Kevin Gullickson Of Radio Drive

Interview With Kevin Gullickson Of Radio Drive

SBS:  Hello and welcome to ya!  It’s always best to start off with some kind of introduction to who you are and what kind of music you make, isn’t it?  Tell us a bit about yourself & the history of your music, and give the people out there reading a couple of concrete reasons as to why they should be listening!

Kevin Gullickson:  Thank you, Jer!  My name is Kevin Gullickson and I’m with Radio Drive, an Alternative, Pop-Rock band.  Although, I should clarify that Radio Drive has gone through several iterations over the years.  Sometimes it’s an actual band playing the clubs or recording music, and sometimes it’s just me recording music at my home studio.  At the moment, it’s just myself.

I’ve been releasing music for several years now with each album and release changing and growing right along with me.  My musical influences over the years have been The Beatles, Rolling Stones, U2, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, just to name a few.  If you like those styles, then give my music a listen.

SBS:  While we’re still getting to know you and quite possibly introducing you to these pages of ours, what would you say is the newest and/or most exciting thing you’ve got going on with your music right now?  Is there anything you’ve been working on that just got released, or something happening behind the scenes that you haven’t mentioned yet?  What should your fans be looking forward to this year?

Kevin Gullickson:  I took a few years off to focus on family, health, life, get perspectives realigned with what’s really important.  From that has emerged a new album, which I’m in the final stages of recording and mixing.  Personally, I think these songs have more depth than any of my previous works.  I’ve taken more time to develop the song ideas and arrangements.  Plus, lyrically, they have so much more meaning.  I hope to have this released in May 2026.  I’ll definitely be connecting with SBS to do a review.  So keep a watch out for it.

SBS:  So far to-date, what do you feel like is the song of yours that listeners respond to the most?  Do you feel like you knew they’d like it when you first created it, or was it just another song to you at the time?  Sometimes it takes a few spins and a bit of time before we realize how special a song truly is.  What is it about this particular track that you feel people connect to?  If someone was to ask you to play one of your songs to get them interested in your music, would you choose the same one that listeners seem to enjoy the most, or would you risk it and choose something different from your catalog instead?

Kevin Gullickson:  There is one song that has stood out: “A Taste of Heaven.”  This song has been so well received since its release back in 2014.  Second to that would be “Footsteps,” which I believe has been receiving more Spotify spins than any of my other songs to date.

I knew “A Taste of Heaven” was going to take off.  I worked with an amazing producer in LA, Chris Garcia who assembled an incredible team to record the music.  I flew out to LA to do the vocal tracks.  After it was all mixed and mastered, it was released and very well received.

“Footsteps” was one that I didn’t’ expect to take off like it did.  I’ve always liked the song with the cool guitar riff, but never thought it would be the one receiving the most Spotify plays.  That one I recorded at my home studio and played all the instruments myself, which is something I’ve done on most of my recordings.

SBS:  Is there a concert you’ve been to that…maybe it was the best you’ve seen, maybe it wasn’t, but it was a completely unforgettable moment in time that you might not even see from the same band or artist again if you saw them play in the future?  Know what I mean?  Like, maybe a band you saw was touring a certain album and they never played those songs again…or like, maybe an artist climbed up the frame of the stage like Eddie Vedder did, and of course he’s probably not doin’ that now as an older dude…there are countless examples of amazing shows from the artists & bands we love most that we will never see happen twice.  Tell us all the details you can remember about an unforgettable show you saw, and why you don’t think that if you saw that same artist/band today that it could all happen again.

Kevin Gullickson:  I’ve seen quite a few bands over the years.  Some of the classics, like the Stones, U2, Foo Fighters, Deep Purple, Yes, Bob Dylan, the Who, Black Sabbath Paul McCartney, and so many more.  Obviously, as these artists get older they slow down a bit and have less energy.  But, having said that, I’m still amazed at the energy of Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney in their 80s!  Who would have ever thought we’d get excited about a rocker in their 80s?  But they still have it.  I saw Paul McCartney a few months ago and the show was absolutely incredible.  And the Foo Fighters, in their late 50s are amazing!  All these bands and artists have proven that age doesn’t matter anymore.  If you have good music, at any age, it’s well received.

SBS:  I’ve heard it said many times that it’s harder to write a song in a happy mood than to write one when you’re feeling down.  Of course, for some folks, the opposite is just as true…I guess maybe that’s a reflection of who we are on the inside perhaps?  From YOUR perspective, what’s the particular emotion you associate with the most, or connect to the strongest when you’re creating your music?  How does it play a role in what you write & why do you feel like that specific emotion gets the best songs out of you?

