Kevin Devine - one of the most prolific singer-songwriters in the punk and indie rock world, and an artist who had released six studio albums to critical acclaim - was uneasy. The man who released two Billboard 200-charting albums (2009's Brothers Blood and 2011's Between the Concrete and the Clouds) was hesitant about using crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter to fund the release of his seventh and eighth LPs.
But, as odd as it felt to fund an album with support directly from his fans, he was also disillusioned by his experiences in the traditional label system. In the late months of 2012, as he continued to write, Devine's uneasiness with the Kickstarter model began to recede. He proceeded with the belief that he would be doing something different and true, placing his trust in the audience to guide him.
"I've made six records. In America they've been released on five different labels. It's a pretty unstable industr...
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Kevin Devine - one of the most prolific singer-songwriters in the punk and indie rock world, and an artist who had released six studio albums to critical acclaim - was uneasy. The man who released two Billboard 200-charting albums (2009's Brothers Blood and 2011's Between the Concrete and the Clouds) was hesitant about using crowd-sourcing platform Kickstarter to fund the release of his seventh and eighth LPs.
But, as odd as it felt to fund an album with support directly from his fans, he was also disillusioned by his experiences in the traditional label system. In the late months of 2012, as he continued to write, Devine's uneasiness with the Kickstarter model began to recede. He proceeded with the belief that he would be doing something different and true, placing his trust in the audience to guide him.
"I've made six records. In America they've been released on five different labels. It's a pretty unstable industry. What's made it a sustainable and justifiable career for me has been the audience and their close, passionate connection to the music."
His fans responded. Devine met his $50,000 target funding within only 8 hours of the 45-day campaign, and ultimately fans pitched in to the tune of $114,805, more than double his initial goal. The funds resulted in the simultaneous release of Bulldozer, which is laced with folk-rock and pop ballads, and was produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, Beck and Guided By Voices) and Bubblegum, produced by Jesse Lacey of Brand New, an uptempo record with feedback, loud fuzz guitars and catchy hooks. Essentially, a proper rock and roll record.
The two album project that explored drastically different sounds was a massive undertaking, and it was released to great success. Both albums charted on the Billboard 200 simultaneously (Bubblegum at No. 133 and Bulldozer at No. 143), and both were the highest-charting positions of Devine's career to date. Hitting Nos. 2 and 3 on the Heatseekers chart. The single "Bubblegum" charted for a month on SiriusXM's Alt Nation Alt18 chart, peaking at No. 11, a first in Devine's career. He took his new material on the road in North America, the UK, Europe and Australia, and the LPs delivered the greatest critical reception of Devine's music to date.
Devine continued his support of Bulldozer and Bubblegum with the release of a 7" single featuring the song "She Can See Me," the one track Devine wrote twice; a version for Bulldozer and a version for Bubblegum. The She Can See Me 7" was released via Bad Timing Records, Devinyl Records and Favorite Gentlemen Recording on November 11th, 2014. This partnership between the three companies will continue throughout 2015 with both new and previously released music. Stay tuned for more information in January.
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