In a very obligatory back room of Rams Head Live, at the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore, I was lucky enough to spend a good deal of time in the company of rock stars. I unfortunately was late to my interview because of a good deal of traffic on the I-695, but as fate would have it, Kevin Devine and the Goddamned band got stuck in some traffic of their own, and I actually beat them to the venue. As reward for my journey, I got to sit in the venue while all the bands sound checked, before setting up my trusty-beaten-up-powerbook, and sitting down with the singer/songwriter himself, Kevin Devine. Amongst easy chairs and pin-up girls, my makeshift studio is built. Once again, Garage Band is faithfully ticking away, as I steady myself in an easy chair, equipped with a Palm Pilot loaded with a wide array of questions for Kevin.

 

Roe - I've got all kind's of stuff for you today, I'm ready to rapid fire, if you're ready.

 

Kevin Devine - I'm so ready. Fire when ready.

 

Roe - I've got about thirty questions for you.

 

Kevin Devine - Thirty?

 

Roe - Yeah, everything from Kevin's history and touring, to what you would do if there was a zombie attack on your life.

 

Kevin Devine - Awesome, let's do it.

 

Roe - So first of all, people that are reading about you for the first time, or seeing you for the first time, what's the number one reason people should go buy your records?

 

Kevin Devine - So I can keep making them. And keep coming and playing. If they like. I guess if they come and it's a first time and they don't like it I don't have a good reason why they should buy it, other than selfishness, and wanting to be able to do this for a living. Yeah, I dunno. I like it. You know - I wouldn't do it if I didn't like it, that's the best reason I can think of. Is it if you come, and you like it, and you like bands - especially bands at this level, this is sort of a tough - especially now as things are sort of changing a lot in the music industry and the internet all that kind of stuff. This isn't exactly....it's fun, it's better than any desk job I've ever had. And I love the part where you write the songs, and I love playing - that stuffs great, but sustaining a living is not necessarily the easiest thing all the time?

 

Roe - Yeah I work in radio it's kind of the same deal.

 

Kevin Devine - Exactly. So that's a good reason to buy music from small bands you like, so they can keep doing it. You can keep liking them 'cause they can stay in existence longer.

 

Roe - What's your favourite song from "Put Your Ghost to Rest"?

 

Kevin Devine - I don't know, I mean it changes all the time. I love just stay, I mean I like-

 

Roe - That song is great, I love it.

 

Kevin Devine - Thank you - I'm glad you like it.

 

Roe - It's actually a ringtone on my phone.

 

Kevin Devine - Is it really?!

 

Roe - Yes it is.

 

Kevin Devine - Like the real song, or do you have like a ringtone version?

 

Roe - The real version actually.

 

Kevin Devine - I think I'd like it so much better if you had like a rington version. (He hums / beeps Just Stay, midi style)

 

Roe - I don't but now I wish I did. I don't even know if this phone can do it. My sister's can though, so I'll work on it.

 

Kevin Devine - I don't know. Right now that's my favourite. It changes all the time, you know? You play them all the time. We've been playing that one every night, basically every night on the tour and I'm not sick of it so that's a good thing. And I just like that one. I like that one a lot. I don't know, I like what it's about. I like the way it sounds.

 

*Roe's phone plays Just Stay*

 

Kevin Devine - (laughing) There it is. I think that one is one of the ones Rob really nailed from the recording perspective too. Like it sounds really good on the record, so it's one I really like a lot.

 

Roe - My sister says it sounds like a song that would be on scrubs.

 

Kevin Devine - Ooh. Listen, if your sister knows how to get on Scrubs.

 

Roe - I'll start sending e-mails.

 

Kevin Devine - I would not be diametrically opposed to the idea. I don't know. Who knows. Maybe the beginning is a little scrubsy? I don't know if they do that, they do it at the end sometimes, but they seem to not like the rock out thing? But tell her I said, if she knows anyone, I'm in.

