We interviewed Kevin Gant, the lost legend of Austin music

Kevin Gant was a popular local Austin musician in the mid to late 1990s. His music is a rich blend of jazz and soul, and his unorthodox play style attracted quite a bit of attention. However, he disappeared from the local music scene for over a decade.

Now he’s back, and ready to share his story and continue his journey.

We were at the Halcyon cafe, a blend of coffee house, bar, and restaurant. The place hummed with a unique vibe. Paintings hung from the wall, and music floated softly through the background. The hum of multiple conversations filled the air. Everything seemed to perfectly compliment each other, from the baristas and bartenders to the sounds and smells of the cafe. Harmonious. Positive. I think those are words I can use to describe Kevin as well.

I first met Kevin while I was exploring downtown Austin. I had decided that I would explore what the city had to offer, away from South Congress and the main hub of tourist attractions. He was just another man on the side of the street strumming on his guitar. I had passed many like him before, but something drew me to interview him. I could tell he was different. From the moment I started a conversation, his smile and music set him apart from everyone else. He simply exuded positivity. His hands flew up and down the strings of the guitar with skill I had rarely seen. The sounds reverberating from the instrument had a flamenco undertone to it. But above all, he was charismatic.

It turns out Kevin had been a local artist in Austin since the early 1990s. In fact, he had made quite a name for himself, and was ready to make the leap to Los Angeles. So in 1995, he packed up and disappeared from the city. 15 years later, a documentary of him appeared. With it came the prospect of pursuing his life-long dream of being a musician. But, his story revealed how much he had grown, and perhaps a lesson for the rest of us.

Kevin started out pursuing music from a very young age. As he quickly discovered his passion and talent, he invested more and more time in becoming a successful musician. But that passion for music turned into a desire for money. Despite his numerous fans in the early 1990s, he was occupied with selling cassettes and making as much money as he could. His focus drifted away from the music. But everyone goes through a crucible in life. A life changing moment of sorts. For Kevin, he rediscovered himself as an artist through that decade. And now, he’s sharing his experience and passion. Our conversation about music turned much deeper into a philosophy on life.

What are you working on now. What kind of up and coming content do you have planned?

You can only rely on what you have in front of you right now. It’s not good, for me anyway, to pursue publishing, because you’ll always be chasing it. It shouldn’t be a focus for me. The focus is having the content and being able to create spontaneously. That redefined focus has helped me. That’s golden to me. I have learned how that’s the key. You have to be comfortable with where you’re at. It’s not a competitive thing, but the comfort has to be who you really are. It has to be about the art. I’m not ignorant or blind to the influences of the industry. But you have to be grounded in your art.

Photo credit: @gantman

So do you think that right now, some artists are getting away from that and focusing on the end goal/money?

I’m sure. That’s just how some people were raised, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That just doesn’t work for me. If we’re playing blackjack right now, there are people who are always going to get a high hand. I’m one of those guys who always gets the low deal. So people like me have to keep trying till we bust. Then what happens after that?

You just play again.

Exactly! We’ve been brainwashed and people get mad and say things aren’t fair. They could very well be right. But you’re in the United States of America. They can’t stop you from doing anything. The only thing they can do is give you a low hand, and say you’re just lazy and don’t want to work when you complain when you don’t win. The message I have for people who feel like they’re being treated unfair is that you just have to keep playing, and you will win. It may be unfair that you have to wait, but time goes by fast. Whatever the reality is, you have to keep playing. Everybody with a bad deal in life have a wildcard. Everybody in America can and will win if they stick to it. That’s why I said you don’t have to do your dream perfectly, just keep pursuing it and learn from your mistakes. You can even do nothing. The makers of my documentary had heard me play 15 years ago. When they approached me to make the documentary, I had stopped playing. But the dream wasn’t gone.

Photo credit: @gantman

So for the students, what is a great place to listen to you and other music.

I’ve got a Twitter and Facebook page that students can follow, because I don’t have an itinerary right now. I’m just so random, I don’t like going through a booking agent. You usually have to book a show out two months in advance, and when that time comes its inevitable that you might feel like not playing.

I know that you recently took a trip to Spain to grow as a musician and get back to your flamenco stylistic roots.

I stayed there for two weeks. And it made a giant imprint on me. I’m thankful that you would remind me. Because I don’t care how excited you are about something in life. Once you get it, you eat it like an M&M. You drinking and you’re hungry again and you forget about it. That’s what we do with all of our blessings, especially with a society that we live in right now when we have so much at our disposal, its hard to be thankful. It easy to forget how much of a blessing we have in life.

If you want to meet Kevin, you’re more than likely to find him at the corner of 6th and Congress, humming along with his guitar. With all that Kevin has been through in his life, I think there’s something that can be learned here. His positivity and attitude towards life has changed over the years, but he’s come out of it all as a better person. And that’s the approach we should take to life. Even if you feel like you don’t have it all or got the short stick in life, persevere and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Check out Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, and see his work and documentary.