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DREW KENNEDY
What began in 2000 with a simple gift of a guitar made possible by his grandfather has led Drew Kennedy down the winding road that he travels today. His trip has taken him through the hills of music's greatest heroes, to the hill country of Texas where he now makes his home. That journey, seven years in the making, has culminated in the March 2007 Sustain Records release of Dollar Theatre Movie.
Produced by Gerald Boyd, Dollar Theatre Movie consists of 13 original songs, all of which were written or co-written by Drew. Each track is an insight into his musical evolution over the last two years. The first single to be released off the new record is entitled "Take Me Home" and was cowritten by Peter Dawson and Drew. "Take Me Home" is a feel good song about skipping town on your job in the big city to head back home where the roads are dusty, the night sky is full of stars, and the pace of life is a little slower.
"Ramblin' Heart," the second song on the record, is banjo-filled ode to a musicians' hectic life on the road. "Goodbye," which flows like a love song in reverse, is a track that paints a vivid picture of a doomed relationship in which a man removes himself from the relationship in order to benefit the woman he loves.
"These songs are a part of me," says Kennedy. "Some of them are introspective, some of them were born out of the things I've seen out on the road, but all of them deal with the way we feel as we're trying to fit in with the rest of the world. I get the feeling that all of these songs have that same loose-fitting theme."
With that theme in mind, and with the help of dozens of talented musicians, Dollar Theatre Movie was born. Recorded over several months at Premium Recording in Austin, TX, this marks Kennedy's second record, following 2003's independent release Hillbilly Pilgrim.
"The title just fit the theme," says Kennedy. "I'm trying to write about the people you meet every day. You can find inspiration no matter where you are. I'm just one of the lucky few that gets to find inspiration in the big cities, the small towns, and everywhere in between."
The earthy arrangements and passionate lyrics of Dollar Theatre Movie represent what countless music fans around the country have come to recognize as a sound that is distinctly Kennedy's. With influences ranging as wide as Johnny Cash and Guy Clark to Ben Folds and Ryan Adams, the music rises as a loose cooperative between sounds that all share a common root system sewn deep within the American soil. With lyrics that show thought and intelligence, and hooks that command attention, Dollar Theatre Movie proves to be a highly satisfying ride, from the opening note to the rolling of the credits.
Dollar Theatre Movie is Kennedy's first release with Sustain Records, an independent Texas-based record company distributed by Universal Music & Video Distribution.
Profile courtesy of Sustain Records.