 

Roe- Favorite song (doesn't have to be one of your own) to play live?

 

Kevin Devine - It changes every tour, because you kind of like settle into a groove? We've pretty much picking from a pool of like 15 songs on this tour. Cause theres been a lot of changeover with band, because I have more of a collective than a set band. There's been like ten people who have played on this tour. I like playing Cotton Crush at a rock show. That's a fun song to play live, it gets really loud, and we can beat the shit out of instruments, scream, step on all kinds of peddles, that's fun. At folk shows or acoustic shows or whatever, I really like playing stuff that's really quiet because the crowd seems to be more on board and attentive and they pay attention to lyrics. It's fun to play the song "You'll Only End Up Joining Them". I have this version if it that's only acoustic guitar and vocals I like playing a lot right now. And there's a new song that's called "Tomorrow's Just Too Late" that I'd like to, but I haven't done it on this tour at all because it's quiet, and these crowds are not at all quiet.

 

Roe - Being from New York City, how'd that environment, not just the Staten Island / Long Island music scene, but the political and social element, can you think of anything about how that shaped you as a person, or a musician?

 

Kevin Devine - I started playing music in Staten Island, which is not the most culturally forward facet of New York, by any stretch. It's probably the last place you'd look for any kind of cultural enrichment, but there was a really interesting and cool pocket of people there. Like, anarchist kind of neo-marxist people that have they're own, this is like in the mid nineties when like emo or whatever was still a very much underground thing? You could go find like emo records and hardcore records and indie rock records in some dudes...this guy had a house that he did distro through? There were like books and films that were eye opening and interesting, those things still shape the edges of how I look at music and how you shape your music and make it. How you should interact with the people you meet through your music, from a social and political perspective there's certainly a definition to how I see things too. They were the first people to make me healthily skeptical about what was going on in this country and the world. I went to college in Manhattan, having access to the city is just a great thing for anybody who wants to write anything, Or play, because you meet a lot of players, and you meet a lot of characters. And if you're someone that's observation oriented and has like that journalistic impulse to like write things down, and see things, and reflect. You know, there's so much impulseive stimulus there, I can't really think of a better place to start writing. There were tons of places to play if you were a sixteen year old kid looking to play shows. And that sort of all ages type thing was a big part of my upbringing.

 

Roe - There's hardly anything all ages venues around here.

 

Kevin Devine - There's not many in Manhattan anymore either.

 

Roe - This club actually, is almost always 18+ or 21+.

 

Kevin Devine - A lot of places are like that - I think it's a liquor license thing. In New York a lot of the great places I used to play, that a lot of people played that were all ages, don't exist anymore. Especially small clubs.

 

Roe - Unfortunately with us, we have a few clubs, and a couple of em don't do very many all ages shows. And to make it worse, we already don't get as much as other cities the size of Baltimore, just due to the fact that DC is an hour west and Philly is an hour North.

 

Kevin Devine - Ottobar does all ages shows right?

 

Roe - Yeah, Ottobar is a really great little venue. But the problem is that if you can only play ottobar at a certain level, and once you get bigger...there's not much else in Baltimore. You don't play here - you hit like 930 in DC or the Troc or Electric Factory. It's not uncommon for me to drive hours northeast or west to go to a show. Usually I'm the Baltimore kid in Philly, but while I was checking out the crowd a couple of hours ago, there were kids coming from all over tonight - Harrisburg, I heard Ohio, Jersey..

 

Kevin Devine - Well Brand New is definitely a magnet. Kids come from all over the place to see them. They've got a pretty seriously devoted fanbase, which is a really cool thing you know?

 

Roe - Do you have a clear memory of your first performance? Where was it? High School Gym or a small venue?

 

Kevin Devine - Yea we played a show, my old band did a show at a..

 

(Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra enters the green room.)

 

Andy - Oh, are you doing an interview? Do you mind?