Kevin Gullickson:  I think for me, it’s not so much one emotion over another.  Instead it’s whatever emotion is the strongest at that time.  So many songs are the results of inspiration, whether it’s happy, sad, angry, inspirational, reflective, peaceful, energetic, and so on.

I’ve written all sorts of songs that fit into all those emotional categories.  One song in particular, “What Went Wrong” is very emotionally charged for me.  I don’t mind saying, I had moments of tears when I wrote it.  It’s a song about loss.  I was thinking about my brother, who passed away from cancer back in 2015 when I wrote it.  I broadened that thought to his home and family, which were reduced by that very loss.  It’s a very heavy song emotionally and musically.

I’ve written reflective songs, such as “New Direction,” which is about a time of change in my life.  Uprooting from one place to another.  Leaving people behind that no longer fit into my life and making those necessary changes.

And of course, the most popular of all song themes, the love song.  I’ve written plenty of those which have been charged by love, infatuation, emotions, and all of that good stuff.

SBS:  Let’s ask ya this…would you rather create a massive hit song that the whole world knows and sings along with, or risk toiling in obscurity for the length of your career to fully keep your artistic integrity intact?  Is it really that much better to be one of those artists or bands that are only known for one song, or is it better to build a whole catalog you can proudly stand behind that might not be known at all?  One-hit wonders tend to get judged pretty harshly and are often crushed under the weight of constantly trying to find that second hit – but the flipside of that coin is the right hit song can be so financially lucrative that it can often be enough to build a whole career around.  Still…I have to wonder whether or not that would suck all the joy right outta the craft…maybe it’s really better to have no hits than one hit – what do you think you’d prefer and why?  Do you feel like creating a hit song is truly crucial to a music career?  If it’s not, what’s the alternative?  Can you still have a career without really becoming known?

Kevin Gullickson:  That’s a great question.  I think you must find a balance.  It’s important to be true to yourself.  And yet at the same time, if you want to make a career of music and reach people, you need to create music that is appealing to a wider audience.

For me personally, I would rather release a hit song that the whole world would know and sing.  I would be honored to contribute something that would touch and affect so many lives around the world.  Plus, with that (and proper management, especially money management) I would have the freedom and resources to continue to create music and have a career in music.

I think we as artists can lose our perspective on why we’re creating music.  If it’s just for yourself, then by all means, write whatever you want for your self-indulgence.  But if it’s for others to enjoy, then we need to keep our audience in mind as we write songs.  I know for me, my joy would be overflowing knowing that people love my music, even if it is just one hit.  Plus, I love playing music, no matter what style.

Regarding the criticism, you have to be thick skinned and not let it bother you.  I’m sure we’ve all seen even the most authentic artists criticized for their work.  So either way, you’ll be critiqued.

SBS:  Alright.  Personal taste.  It’s a weird thing right?  Impossible to predict, isn’t it?  We always talk about A-sides and B-sides when it comes to making music, and I like to believe that albums are generally put together with the artist or band bringing their best (theoretically, the A-sides) to an official release.  But once a song has been put out there into the world, it takes on all kinds of different meanings to every set of individual ears listening, doesn’t it?  For example – I’ve heard plenty of songs on what are considered to be B-side albums, or second songs that came along with a single that I might like even more than an A-side.  On the same side of that coin, just about every artist and band I know of tends to like certain songs they release much more than the ones their fans respond to the most.  So…I guess the question is…is there really such a thing as an A-side or a B-side to begin with?  What’s the point in worrying too much if everyone out there will draw to their own conclusions about what they like anyhow?  Should we just put absolutely everything we make out there online & let people be the judge?  When we label something as an A-side or a B-side, doesn’t that somewhat limit the listener’s objective ability to assess how they feel about a song on their own?  Who really decides what’s an A-side or a B?

Kevin Gullickson:  So much has changed with how we listen to music.  I’m old school and grew up listening to albums.  I still love a full album and enjoy listening from start to finish in one sitting.  Today, it’s all about singles.  At least for Pop music and the general public.  When talking about A sides and B sides, for me it’s really more about what order to put the songs out on the album.  I want to create a flow with the songs.  The first and last song are the most important.  The first one gets the listeners attention and the last one leaves that final impression.

