Kevin Goodwin is a singer/songwriter/pianist that hails from North Carolina. Kevin has recently made his way into the music scene after releasing two singles in 2018, “Alaska” and “All I Can Think About”. I can definitely hear influences from notable artists, The Fray and Jack’s Mannequin, as a base to his really unique sound. Although he has those traces of Pop influences, his sound really stands out on its own. With his use of deep, storytelling and emotionally expressive lyrics, Kevin Goodwin has surely found a way to break into the music industry. His debut album drops February 1st, 2019.
Tuning in to “All I Can Think About” immediately you are struck with a pleasant surprise. Kevin Goodwin truly has a way of projecting a soft and sultry vibe while still giving off that fun and pop energy. His voice takes you on a ride through the story of who she is and that is before getting to the video. The pianos melody is a beautiful accompaniment to the passion you hear in his voice. Then just as you’ve caught on to the hook, you are blasted into a series of ebbs and flows with this phenomenal electric guitar solo. You are caught in this emotional rhythmic battle and as you begin to unwind with the song it sends you away with a smile.
Listen to Kevin Goodwin's new song "All I Can Think About" here.
Hey Kevin! If you don’t mind, please introduce yourself.
I'm a 24 year old singer/songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina, who wants to bring pop/rock music back to you one song at a time.
Growing up, what musical influences did you listen to the most?
My childhood was filled with a lot of the music that my parents listened to. Luckily for me, that meant a lot of artists such as Elton John, Queen, and Phil Collins were my introduction to music. I was also very much into the pop and rock music that was at the forefront of the nineties. Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, and Counting Crows were not only musicians that I grew up listening to, but are still artists that really heavily influence my songwriting style.
At what point did you realize you wanted to add “singer” to your list of talents?
I started playing piano, and for that matter, writing songs when I was about seven. I knew ever since then that I wanted to be a songwriter. Singing wasn't something that came as naturally to me as playing piano or songwriting, though. I was a very shy kid, and it wasn't until I was about fourteen that I really started singing in front of audiences. Once I found my footing, I fell in love with it.
What is your main source of inspiration for the song “All I Can Think About”?
Coincidentally, “All I Can Think About” is the first song I ever finished writing with lyrics. I wrote it when I was fifteen about a girl I had a crush on who ended up coming to a New Year's Eve party I threw. I wrote it about that feeling of regret over letting your shyness and insecurity stop you from taking a chance. In this case, that chance was talking to the girl my high-school self was too nervous to ask out.
Why is it important that you set yourself apart?
I know that as a listener, I'm really drawn to artists that are genuinely original. I never want to hear someone doing their best impersonation of someone else; I want to hear them as the artist they are.
The hard thing to figure out as an artist is what it is that makes you unique and different from everybody else. Once you get a grip on that, it's all about building on it and making your own sound. I'm a storyteller, and I want to always tell the stories I have in a way that no one other than myself could.
Can you give us a sneak peak into your debut EP “This Is How It Starts”?
“This Is How It Starts” is a record with songs that I wrote from many different times in my life over the past decade. I wanted to pick songs for this record that depicted love and growth of a young adult. It's a coming-of-age record, and one that I hope everyone's late teen and early twenties self will relate to.
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