 

Kevin Devine - Not unless you mind. Umn...so my old band played a show when i was like 13 at this thing called the super-dance. It was a fundraiser for the muscular distrophy association. We had no bass player. We played like five songs - two original songs and three covers. Like Guns 'N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana songs. Not very well probably, if memory serves. There were lots of people there, and there were kids moshing. I remember being really excited about that. But that's the first one that stands out in my head.

 

Roe - How about like, people later in life say like 'and it was then that I knew that I was going to be a writer'. Do you have a moment that you remember like, I'm going to play music?

 

Kevin Devine - I don't know. I mean that was a really gradual decision for me. I'm 27 now, I didn't start touring til I was 20, or 21. I didn't start touring heavily until 2003, so I was 23 years old I think. I still don't always know that its....as long as people keep asking me to go places and play than I guess I'm doing it for real you know? I haven't had another job - well I did work another job, but that was something I wanted to do about a year and half ago - but I mean, music has been a primary focus, as far as a financial perspective, and a time perspective, for like three of four years. The last two in particular. I guess it's been pretty decent. I know I wanted to do it since I was like a junior in college - I wanted to finish my degree so I had a safety net of sorts. But I also knew that when I got out of school, as long as I could support myself economically with part time work I was going to do this whenever I could. I mean, it was in the last 5 years, I knew I WANTED to do it since I was like 7, but I've found it somewhat sustainable, for right now, for the last 5 years or so.

 

Roe - Speaking of jobs, what did you do prior to taking on music full time.

 

Kevin Devine - Oh, I've had a lot of jobs. I've been working at random places since I was 14.

 

Roe - Anything peculiar?

 

Kevin Devine - I was a bakers helper for a while. I was, I worked at Old Navy, I worked at the Gap, I worked at an executive search firm doing like document production and shit for them, clerical office work. I worked doing like content management for Sony for their online - for six months I was an intern in the publishing department at Sony. I delivered food for a vegan restuaraunt in williamsburg. I've had a lot of jobs.

 

(The guys in Manchester Orchestra are milling in for a moment to relax, and to grab a quick dinner.)

 

Kevin Devine - I've had a lot of jobs.

 

(Room collectively laughs.)

 

Kevin Devine - I did freelance journalism for a couple years. I got paid some for that, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I did it just 'cause I wanted to. The weirdest job I ever had was a personal assistant for an eighty year old retired textile maven who lived on riverside drive. I would just go to her house and like, do her receipts. She wanted to have this book written about her, she was friends with all these like, heads of state in the Phillipines and shit when she was a younger woman. I realized I was essentially like her caretaker and babysitter and like live-in nurse, and I was getting paid five dollars an hour for it. I was 19 and I felt ill-equipped, so I just didn't show up for work one day. I hope...maybe she's dead, I haven't seen her in a long time she was old as shit.

 

(Entire room laughs)

 

Kevin Devine - That was the weirdest job.

 

Roe - If you could collaborate with any band, living or dead, who would it be? Feel free to have multiple answers.

 

Kevin Devine - Collaborate. Anyone I really love I wouldn't want to play with because I'd rather watch them play. You know what I mean? I'd be super intimidated to like sit down and play music with Elliott Smith or Bob Dylan or someone like that. People I'd love to watch how they did what they did, you know what they mean? From close range. Like if I could be a second guitar player in Bob Dylan's touring band, or Elliott Smith's band or a stage tech or something, that would've been cool. I would love to work with Feist because she's hot. And she's really good. But I won't probably get to do that...because she's really...super hot.

 

Roe - Okay I'll see what I can do, send some e-mails out.

 

Kevin Devine - Yeah, do that too. If you can get me a Feist tour, and a placement on Scrubs, this interview has been more than worth it.

 

Roe - Any advice for aspiring musicians?

