Name: Kevin Davy White
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Nationality: French
Current release: Kevin Davy White's new single "Thousand Stars" is out now. Debut album Keep Dreaming Wild will follow August 25th 2023.

If you enjoyed this Kevin Davy White interview and would like to find out more about his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.  
 


Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

My inspiration frequently comes while I'm practising the guitar.

Occasionally, a note or chord will make you hear something. It gives me the impression that I'm just now discovering the songs I was meant to write during my lifetime. And by playing something I already knew, I'm just trying to recall them.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

It is rarely a specific concept. Mostly just the message or the hazy idea in my head.

Or from talking to people, who encourage me to share more about their experiences or mine.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I often record a voice note to satisfy an inspiration rush. And when they do come, I am terrible at remembering them.

I take care to capture the idea as it is right now. Because my brain can trick me when I try to remember the riff or melody, this will prevent me from wondering "Was it like this?" It even gives me the impression that I might not be entirely correct. To prevent this, it is better to record them.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I enjoy being by myself, free from outside distractions, and trying to sing a melody.

When I'm by myself, I am not worried about the noise around me or all the mistakes I make while trying to figure things out.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

Because I mainly hear notes in my head, I haven't come across this situation yet. I simply use the melody to find the right words to fit the lyrics.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

I have to say that it's a combination of the two.

And strangely, when I am struggling to come up with parts of the lyrics, I find them by accident while taking a shower.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

Music is an emotion, and when we create, it's almost like we are just a vessel for creativity to take over and lead us to places and emotions.

Simply surrounding it, we let it go. That is how I feel.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

I encounter these situations sometimes. And when they arrive, I usually embrace them.

Sometimes it forces me to change the song's entire subject. The key, in my opinion, is whether the music and overall atmosphere feel right.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

You can always change a song. It is an experience. So I just wonder if the songs satisfactorily communicates the emotions I was hoping to feel.

Plus, Ed Sheeran, whom I met, gave me this excellent advice. Having a deadline forces you to make all the decisions necessary to finish the song by the deadline and then move on to the next one.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

I am so lucky to have all those skills, from producing, mixing and even mastering. I do it all by myself.

I am so passionate to sound like I want them to sound.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I'm lucky that my imagination is still going strong. And I'm listening to my own voice not to overdo it. So my life is well-balanced for creativity. And I'm overjoyed that I did everything by myself, including producing, mixing, and mastering, my debut album.

I haven't yet had emptiness come to my door. I'm incredibly excited. I am ready to share it with everyone. All I want is for people to be able to relate to and feel the music and lyrics.