Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Leon.
Hi Kevin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. My older brother and sister exposed me to a lot of great music when I was young, but I didn’t start playing an instrument until I was in my teens. I tried my hand at guitar for about a year before I discovered the drums and that was that. I played in a couple of bands in high school before going on to the University of Alabama at Birmingham where I earned a bachelor’s degree in music and started playing professionally. A couple of years after graduating, I was asked to join Niko Moon’s band, who was on Zac Brown’s Southern Ground record label at the time. We toured and recorded an album, and I eventually moved over to Atlanta because the band and the label were based here.
The band broke up shortly after I moved here, but my girlfriend (now fiancé!) and I had fallen in love with the city and decided to stay. I started playing and teaching around Atlanta and made a lot of new connections and friends. While going out to jam sessions, playing gigs, and forming relationships, I met Sam Burchfield, who’s still a great friend, and toured with him for about four years. We spent lots of time driving around in a van playing everything from dive bars to listening rooms and we had a friggin blast! I also became friends with a crew of guys that included ATL horn section Terminus Horns, and we formed a funk/jazz group called Track Suit Mafia. We were hosting a monthly funk jam at Buteco in Grant Park before the pandemic hit, so we’re hoping to resume that when things start to open back up. In August of 2018, I got a call from a friend in Birmingham, Chad Fisher, who is the trombonist for St. Paul & The Broken Bones. He asked if I was available to sub with them for a few months. Being a temporary sub turned into me becoming a full-time member of the band a few weeks later and life hasn’t been the same since. We’ve toured all over the world and recorded a lot of music that we’re super excited to release.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would love to know if anyone has ever answered “Oh yeah! It’s been a cakewalk!” to this question. Anyone who is an independent artist knows how hard it can be to stay self-motivated, keep believing in yourself, and keep trusting the process. There have been countless hurdles, setbacks, and moments of “What am I doing with my life!?” Personally, and a maybe little ironically, one of the toughest things has been piecing together a living by playing with anyone and everyone, which has meant playing in a lot of cover bands at bars, weddings, corporate events, and stuff like that while dreaming of playing original and creative music for an eager audience. While I am eternally grateful to everybody who has employed and continues to employ me in any way, I think most artists can relate to that feeling of wanting to do something more. Something that resonates with your soul. Something that makes you feel like you’re truly sharing your gift and your artistic voice with the world.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a musician. My primary instrument is the drums. That’s the instrument that I can most freely express myself on, but I write and arrange on keyboards as well. I think of myself less as a drummer and more as an artist whose tools happen to be drumsticks and keyboards. My main goal is to express myself while lifting people up and bringing joy and happiness into people’s lives through music. I feel very fortunate to have joined St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Not only do they let me be myself behind the drums, but they encourage me, and any other band members who are so inclined, to write and contribute creatively beyond simply playing our instruments. Being in such a creatively open group has really allowed me to start to discover my own creative voice. The band has a lot of new music that will hopefully be released in the not-too-distant future, and I am thrilled to say that the writing and recording process was really collaborative and democratic. These recordings feel like good representations of where the band is at right now. Riding on the inspiration from the writing and recording sessions with St. Paul, I wrote and recorded my first record as a solo artist, THE SENSE EP. The first single from it will be available on March 26, 2021, and the whole EP will be available on June 4. I’m making the majority of the sounds you’ll hear on it, but there are a few special guests that helped me out. I can’t say whether or not you’ll like it, but I can definitely that it’s the most honest thing I’ve made so far.
What matters most to you?
Honesty. Especially when it comes to making art and being creative. It can be so tempting to get sucked into trends, to try to do what’s “hot” right now just to get more likes, followers, listeners, fans, etc… but I think the stuff that really punches you in the gut and sticks with you beyond a 1 minute Instagram post or a passing listen on Spotify is the stuff that’s done with the intention of sharing and not just looking for validation or recognition. If I make something, whether it’s an album, a song, a beat, a melody, or whatever, or if I play for someone and it makes them feel something, or makes their day a little brighter, or helps them through a tough time, I consider it a success.
Contact Info:
- Email: kevin@kevinleon.com
- Website: http://www.kevinleon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/percussionkevin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/percussionkevin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4B1IPQ8vMNypO38NzZ9FA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/percussionkevin
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jEaucLv29uYVopVn1UwcM?si=q7VfF0ovT0a7VitD4uLXmQ
Image Credits
Tim Brown, Sanithna Phansavanh, Thorton Drury, Josh Weichman, Chase Anderson, Noah Goldman