 

Kevin Devine - Pay attention to what your writing before you pay attention to how your t-shirts look. Make sure you know how to write a song and and play it and sing it and care about the words and care about the presentation. That way, before you get wrapped up in like how much merch your making, and that kind of stuff. In this scene of music, especially this emo thing that's exploded so much, it's like the cart comes before the horse, it's a lot of disposable horse shit that sounds a lot like each other. And if 95% of those bands stopped tomorrow you wouldn't miss em, cause, well I guess maybe then the 95% would miss them, but I wouldn't. Someone might. That's really it, be aware that there is never a plan, things could be going terrible one day, then you get a phone call and all of a sudden your in a different place and it's amazing. Or vice versa - you could be in a really good spot, putting out records, be where you want to be, and then you get a phone call and that's not happening anymore. It's just about one foot in front of the other you know?

 

Roe - Whats the most awkward or entertaining thing a fan has said or done to get your attention?

 

Kevin Devine - You've got tons of it but...I don't what happens when people ask me shit like that my brain goes completely static. I think...some weird kid - oh wait we're kind of near there. Oh fuck it. Someone drew this picture of me with like...a halo? And this beatific sort of glow. And a crown of thorns and shit. And I was like "Yeah, that's super weird. That's really scary."

 

(Another chuckle from Manchester Orchestra)

 

Kevin Devine - (with a tinge of nervous laughter) It got my attention for sure, but probably not in the right way. I was kind of like "note to self". It's cool when people bake cookies and stuff - that's really nice. And people do really cool things - I've gotten like books from fans that are like really - that's a super thoughtful and appropriate thing. And it clearly shows some sort of connection, they really give a shit. They know what they're listening to, and that's something that's just...awesome. When people do stuff like that, I'm just really humbled that they...you know, I don't normally buy strangers books. I think that's really cool that people do stuff like that. So, that gets my attention in a good way - not that the other thing didn't. I don't want this poor kid to see this but it creeped me out.

 

Roe - Would you classify touring as heaven or hell?

 

Kevin Devine - Totally purgatory man. You know what I mean? Playing shows is great, meeting cool people is great. Meeting new, smart kids every night, when that happens, is great. But you know, sometimes you're exhausted and you just want to be in your own bed. And also it fucks my rhythm up, because when I get home from tour, I don't know how to be home for a couple weeks? And then once I get settled, I really want to go on tour again, and then when I get on tour, after a month of that I want to be home. It's sort of hard to balance the sea-saw a little bit for me. I think other people might be better at it or worse at it, but that's it. I love parts of it and hate parts of it, but right now it's better than working for that old woman or whatever. I like it a lot compared to that.

 

Roe - Favourite city or venue to play in, top 3 or whatever comes to mind.

 

Kevin Devine - I really love Boston. I don't know why. I've always liked Boston since I was a kid. They treat me really well there, the people there are great. I like L.A., New York is great. But I love the times I've been to London are great, or Cologne, Germany. And Berlin. There's a lot of great cities. And then there's a lot of weird diamond in the rough cities, where you'll have a great show in Grand Rapids or something and you're like "well this is cool." You'll go out to a cool bar and meet the good kids in that town. There's very few places that I out and out hate. Hate's a strong word, but you know what I mean. There's some you like more than others. Austin's a great town, most of Texas. That's like ten, sorry.

 

Roe - Trust me it's fine. Any places, this is a food question by the way, any restaurants Kevin Devine suggests? Any places like...you're going to stop at?

 

Kevin Devine - Brian showed this place, "Juan In a Million". Which is a Mexican restaurant in Austin that's just fucking sick. I'm gonna make it a point to go back to when I'm there. And I like all the bar-be-que stuff in that town too. Like Stubbs makes really good food, that venue. Umn. There's probably many more than that, but my brain isn't working - there's a place in L.A. I like a lot that's on sunset that makes this really good warm salmon salad. With really good like walnuts and peaches. Fuck man. I don't know what it's called anymore. I ate their a lot when we were making the record, but I can't remember the name anymore.

