Kevin Burt

Kevin Burt’s New Album Stone Crazy Is Out Now On Gulf Coast Records

By Kevin Wildman Gulf Coast Records is pleased to announce that they have just released the album Stone Crazy by Iowa bluesman, Kevin Burt. This is Kevin Burt’s first release for Gulf Coast Records and the label is just ecstatic to have him on their roster and Kevin is equally as happy to have signed with them. Gulf Coast Records founder, Mike Zito tells us that “Kevin Burt has been a force for years and is finally getting the International recognition he so deeply deserves. His voice is commanding and soulful and his songs are honest and from the heart.”

Stone Crazy was recorded at Marz Studios in Nederland, TX. Helming production on the album was musician/ producer Mike Zito. Mixing and mastering on the album was handled by David Farrell. The eleven songs on the album feature ten originals by Kevin Burt and one cover of the Bill Withers tune, “Better Off Dead.” The album really showcases the fantastic guitar, harmonica, and vocal skills of Kevin Burt. He has a style all his own that is definitely going to bring him to the forefront of the Blues Scene. Mike Zito even lent his guitar prowess to the album as well. Other musicians on the album include Lewis Stephens (piano/organ), Matthew Johnson (drums), and Doug Byrkit (bass). For some of you out there, the name Kevin Burt will jump right out at you. For others, it will be a new name and definitely one that you need to pay attention to. Kevin isn’t new to the Blues, he has been around for quite a while. In fact, this has been a 25 year journey for him. Kevin has won many awards during the last 25 years, and has become a regular on the Blues Festival that draws the listener into his musical circuit. At the 34th International Blue stories and adventures. From the moment Challenge, Kevin scored big. He won first you hear his powerful voice, you will find place Solo/Duo, the Cigar Box Guitar yourself captivated by his music and Award recognizing him as the best guitar vocals. Although the stories that he tells in player in the Solo/Duo category, and the his songs are his, I’m sure that you will be Lee Oskar Award for Best Harmonica hearing similarities that will make you feel Player. In 2019 he was also nominated for that these are your songs too. And Kevin is a Blues Music Award in the category Best not devoid of similarities about his style Emerging Artist Album for his debut and vocals, he has been compared to artists album, Heartland And Soul. That same such as Bill Withers, Aaron Neville, and year he was inducted in the Iowa Blues even the great B.B. King. Hall of Fame. As a songwriter, Kevin tells us that it Kevin for a while and talk to him about his definitely has been a journey, reflecting on new album and the inspirations behind observations that he has made on the way some of the songs and he came off as a along with his own real world experiences. really genuine person… somebody that you He tells us that his partner in inspiration on can talk to for a few minutes and walk this long road of self- away with the feeling that you’ve known discovery and him for years. No doubt that’s one of the songwriting is his reasons he also captivates his audiences wife and muse, wherever he performs. Nicole. She also I had a chance to sit down with happens to be one of The first place we need to start with his biggest inspira- is how Kevin got signed to Gulf Coast tions for songs on this Records. The catalyst for that really started album, as several of a few years ago when he was performing them are about her or on one of the Blues Cruises. It was there inspired by her. As a where he met Guy Hale, one of the coself-taught musician, owners of Gulf Coast Records. Before Kevin has learned a Kevin even knew that Guy was one of the lot about the music owners of Gulf Coast Records, he thought business the hard way that Guy was just a fan on board the ship. and knows that there The two of them really hit it off and found is a certain amount of out they really had a lot in common. It self-determination wasn’t long before Guy put Kevin on Mike that is needed to Zito’s radar and then the two of them succeed and he feels started crossing paths at different shows that he has certainly and festivals. It was at one of those shows accomplished that. that Mike and Kevin sat down and really He has forged a style started talking about a myriad of subjects all his own with that ranged from family to the music smooth, warm vocals and a relaxed feeling continued on next page December 2020 • Rock and Blues International 15

