Kevin Borland

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What is music to you? What does it give you?

Music is a means to express myself in a way that comes natural to me. It gives me great pleasure to compose a song that successfully takes my thoughts and presents them in a way that people are likely to absorb upon listening. It's art and science perfectly combined, and it's a very powerful medium.

What is your music dream?

I would like to someday do a project that mixes my music with theater, a musical I think.

If you could change the world - what would you start with?

I would start with a plan to stabilize the environment. I think that's the greatest threat upon us as a civilization today.

Which is the most memorable song from your childhood?

The earliest song I can remember singing along to was 10cc's "The Things We Do For Love."

Who are your favorite musical artists or bands?

The most recent concert I attended was St. Vincent, and I really enjoyed the performance. Some of my favorite bands/musicians and the ones that I feel influenced my music a lot include David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, Poison, Our Lady Peace, Roger Clyne and Talking Heads.

What inspires you to make music?

My latest "Hive Mind" album was inspired by my city, looking at all the processes and functions of the city, and how the city as a whole behaves like a living organism.

What is the message you want to send with your music?

Our society is a complex system, and it can seem overwhelming, and there's a tendency to focus on only the few components of society with which one has regular interactions, i.e. family members, co-workers, etc. But, it's important to, at least once in a while, step back and examine the entire process and think about what niche one fills in the society, and whether things can be tweaked both for efficiency and personal improvement as well as improving one's interactions in ways that benefit the society as a whole, including members outside our circles.

How do you feel when you perform in front of an audience?

I really get excited. The opportunity to interact with the audience is something you can't do on your couch practicing or in the studio recording. Seeing the reactions on people's faces to different parts of your songs, adding emphasis to certain parts for theatrical effect, moving around and getting into the music.

How do you see the musicians’ reality nowadays? What could be improved?

In some ways, nothing has changed. In other ways, everything has changed. I think there are a lot of artists making a lot of good music. The big-picture process for doing so hasn't changed. Learn your instrument. Practice. Hone your craft. Learn music theory. Keep improving. Keep making music. Some of the tools used to make music have changed a lot, with the improved access to high-quality synthesizers, digital work-spaces, music and video editing software, etc. Some of these tools are like instruments in and of themselves. There's also a lot more distraction in the digital world. So many social media platforms to understand and prioritize, so many self-serving self-help you-tube videos giving marginal advise, but also so many opportunities to connect with people around the globe.

What do you think of Drooble?

I'm still learning the ins and outs, but I think the platform is refreshing.

What frustrates you most as a musician?

I don't appreciate that there are a lot of dishonest people out there making a buck off exploiting the dreams of new musicians, charging for entries into meaningless contests, charging for placement in places where no-one goes to listen to music. Also, sometimes I feel a little information overloaded, with all of the different online avenues to explore.

Do you support your local scene as a fan? How?

I attend a lot of shows at local venues, but more importantly I think, I support artists with whom I've interacted and worked with. On numerous occasions, I've trekked long distances to show support at random gigs, sometimes hundreds of miles away from my home.

What qualities should a musician nowadays have in order to get their music heard by a larger audience?

Creativity, and fortunately for us musicians, we all have it. We just have to apply some of it to promotion. If you do everything the same as everyone else is doing, nobody stands out. That goes for marketing too, not just for the music.

Share some awesome artists that we’ve never heard of.

My friend Draf in Thailand is making some good music with his band Coconut Sunday, and a lot of their songs are accessible to English speakers. While working on marketing my album over the past month, I've interacted with a lot of new artists with really good material. Some that stand out are James Worsham, J-Crazy, and the Gins (from Brazil).