 

Roe - What do you have on tour that's like a comfort type thing to remind you of home?

 

Kevin Devine - I need something more than what I have. Haha. I'm not really good at stuff like this, I'm schizophrenic. There's tour life, and home life. My phone reminds me of home? Because people FROM home call it a lot, and text. Somedays that's great and somedays it's not. I get to tour with Skinner, someone I've known forever. He's a close friend from home, I associate a lot of my life in New York with him. He's a dude that I get to spend a lot of time around, so he's kind of - the people that play in the band are friends, and when I'm home I hang out with them to. Some of them more than others. Books. Books remind me of home. I don't get to read as much as I'd like to, but I try to bring as many with me as possible. That's what I would like to do if I was home for a while, just lay down on the couch and read.

 

Roe - Alright. Lightning Round - Kevin Devine suggests. Top 3/4/5/whatever you've got. Movies.

 

Kevin Devine - Bottlerocket.

 

Roe - I just bought that yesterday.

 

Kevin Devine - Taxi Driver is great. Manhattan by Woody Allen is great. Big Lebowski. Those are my top 4 right now.

 

Roe - How about television?

 

Kevin Devine - Arrested Development. Arrested Development is my favourite tv show. I think ever. The Office - the British one, is one of my favourites too.

 

Roe - Nice. Top 3 things to order at the bar.

 

Kevin Devine - Depends on what day. What I try to do these days is water, soda, or O'douls. Sometimes beer or whiskey or wine. Only 3 times in two years, and I'm gonna try to keep it no times for the next fifty or however many years I got? Five. Ten. I like Jameson's Irish Whiskey when I'm drinking, but I'm trying not to drink.

 

Roe - You mentioned books before. What books should be required reading, according to Kevin Devine?

 

Kevin Devine - The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. The Jungle by Upton Sinclaire. That's just three, right there, off the top of my head.

 

Roe - Favourite curse word.

 

Kevin Devine - I really like....probably fuck. It's just great. That word is fucking great. It's sick.

 

Roe - Favourite subject in school?

 

Kevin Devine - English, literature and creative writing.

 

(Pause)

 

Kevin Devine - Magic...I'm just kidding.

 

(Another pause.)

 

Kevin Devine - I wish they taught magic in school though. That would be sick, right?

 

(I desperately wish I had a picture of the facial reaction of everyone in the room at this exact moment in time.)

 

Roe - Okay. What albums or tracks are getting a lot of play, heavy rotation, in your cd player or iPOD or whatever?

 

Kevin Devine - I'm so boring. My iPod is so boring. I have to get it re-overhauled. We listened to Highway 61 Revisited today. It's like one of the best records ever.

 

Roe - Of all time.

 

Kevin Devine - Fuck yeah. I listen to Pedro the Lion a lot. A lot of Pavement - Modest Mouse. We listen to the new Built To Spill, Arcade Fire. That's the shit that comes to mind - on my recent bouts of touring anyway.

 

Roe - I was going to ask you what body part you'd be least worried to lose, but after the artist-fan who drew you as a holy figure I'm a little worried about it...

 

Kevin Devine - No it's cool. Least worried to lose. My pinky toe on my left foot.

 

Roe - What would be your survival plan if there was a zombie outbreak in this club tonight?

 

Kevin Devine - Zombies? I would die pretty fast in one of those movies. My survival plan would be to get around Jesse [Lacey, lead singer of Brand New] because he's obsessed with zombies, and probably has thought about this for hour and hours and hours of his life. He would have a way better plan than me.

 

Roe - If over night, you could develop one super power what would it be?

 

Kevin Devine - Flight.

 

Roe - Anything you've ever wanted to say in an interview that you've never gotten to work into an answer? Jabs or inside jokes are allowed.