Kevin Burt continued from previous page

business. As Mike explains, “he and I remarkably comfortable and to be able to actually sat down had a conversation and record in a setting that, honestly is just after that conversation, I was kind of surrounded by family makes it a lot more hooked. I mean, his story and my story comfortable. You know, being there with kind of line up with each other in different Mike and his family, as well as the other facets. Primarily it was the respect he has fellows in the band, who are Mike’s for family and knowing his own musical extended family. It just made it remarkably journey. As well as he is a record label comfortable. I’m the stranger in the crowd owner and being somebody who wants to and through the exposures that we’ve had look out for musicians, so they don’t have to each other at festivals and events, it felt to step in the potholes that he ended up like I was hanging out with old friends.” stepping into as an artist. So yeah, it’s it just ended up being a bromance of sorts.” For the recording of Stone Crazy, Kevin is extremely happy with his setting with a few musicians that he hadn’t affiliation with Gulf Coast Records. He played with before, but everything just had been on a differentrecord label seemed to click into place. Kevin is used previously, but that one didn’t seem to to being a solo performer or he performs open the doors for him that Gulf Coast with the another group of musicians in Records has done. Being on a record label Iowa. For this recording, it was just him, with a musician as its owner has instilled a but it felt right. “The first day we kind of lot of confidence in him that he definitely ran through things, and came up to speed.” made the right choice. It nice to know that Says Kevin. “They had their ideas of the owner of the label is well aware of the things. These were generally folks that all real needs of the musicians on his label and tour with Mike.” has the drive to take care of them. Kevin found himself in an unfamiliar Kevin tells us that Mike Zito played He is also happy about the recording a very pivotal role in the production and process that took place on this album, as he the recording of this album, at times seeing journeyed from Iowa to Texas to record at and hearing things that would definitely Marz Studios in Nederland. Despite enhance the project and make it better. As having to record in the middle of a Kevin says, Mike’s role in the project was, pandemic, there was a wonderful feeling “way more than that. As a solo artist about the experience of recording there. presenting my songs, it’s me, my guitar, “It’s absolutely a cool space man, with a lot my voice, harmonica and a stomping foot. of diversity in that area,” says Kevin. “Of Generally that is what folks get access to, course you can’t soak it all up because of and he heard a sharper image to a lot of my the pandemic that we’re all living through songs. Even with my band, I keep things right now. The atmosphere there is pretty loose and leaning more toward a 16 Rock and Blues International • December 2020 soulful and less rock edged sound, with the bass a little more laid back as well as the drums and he put the pedal on. He put some gas behind my songs and gave him a little bit more of a rock edge. As a producer his job is to hear behind the music, behind the story and create another picture and a little more depth to the story through the music. Mike’s got an incredible ear and feel for those things and I’m blown away now. It’s a presentation of my music and an edge that I, on my own, would have never reached for.”

For Kevin, the only studio recording that he done prior to this was on his first studio album, Heartland And Soul . Prior to that he was only marketing live albums at his gigs, a process that he was more comfortable with at the time. “I’ve got 25 years of experience,” says Kevin, “but the products that I’ve offered to at my shows for those 25 plus years have all been live recordings. And so I’m used to performing with the tape is rolling while I’m doing it, and so you get what you heard. To be able to go back and make things “perfect” is like walking on Mars for me, and so the studio’s a different planet and it’s surprisingly uncomfortable for me. But with the right souls in the room it gets comfortable real fast. I felt uncomfortable walking in at Nederland initially, but that all went out the window once the music started flying around, seeing friendly faces, seeing folks that you haven’t seen in a while. You usually just get to see them. You don’t get to hang out and have that musical conversation, to hear and to feel the desire from everybody to present the best that they could produce, and it’s all because they want to represent me at this point. That was humbling and it’s just cool, man. I didn’t have any preconceived ideas as to how I wanted these songs to be. I was walking into the room with the basic shape of them from where I can play them and from there Mike took over. So yeah, his fingerprints are all over this and I appreciate that. I needed that kind of guidance.”

When it comes to getting back out on the road with this new album, Kevin is also confident that he can present some of these songs as a solo act, should a band not be accessible at the time. “I’m so used to performing in a solo setting,” explains Kevin. “For the last 20 years or so I’ve done primarily solo work. I have access to a band and all that fun stuff. It’s just I could create more opportunities as a solo act when I was sustaining myself as a musician. Now with the pandemic, the opportunity as a solo act is also presenting itself, however the recording industry is a lot more friendly to the band presentation. I’m blessed in that I can represent my songs as a solo act as well as with a band and within a show, keep an audience’s attention with the stories and that component helps me to be accessible during times like this as well.”

