Kevin Gordon, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and poet, will be releasing his new album The In Between on September 13. During the recording of the album, Gordon was diagnosed with throat cancer. With guitars, drums, and bass completed for most tracks but vocals for only one or two, the sessions had to go on indefinite pause while Gordon underwent radiation and chemotherapy.
It’s as though Gordon’s journey through cancer treatment profoundly influenced the recording process and likely brought a heightened emotional depth as he reflected on life and his own mortality, translating into raw and authentic expression. After being declared cancer-free, his voice seems to cut through the static and suggests a renewed focus and passion. “Coming out of that, it definitely did create a certain sense of not only urgency but a sense of permission, that I felt more comfortable saying a few things more plainly than I had before,” he says.
Premiering exclusively on American Blues Scene is the lyric video for the sympathetic single “Keeping My Brother Down,” which Kevin wrote after reading about Emmett Till’s murder. He finished it by drawing a throughline to Eric Garner and the events of Ferguson, MO.
“I wrote this song years ago,” Kevin tells us, “tying the murders of Emmett Till, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner together. I performed it live only occasionally, because it felt so explosive, much more so than anything else I’ve ever written. But I wanted to record it; it felt important to give voice to justified outrage. Also to come at it from an autobiographical point of view, using my own voice, as a white southerner.”
Kevin Gordon’s credentials in the music industry and his influence on other musicians are impressive and varied. Highlights include a collaboration with Lucinda Williams, performing on NPR’s World Cafe, and being profiled in The New York Times emphasizing his dual talents in music and poetry.
Additionally, his songs have been covered by Keith Richards, Levon Helm, and Todd Snider. In terms of Kevin Gordon’s blues credentials specifically, his songs have also been covered by Irma Thomas and Shemekia Copeland. His involvement in playing guitar on Shemekia Copeland’s record further underscores his influence and contribution to the genre.