 

Kevin Devine - No I..I talk a lot. So when people ask questions I'm pretty liberal with what I say. I feel covered.

 

Roe - If you could go back in time, and interview anyone, from any era, any occupation, who would it be, and a brief why? You can go with favourites too, whatever you think of.

 

Kevin Devine - FDR. I think he would be an interesting interview. He's my favourite president. He definitely presided over a pretty critical period of time. and any way you could frame that phrase, in this countries history, which by default - I mean, that period of time is when we took the pole position. In terms of, a lot of weird ways, I think he was great. And I think a lot of the stuff that's happened since has gotten progressively weirder and scarier. I would love to talk to him. I would love to talk to Karl Marx too. I'm not smart enough to talk to those dudes, but I'd love to talk to him. Just to see what that guy was actually like, based on what he writes, and his thoughts on things. I think it would be cool to talk to umn...Davey Johnson, the guy who managed the 1986 Mets [for whom Kevin's previous band, Miracle of 86, was named] because that team was full of crazy people, and I'm sure he has some good stories.

 

Roe - If you could put together your own fantasy festival, what artists would you want to play?

 

Kevin Devine - Do they have to be alive?

 

Roe - Of course not, it's your fantasy festival.

 

Kevin Devine - Bob Dylan. Nirvana. Elliott Smith. Pavement. Superchunk. Modest Mouse. Built To Spill. Sinead O'Conner, I like her a lot I'd like to see her play. Fucking....probably on a side stage, I'd put Manchester Orchestra. You know what I mean? Like a little side stage, out in the parking lot.

 

(Andy and the guys from Manchester Orchestra laugh.)

 

Kevin Devine - Come on son! Yeah, something like that.

 

Roe - Where would you throw the show, beach, moon, volcano?

 

Roe - Where would you through the show, beach, moon, volcano?

 

Kevin Devine - I'd put it on Coney Island, but the Siren's festival is there already. So I'd put it in Cannonball Park, under the Verrazano Bridge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn.

 

Roe - How has free agency been for Kevin Devine? Are you going to be actively shopping demos, should fans look to hear anything new soon?

 

Kevin Devine - No. I mean, I don't think I'll put out a record 'til next year, probably. Things have been really good though - really liberating. It's scary a little bit to have to change course, but like I said before, you can't really predict how that shit's going to turn out, so if you know that going in, then...

 

Roe - It's not as hard when it happens?

 

Kevin Devine - It sucked. For sure, just because it was like a weird surprise. But you know, it also made things clear to me, about what this is or isn't. And I don't know if this is the kind of thing that works in that environment.

 

Roe - As a very D-I-Y type dude, would you consider signing with another Major if the opportunity came around?

 

Kevin Devine - I would consider signing to anybody that felt right at the time. Like I said, you can't predict how that shit's gonna work out. I'd be more wary this time around, for sure. But I'd consider signing with anyone that seemed to care about it, and made an intelligent and impassioned offer. I wouldn't close the door on anything. I learned a lot from that, I got a lot of it, I definitely did. I also learned a lot about - all these things I had abstract opinions about. About corporatism, and art, were definitely made more concrete through this process. And not just that, like about how the world works too.

 

Roe - Should we expect to see you in the region anytime soon? Anything lined up to bring you back to Baltimore?

 

Kevin Devine - In this area? I'm sure you will. I don't know exactly when, but I'm sure I'll be back before too long, couple months.

 

Roe - And your final, super difficult question. As soon as you're done with this one, you can head out and get ready for your show.

 

Kevin Devine - Okay.

 

Roe - If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one around to see it fall, does it make a sound?

 

Kevin Devine - Yeah.

 

Roe - Okay.

 

(laughs)

 

Kevin Devine - I wouldn't hear it, but there'd be sounds, you know?

 

Roe - Alright, then I am done with you. Thanks for having me.

 

Kevin Devine - No, thank you. That was intense. But in like...a good way. Enjoy the show!