As I mentioned earlier, inspiration for the writing of these songs comes from a lot of Kevin’s own experiences, as well as his relationship with his wife Nicole.. In fact, they’ve just recently celebrated their 26th Anniversary together. “The title track, “Stone Crazy” is a song that I wrote early in our relationship,” explains Kevin. “When I met here, I don’t know if it was love at first sight, but it was ‘oh my God’ at first sight for sure. I met her through some friends of mine from my hometown and she came into the picture I was walking with my brother and she kissed my brother and then kissed me. We exchanged pleasantries with our old friend and they walked away and I looked at my brother right after that and said ‘your sister-in-law shouldn’t kiss you like that.’ She was on my radar the first time I met her and eventually we ended up together and honestly, inside of a month I knew I was on the hook and I hoped that I could hook her to the same hook kind of thing. It went pretty fast and I had a handful of souls in my world that said, ‘[hey man, you know you’re moving pretty fast,’ but I was okay with that. So the title track “Stone Crazy” is really just a song that I wrote about that relationship.”

For the song, “Purdy Lil Thang,” Kevin chose something that he sees play out constantly in venues where he performs or attends. He says that it could even apply to his wife as well. “You know, that one is oddly enough a story that I watch play out in venues all the time. Nicole’s one of those people that when she walks into a space, everybody’s head turns. She’s always commanded the room, as they say. It’s just about those kinds of people. That story plays out in a lot of smaller towns more so than any other place. There is always that person, that entity that people want to be around them. People want to be noticed and Nicole’s got that kind of a presence as well. Absolutely.”

The song, “Rain Keeps Coming Down” is a bit different. As Kevin explains it, the song is somewhat of a trilogy of 3 stories encapsulated in one song. “That’s kind of a trilogy of three short stories that all have the same ending. No matter what’s going on in your life, the only thing that you really have control of is whether or not you’re going to keep doing it, and it’s never going to be perfect. And so this one’s kind of a step from a spiritual spot to feeling trapped in an oppressed spot to a little story about living your life with somebody else. The outcome is still the same, whether you feel compelled by God to do it or whether you feel compelled to keep your paycheck and to do it or whether you feel compelled because you’re in love. You’re going to fight through the hard times.” just messages to Kevin from himself. He likes to call them mantras. The song “I’m Busting Out” is one of those and it has to do with his performance on this record in particular. On this song he was asked to play lead on this album during the recording of one of the songs. Normally Kevin’s leads are done on harmonica, so this was actually something really new to him. “This song is kind of a mantra to myself. That song is really the first time on a recording that I played lead. I don’t play a lot of lead guitar. It’s like standing in a room being a naked model for the first time. For me, it’s the spot where you can’t help but measure yourself up against other people’s yardsticks. You know, I’m not as good as, you know _____, and then just fill in the blanks from there. And when you sit in a room with Mike Zito, one of the best guitarists that we’re ever going to get and he looks at you and says now this album and Kevin Burt is a winner. you’re playing lead on this one, It’s a little There’s not a dull song on the entire album. intimidating. And so yeah, it’s a thing. I’m In fact, I find it truly inspiring. If you ever getting to a point where it’s getting more get a chance to see Kevin Burt perform comfortable, but I’m not a guitar slinger. live, then please take the opportunity to do I’m a vocalist that has to play guitar. Now so. If this album is any indication of what the guitar has to sing and so it’s like “I’m his live shows are, then you’re going to be Busting Out” is kind of a testament or a in for the time of your life. He definitely mantra. It’s time for me to also start sounds fantastic on this album. Please pick embracing playing the lead from time to up a copy of Kevin Burt’s new album time as well. Again, it’s not something that Stone Crazy. Here’s another one I think I can’t do., it’s something that I’m not that you’re going to love. comfortable with.” Although we’ve only touched on a Stone Crazy track listing few songs on Stone Crazy, this should give you a good feel about what to expect on this album. There are certainly a lot of great songs here and the musicianship is impeccable. Kevin’s got a lot of great ideas and the subject material will definitely get you thinking. Suffice it to say, songs like “Same Old Thing,” and “You Get What You See” are pretty selfexplanatory. Other songs such as “Should Have Never Left Me Alone” and “Got To Make A Change” are a bit deeper. Congratulations go out to Gulf Coast Records 1. I Ain’t Got No Problem With It 2. Purdy Lil Thang 3. Rain Keeps Coming Down 4. Stone Crazy 5. I’m Busting Out 6. Same Old Thing 7. You Get What You See 8. Something Special About You 9. Should Have Never Left Me Alone 10. Better Off Dead 11. Got To Make A Change on picking another winner, and believe me, December 2020 • Rock and Blues International 17