Kevin Drew was always a friend of mine, even before he met me.
I got my dream job in the summer of 2002, managing an indie record store. That was the year Toronto exported itself to the world. I did my part for the revolution; daily, I'd load the CD tray with my new found loves - Broken Social Scene, Apostle Of Hustle, Feist, Stars and the rest of the gypsy caravan that was the Arts & Crafts family.
10 years later, when I met & eventually became friends with Kevin, he would tell me that Social Scene was never intended to ascend in the way it eventually did - bringing along with it the rest of its family choirs. They were assembled to be big, small and bigger again - whatever the occasion called for. They existed to rid their city of its insecurities and reclaim its possibilities.
Everyone mostly lived in town, so putting together shows was supposed to be easy and if someone couldn't make it to play a horn or sing a part, there would be other friends to slide in. They were not built to travel, but when the world came calling, that's what they had to do.
Kevin says to me, he's a dreamer trying to be a realist. I've met his father Dave, and that's definitely where the steely pragmatic part comes from. But I don't think any way to describe Kevin is the right and only way.
He's a seer and a talker - taking from the sky and putting it in your ears. When Kevi goes off on one of his flying carpet tangents he covers an incredible amount of intellectual distance. But the flying machine is simple, beautiful and can be rolled tight.
I had a chance to catch-up with Kevi today. He's back in town from LA and I don't see him as much these days, so I thought it would be wise to capture our cross-legged conversation and call it a podcast.
Enjoy.
Dhani.
THE CREDITS:
Kevin Drew / Musician & Mayor Of Our Spirits / @kevinselection
Dhani Oks / Host @dhanioks
Music / "7/4 Shoreline " from the record "Broken Social Scene" / click here visit them on the Arts & Crafts Music website