Kevin Devine always takes things a little deeper.
He can't help it - it's simply the way he works. Whether it's performing live, writing songs, or recording in the studio the American artist always applies that same fastidiousness to his work.
So when Clash invited Kevin Devine to take part in Good Trip, Bad Trip we knew that he would - in the best possible take - to these questions at face value.
Refreshingly direct, his answers have a real charm to them, with the songwriter allowing some important memories to shine through.
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Best Trip...
My wife and I went to Paris and Nice in 2014, kind of a one-year anniversary/belated honeymoon - that was truly and thoroughly wonderful.
Worst Trip…
In late summer 2003, my old band went to Canada and pretty quickly realized our kinda sorta booking agent there had fucked up and we weren't actually on any of the shows. We were like, driving overnight and getting places and not on the shows, so we ended up cancelling the tour and heading home. Then, we went to Europe and basically broke up on tour. Then, while I was doing some solo shows after that, my dad had a stroke and I cancelled the rest of that tour, and flew home, and he died. So that trip was probably the worst.
Favourite foreign venue…
We just played Trix in Antwerp and it was pretty incredible, wonderful staff, treatment, looked and sounded great... St. Pancras Church in London has a real magic, especially for a solo performance. Ghosts everywhere, history.
I'm surprisingly popular in…
Apparently and abstractly in Seoul and I think Brazil, where a song from 'INSTIGATOR' called 'No One Says You Have To' was added to two pretty popular playlists.
Most interesting individual you've met on the road…
First guy I'm thinking of right now is this dude Sexual Chocolate of Wicker Park in Chicago, kind of a street performer/artist/poet/alcoholic I met recently with Evan from Pinegrove. Walk around and you'll find him.
Worst on-tour injury, or infection, or accident…
I sprained my ankle really badly in Toronto in 2010, had to kinda keep off it for a week or so which made the full band performances a lot more challenging and less physical. It made everything more challenging and less physical, actually.
My essential travel item…
These days, especially, my phone, so I can Skype with my daughter wherever we are.
My essential travel tip...
I gotta balance the tourist impulse with the need for routine. Gotta sleep, gotta hydrate, gotta keep relatively healthy so I can actually enjoy and engage with what's in front of me. It's okay to catch your breath out there.
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Kevin Devine is set to play the following shows:
January
30 Nottingham Bodega
31 Manchester Deaf Institute
February
1 Glasgow Stereo
2 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
3 London The Dome