Modern Artist Profile - Kevin Dvorak

In conversation with Mississauga’s marvellous modern musician, Kevin Dvorak.

1. What inspired you to become a musician?
Once I heard Van Halen’s 1984 album, I became obsessed with music.  Eddie’s imaginative guitar playing really sucked me into what you could do with an instrument.  Although my musical journey followed a different path, there is no denying Eddie Van Halen and this album was the catalyst.

“The melodies and sonic textures are what carry the musical weight in my writing.”

2. What are three highlights of your career?
My first highlight was joining the indie rock band “Public” back in 2005.  It was the only time I was in a band that was signed to a record deal (Hollywood Records).  It was a great learning experience for me as I was pretty green to the industry. This is where I refined my textural and methodical approach to guitar playing.

“Public” led me to my second highlight which was doing session work for the Hamilton indie band “Oceanship”.  This was for their first full length self titled album released in 2009.  I am quite proud of my guitar contributions for this body of work.   It was surreal to hear something I performed on played on the radio, as well as appear in the television shows Rookie Blue and One Tree Hill.

My third highlight is producing the song “Home With You” for Mississauga Independent Artist “Arlene”. This is the first time I produced a song for someone else. I am most proud of the outro arrangement I did for the track.

3. What guitars do you play and why those specific ones?
I do own a variety of guitars, but my main ones have been the American Stratocaster and the American Telecaster.  I’ve always loved how the fender necks felt in my hands. The Tele gets more love these days because I like the bite it has when you really overdrive the amp.

“Make sure you are always being true to yourself and your art. ”

4. How do you approach songwriting and why?
I'll always write the music first, followed by the lyrical content.  The melodies and sonic textures are what carry the musical weight in my writing.   This is where you can evoke a lot of the emotion of the song.  Sonics are universal.

5. What's your current project and what joy does that bring you?
My current project is co-writing and producing the next EP for Arlene.   I am enjoying this because the content is about mental health which is a subject that is very important to me.  It’s the first time where all the songs have a similar lyrical theme.

6. What succinct words of wisdom do you have for aspiring musicians?
Make sure you are always being true to yourself and your art.  At the end of the day, you need to be happy with what you are doing.  Also don’t be afraid to try things that are outside your comfort zone.  It may feel scary at first, but this is where the magic and growth happens.

7. If you were to play me one piece of music you created, what would it be and why?
I would show you an old demo I recorded called the “Diving Bell and Butterfly Effect”.  The reason I would show you this is because it was the first piece where I truly felt confident in my abilities as a writer, arranger, and producer.  All the vocals and instrumentation (except the live drums) were performed by me.