Kevin, you’ve had an incredible year with both Jebediah and Bob Evans. How do you manage balancing both personas, especially with a new album and this tour?
I think I have just gotten used to it so it’s much easier these days than it used to be. I used to think I could only give my full attention to one or the other but I’ve realised with time that in a way both Jebs and Bob are bigger than me. They run on their own steam really. So I just have to be ready to switch hats when it’s necessary.
The When Kev Met Bob tour last year was a huge success. What motivated you to bring it back for another round?
Well its success was the main motivator! I’d never done it before and so didn’t know what sort of response it might garner and I discovered there was a willing audience for it which was great. But more than that, I really enjoyed it and wanted to do it again. The fact is, I’ve been holding this back for many years, being able to play all the songs that I have ever written throughout my life and to do so was extremely fulfilling. Also I felt like the time had come where holding on to this separation between Jebediah and my solo work just wasn’t really necessary anymore. It did its job. Jebediah and Bob Evans are just fine on their own. I don’t feel like I need to protect anything anymore.
You’ve been creating music for over three decades. How has your approach to songwriting evolved between your work as Kev in Jebediah and as Bob Evans?
I’m not sure. In a lot of ways it’s mostly the same. What I like about songs on a very basic level hasn’t changed that much. I’ve just tried to get better. I’m much more invested in lyrics now than I used to be so there’s that. I think one of the good things about doing this for a long time and getting older is that you get better at being able to synchronise your taste in music with your own writing. When you are young and new, you can have great taste in music or art more generally, but your ability to align with that when it comes to your own work can be difficult. I feel like my taste in music and my ability to create what I feel is tasteful music has become more aligned. Is that evolution? It might be.
This tour is heading to new regional venues that you didn’t visit last year. What are you looking forward to about performing in these places?
Well I love the chance to play somewhere I haven’t played before because after a while that becomes rare, especially in a place like Australia.
With such an extensive back catalogue, how do you go about selecting songs for the setlist when mixing the high-energy rock of Jebediah with the more acoustic Bob Evans tracks?
I have to look at what songs I think people might be interested in hearing and then see if I can make them work in this format. For example, I have tried and tried to make Leaving Home work, acoustically, with the electric, I’ve changed styles, tempos and still nothing really lands. So maybe that song can only really be done one way. But there are Jebediah songs that lend themselves to an acoustic or a solo treatment and I know which ones are fan favourites that perhaps weren’t necessarily radio singles so I like to explore that a bit. But it’s a fun challenge and part of why I have enjoyed this process so much is discovering new ways to play old songs.
Your fans seem to love both your Jebediah and Bob Evans work. Do you think one side of your music connects more strongly with Australian audiences, or is it evenly balanced?
There are plenty of Jebediah fans who hate Bob Evans just as there are Bob Evans fans who can’t stand Jebediah. But there is also a bit of a cross section too. I guess I might not have a career if it weren’t for the early success of Jebediah so that history looms large.
You’ve talked about feeling a sense of completeness after last year’s tour. Can you elaborate on that and explain how it’s influenced this year’s shows?
It just felt good to be able to play all the music I’d ever written in one set. It all means so much to me, from the early Jebediah songs that were written in my teens through to now. I guess it felt somehow kind of freeing to be able to tap into it all in any way I liked. I gave myself permission to do it. I’ve dedicated my whole adult life to songwriting and it’s nice to be able to have access to all of it on stage.
After so many years in the industry, what keeps you inspired to keep pushing musical boundaries? Any new elements you’re planning to bring to When Kev Met Bob Rides Again?
Well I’m not sure I’m pushing many boundaries to be honest. I just love a good song. Although I guess this whole concept for me personally is pushing a big boundary, in that I’m knocking down that Jebediah and Bob Evans wall after a few decades. Switching between acoustic and electric guitars in a solo performance is very new for me.
Switching between the rock energy of Jebediah and the reflective nature of Bob Evans can’t be easy. How do you manage that transition on stage?
Well it’s all in how the songs are interpreted. I don’t try and play the Jebediah songs like Jebediah do them. So I just find a way of playing the Jebediah songs that fits with what I already do as a solo performer. I’ve found that underneath the brashness of some Jebediah songs there is a quiet song waiting to come out.
You’ve been a part of the Australian music scene for a long time. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry, and how have you adapted?
Just the way people access music through streaming and the idea that music is free now and you can access the entire history of contemporary music in an instant with very little effort or investment. There’s a great side to that. I would have loved it when I was a kid. But people don’t have to work very hard anymore for it and I think something has been lost. The mystery is gone, although that’s largely to do with social media. But also I think about the money I had to save, the going to a record shop, the ordering a hard to find album, waiting weeks for it to arrive and then when it does it’s such a prized possession. There’s nothing fast or disposable about that experience and it stays with you forever.
The support acts for this tour are great choices. What do you look for when deciding who to share the stage with on a tour like this?
Variety is the spice of life and the last thing I want at my shows is for the support act to be another version of me. So I preference diversity. Anybody who has come to a Bob Evans show over the last decade has probably cottoned on to that. I try as best I can to make space for artists who don’t look and sound like me. I think it’s important and also my responsibility. This industry is changing for the better and it’s amazing to witness but it’s still a very straight male dominated space and I want to be on the side of progress in whatever small way that I can.
Finally, can fans expect any surprises or special moments during this tour? Perhaps a fresh take on a classic track or something new?
Of course! That’s what this show is all about! Lots of special moments await the audience, come along and see.
JEBEDIAH will be playing on the national HOTTER THAN HELL lineup through Oct/Nov