I don’t think the idea of A sides and B sides is important anymore.  When releasing a few songs, I think it’s a great idea to promote them all and see which one gets the most traction.  That might be hard to do with a full album, but perhaps selecting a few songs that might have that “hit single” potential and promote those songs.

SBS:  Who’s someone you would be able to pinpoint as an influence on your music, or who you are as an artist, that even your fan-base might not have expected?  How has that person affected the way you make your music, and do you really feel like the influence ends up showing up in your sound, or not?  Maybe it’s something they said, maybe it’s something they did, maybe it’s something they accomplished that you hope to as well someday…maybe they’re simply iconic, or have become legendary.  Tell us why this particular inspiration matters to you & how they made an impact on how you view the art of music.

Kevin Gullickson:  There have been so many influences over the years.  The one that has had the most impact has been Paul McCartney.  He’s a living fountain of music that never stops flowing.  He’s influenced rock music like no one else has.  One thing in particular that had a huge impact on me was when the Beatles broke up and he made an album playing all the instruments himself.

When I was in my late teens and early 20s, still living at home, I learned how to play drums, guitar, keyboards and sing.  I would squirrel away in the basement in my music room and record music.  I had a reel to reel tape deck and would play all the parts and bounce tracks, just like Paul McCartney.  I wrote and recorded so many songs like that.  To this day, I have my own home studio and record all the parts myself.  Paul was my inspiration for that.

SBS:  I’m going with a motto of being unafraid to fail this year, because I think even though I’ve failed in so many things that I’ve tried, maybe I still haven’t failed enough to have learned to not be so afraid of it yet, you know what I mean?  We can learn so much by failing…by trying different things…by stretching outside of our comfort zones – and heck, we don’t even know if we can find success at all unless we’re really willing to see what we’re capable of, right?  So let’s ask you this – what do you consider to be your biggest failure with your music to-date, and ultimately, how did that experience actually end up helping you later on?  What did you learn from whatever mistake you made & how did it assist your evolution?

Kevin Gullickson:  Some of the biggest failures were trusting the wrong people in business.  I signed some really bad contracts and lost a lot of money and got burned.  I was young, naive, ignorant and desperate.  These unscrupulous people are like sharks that smell desperation and offer you success in return for your money.  Sadly, it ends up a horrible nightmare and they never deliver.  I’m so much wiser now and manage most of my business affairs.  I contract out as needed, which is a much better arrangement.

Over the years, I’ve been pretty bold to step out and do so many things to overcome my fears.  I moved to LA in my early 20s to peruse music and later to New York City.  I would play gigs whether I was ready and rehearsed or not.  I wanted to overcome any fears, just so I could get out there and make it happen.  I always knew that success was on the other side of fear.

SBS:  As I always like to remind people participating in our interviews, there is no such thing as an interview that has ever covered everything that someone would want to talk about, this one included.  We cover that here at sleepingbagstudios by offering you the ‘open floor’ at the end…a space where you can talk about anything else you want to.  You can mention anything we didn’t bring up.  You can talk politics if you want to.  You can swear.  You can tell us which websites we should go to in order to listen to your music.  You can tell us your favorite movie if you like.  Heck, you can full-on repeat yourself and say something you’ve already said if you feel so inclined – it’s YOUR space to say whatever YOU would want to say to the people out there, completely free of our influence on the conversation…all I suggest is that you take it for a ride and make good use out of it.  Thank you so much for talkin’ tunes with us!!!

Kevin Gullickson:  Let me start by saying “thank you” again, Jer, for supporting so many bands and artists over the years.  You are so completely tuned in to what we’re doing musically.  I really appreciate that.

As we all know, music is the universal language.  It’s something that can bring everyone together regardless of politics, social issues, economics or anything else that would divide and separate us.  My heart has always been to create music that lifts up and inspires, and brings people together on a deeper level.  As a matter of fact, on my upcoming album is a song titled “Together.”

With that, I would love to connect with you.  Here are the social and music links. 

Find out more about Radio Drive at:

Website:  http://www.radiodrive.net

Facebook:  https://fb.me/RadioDriveMusic

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/radiodrivemusic

Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/RadioDriveMusic

Instagram:  http://www.instagram.com/radio_drive

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JZELlsigjpKLVji8J1n3e

iTunes:  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/radio-drive/313677115

Ya ha!  This link right here is the key to being the next artist or band featured here at sleepingbagstudios, so instead of just ignoring it, click it instead!