Local musician Kevin Presbrey celebrates a record release party for “Falling Together” on March 4 at Two Brothers Roundhouse.
Ukulele-infused rootsy folk rock is one way of describing the vibration Kevin Presbrey is casting out there these days, but you could also very well say that his songs have a way of giving you that cozy feeling of being snuggled up by the fireplace in your favorite hooded sweatshirt. He’s warm and familiar to you. Embracing the influences of storytellers Jim Croce, Don McLean, and Van Morrison along with modern troubadours Ryan Adams and James Bay, Presbrey’s Midwestern sound and personality is the vehicle for the stories he lives and shares.
We had the chance to ask Presbrey some questions as he gets ready to debut his new album “Falling Together” on Saturday, March 4 at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora.
Q: What was the inspiration for your new album?
I think about this batch of songs as my sort of ‘coming out of the darkness’ moment. 2012-2013 were very trying years for me dealing with the passing of my father, and the writing/recording I was doing at the time was very centered around those emotions. In 2014, I feel like the healing process started to take shape, and I was able to finally start smiling and feeling again. A certain person, my now finance, came into my life around that time and really re-focused my mind towards the brighter side of life. The songs on Falling Together are a reflection of that time period and the re-discovery of happiness and companionship.
Q: Did you go another direction with it from your past recordings?
When we recorded my song “Always With Me” out in Seattle for Dust Unto Dust, I feel like we really find the sound and pocket we’d be searching for in the studio. The upbeat of the ukulele combined with the organ and acoustic guitar just really seemed to jive. With that vibe in mind going into this album, it gave me a road map, especially for the ukulele based tracks Seaside and Miss Sunny Day.
Q: How was it recording in Nashville?
I have to say it was one of the most enlightening, inspiring, and smooth experiences I’ve ever had in the studio. The session players, production team, and studio engineer were all top notch professionals that were out to service the song. I was absolutely amazed by the creativity that the session musicians brought to the table based on hearing demos and looking at numerical song charts. Nashville is such an inspiring city for musicians and songwriters.
Q: Why was producer Skylar Wilson a good fit?
The first thing that intrigued me about Skylar was hearing his production quality on Andrew Combs and Rayland Baxter’s most recent albums. There was just something about the sonic quality that hit me right off the bat. When we reached out to his team about potentially recording, he explained to us that he always likes to sit down and get to know an artist and the story of their album before committing to record. That alone said a lot about his character in my opinion. Our plan to drive down to Nashville was stifled by a blizzard last February, but we persevered and made the trip down later in the month. After meeting with Skylar for a half an hour or so, I just felt like we were already on the same page with what we wanted to accomplish. His mentality was to approach songs with a visual in mind. He equated the recording process to painting scenes from a movie. He held true to this throughout the recording process and continued to remind me that the lyrics and message of the songs were the key components that needed to be conveyed. He made sure the team always kept things simple. Skylar is a very talented guy, great mentor, and has a great ear for production. I’m looking forward to working with him again on my next batch of songs.
Q: Any plans for touring?
Our plan is a bit of reverse engineering this time around. With the current state of the music industry, we’re going to weigh a bit more of our time in exploiting these songs through digital platforms (Spotify, Gigable, Apple, Tv Sync Licensing) as well as live streaming outlets to build our regional following. We’ll spend our time promoting and growing our fanbase/email list as we plan a run of festival/club/house concert dates through the Midwest this Summer/Fall.
Since the early 2000s, Kevin Presbrey has amassed a loyal following throughout North America thanks in part to his songs appearing on MTV, VH1, and Fox along with being afforded the opportunity to share the stage with national acts Sister Hazel, The Doobie Brothers, Rusted Root, Big Head Todd and Tonic. Turning heads in Chicago’s music scene with his first solo release Dust Unto Dust, his song “Always With Me” made it’s way to the airwaves of WXRT radio in 2013 followed by a national television performance on WGN’s morning news.
Gaining steam in 2017, Presbrey’s relentless lust for connecting with audiences has driven the release of his fourth studio album Falling Together. Where Dust Unto Dust (Produced by Ryan Hadlock: The Lumineers, Strumbellas, Vance Joy) centered around picking up the pieces following the sudden passing of his father in 2012, “Falling Together” is a reflection of his experiences as life moved forward with his father there in spirit. Recorded at Left + Right Studios in Nashville, TN with producer Skylar Wilson (Andrew Combs, Rayland Baxter, Justin Townes Earle), Presbrey tapped into that white hot East Nashville vibe this time around in his quest to perpetuate positive feelings, togetherness, and simply finding the bright side in life.
