smarties or a drink made form every alcohol under the sun - but there aren’t any. Shit, we think, as we check the address to make sure we’ve come to the right hotel. Suddenly, Gigwise gets that feeling of someone watching you, and turn around to see a perfectly normal bloke (Kevin) standing outside having a smoke and a laugh at the lunatic girl trying to pretend she didn’t trip when she got out the taxi (us).

It’d be a pretty hard task to find a Canadian who wasn’t naturally charming and friendly, and Kevin Drew is no exception. Tired, admittedly, and looking slightly as if he’d rather be upstairs sleeping/watching TV/whatever it is rock stars do in hotel rooms, he puts a brave face on it and we’re soon chatting away like old mates (if old mates means one tired musician and one hopelessly gushing fan trying to play it cool). Shaggy and slightly unkempt, Kevin doesn’t strike me as someone especially bothered with image, and the more we chat with him the more his passion for his music outshines any ideas he has about himself. Personal questions are a definite no no with this guy, who keeps his intimate life details close to his chest. The closest we get is noticing the 'F' tattooed on his wrist, and though we suspect this is a nod to his relationship with band mate Feist, Gigwise keeps mum.

'Spirit If' is an emotional tour-de-force, and we're interested to discover more about the origins and ethos for songs that can be distressing as well as up-lifting. we also wanted to get to the bottom of what Kevin meant when he recently described the album as “Fucking, Fighting, Fearing and Hope”. Kevin’s answer was characteristic to his tendency of giving his whole self, perhaps more of him than he wants to give away, and we understood him later when he mentioned that he wears his heart on his sleeve.

“It’s a Mix tape”, Drew explains after some thought. “Those are the themes I wrote about. I wanted to come out as a new age attacker. Everyone does the theme of life but I came at it from things that aren’t so beautiful. I attacked the idea of being addicted to beginnings and endings, to so much information and things going on. The media pushes you for what’s next, what’s next. We don’t live in the moment as we’re looking for the next one. I want to keep my feet on the ground now but that’s hard as I get turned all over the place the whole time. I’m just trying to find a balance that lacks in many, not just me. It’s been a self indulgent couple of years, not letting go of shit. Our consciences are a drag!”