Greetings, fans! I've noticed a pattern over the past five or six years (not counting 2020, which was atypical on every level for obvious reasons). I tend to get creatively charged up in Spring, when the weather gets nicer and I find myself with gigs to look forward to and hopefully new music to present. That's the case in 2021 for sure. I am well into the sessions for my sixth album now, which I plan to call, simply, "Kevin-ish." The title is sort of an amusing riff on the notion that you have to fit your music into a specific genre for marketing purposes, and music reviewers go to great lengths to label things. But I happen to like a wide variety of music, and my releases have always touched on rock, folk, Americana, ambient and the all-encompassing "singer/songwriter" category so far (that is mostly HOME to me overall). What connects the styles is ME, and the musical predilections that this "Kevin" guy tends to reveal. I'm part of ALL my songs, so isn't it fair to say they are all sort of "Kevin-ish," regardless of genre? I like the title, and it's easier to remember than "Songs I've Done Since That Last Really Intense Thing That Preceded the Pandemic That Found Me in Something of An Existential Funk, Even Though I Had NO Idea What Was Still To Come." I'm engaged in recording as you read this, and I can say there will be either 13 or 14 songs on this album. "Beer and Wine" is already out there, and by month's end, I hope to have a new ditty called "Walkin' Along" just about ready to share. And I've done a rockin' new remix of "Call It, Friend-o" which I will have plenty to say about later. Am I the only songwriter to pen a song inspired by the Coen Brothers movie "No Country For Old Men"? Not sure, but I think MAYBE so. Everyone is probably sick of hearing and reading about the pandemic. There is nothing new I can personally say on this grim topic. I'm scheduled for my vaccine on April 14, and that's fine as long as there is no interference with my music. I have a round of gigs coming up, my first ones since November of last year. If you're a musician, it is simply torture to NOT make music no matter the reason. So gol dang it, I'm gonna git dem tunes out dere one way or another! And I thank those of you who have taken time to send me messages. I always try to answer them, for sure. I crossed the hallowed "2000 subscribers" mark recently, and that's just plain awesome. Thank you, guys! Stick with me; I feel sure that the best is yet to come! For fans of my songs that may not know, I am also lead singer of a Neil Young tribute band called SHAKEY DEAL. Neil was hugely influential for me as a musician, and I genuinely love performing his songs. People who've heard my band have said they are amazed at how much we capture the Neil Young vibe. It happens pretty organically. We are playing here in St. Louis on May 23 opening for Dylan tribute band Hard Rain, and we have a really kickin' slot opening the SamJam Festival on Aug. 28 in Carlinville, IL. Details on that show in the next newsletter. To get on my mailing list for show and release information, please write me at kevinarenick@gmail.com. These newsletters tend to be every two months, and I wouldn't want you to miss some timely information. Just rest assured that I am keeping my musical goals top of mind always, and have plenty I want to accomplish. But I'll close by urging all of you to get your vaccine shots, and to stay safe and healthy above all else. The world is hardly ever a truly safe place, and we've all been pushed to the limit in the past year, needless to say. Let's hope it all starts getting better and easier. I promise I will keep trying to write and record tunes that inspire you or help soundtrack your life. It's the least we empathetic songwriters can try to do, right? :-)