CONCORD, NH – Manchester musician Kevin Horan has a unique ability to harness a genuine energy with his craft and unleash it in different facets with each song. There’s something very honest about this approach, which can either come from his introspective lyrics or the way he can alternate between being somber and melancholy and being emphatic and vigorous. This is evident in his new album “Drift,” which is officially out on Et Tu Records on June 27. Thematically, it’s an array of songs that come from a personal place. Sonically, there are elements of alt-rock and Americana mixed in with a bit of jamming while conveying a distinct and cohesive flow.
The new release is a prime example of how a project can start out as a small endeavor and result into something bigger and more substantial. This reality made the process take longer than expected, but Horan is very satisfied with how it all came about.
“The original concept for the album was a four or five song EP to get something out with my name on it, but it evolved into a full album as I started recording,” he says about the creation process. “As I chose the songs I wanted on the record, I realized that together, they were telling a specific story about my life, so I kept adding more songs as I went to fill in the story. In 2018, I began to struggle with my mental health, I battled for a couple of years and through it all I had been writing the songs that would eventually make up the album. In the summer of 2020, I took a stand on my mental health. I quit the career that was draining me and became the musician, artist, and person I always wanted to be.”
“This album tells my personal journey through the challenges I faced, how it affected my personal life, and how I broke through to the other side happy, healthy, and more confident than I had ever been,” he adds. “It starts at one of the darkest points in my life and ends in the most joyful as I became a father to my daughter, Cecilia. It tells a complete story and is meant to be listened to from start to finish and I wanted ‘Drift’ to reflect a positive outcome in the end, which is truly representative of where I am in life. The idea that you can be in the darkest space in your mind, but instead of succumbing to it, grab hold of it and choose your own path. Life is really exciting when you let go and take a chance on yourself.”
The making of “Drift” began as a DIY effort for Horan, who purposely took on this method of operation as a challenge for himself and his artistic skills. He proceeded to bring a few friends of his into the fold as special guests, and he did it all on a very low budget.
“When I started the project, my wife was pregnant, I was working full-time at an elementary school, playing gigs every week and weekend, all while growing my small music lessons business, Rock Band Camp in Merrimack,” he describes the situation that was present during the creation of the full-length. “A lot of the album was recorded between dinner prep, diaper changes, music lessons and gigs. I had no money to record in a fancy studio or hire musicians to play on the album, so as a personal challenge, I recorded most of the album myself and played all the instruments. There are some guests throughout the album, including Zach Sweetser, Gary Smith, Dale Freeman, The Stone Road Band, and the album’s lead producer, Deanna Fielding of the Koop Studio in Irvington, New York. It took me 18 months, but I believe if you really love what you do, you will find a way to make it happen.”
Highlights off of “Drift” include “Strange Places”, “Small Talk” with Fielding contributing on vocals, “Turning Point” and “Anything”. With this being said, listening to the album from front to back and forming your own opinions is recommended.
If you’re the type who prefers physical copies, you can grab one at Horan’s release show for the full-length happening on the BNH Stage within the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on June 28. It’s part of the venue’s “Locally Sourced” series and it starts at 8pm with the funk, soul and rock collective Cosmic Blossom opening up the evening. For more information about Horan, his music and future gigs, log onto kevinhoranmusic.com.