Culture & Entertainment Notebook: From Shivelbine's to Music Row

Cape Girardeau native and singer-songwriter Kevin Brost first learned how to play guitar in the basement of Shivelbine's Music store in Cape Girardeau. And at the age of 14, he became a member of his first five-piece band.

He now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and spends much of his time writing music; traveling to and from Nashville, Tennessee; working on upcoming music projects; and also working as a songwriter for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Brost recently completed a recording session in Nashville for his latest single, "Better as a Memory" -- with an upcoming music video -- which he said was "a pretty cool experience."

Brost said he was touring in New York City in January and noticed an email from Matt Leigh, head producer at The Tracking Room, a recording studio in Nashville.

Lay also produced Brost's first single, "Stay," in 2016.

"He basically said, 'There's something we're working on here at The Tracking Room, and we may have an opportunity for you,'" Brost said.

The next morning, Brost said he called Lay and was told The Tracking Room was looking for "recording artists to donate their time, while the studio donates its engineering."

Brost jumped at the chance he had once before.

"I felt honored to come in there and record," he said.

A big deal for Brost, he said, is having "chemistry" in the studio. Sharing experiences within the recording studio with people he actually knows, meant a lot to him, Brost explained.

One of those people was longtime high school friend and past band mate Collin Andersson along with full-time Nashville recording artist Nicky V. Hines, who Brost said is "a Cape Girardeau guy" who can "flat-out shred on guitar."

Brost got his start during freshman year of high school when he was involved with a benefit concert organized by Southeast Missouri native and now-Nashville recording artist Jessie Ritter.

Throughout the rest of high school, Brost said he continued to perform at multiple schools events and concerts.

According to Brost, before his time at Notre Dame, there hadn't been live music at school-hosted dances since his dad attended.

"We brought back live music to the dances," he said. "Being 17 and playing to 600 was cool. We did wedding receptions and stuff like that, too. Then, when I went to college and took it more seriously, I formed a trio."

Brost attended Murray State University during the fall of 2013. The trio included two other Notre Dame alumni.

"One of the guys that was in it, he was in the band with me back when we were 14 years old," Brost said. "We did that for a couple years."

In the spring of 2016, Brost said he launched his solo career after being invited to an after-party by someone, "and we got to talking about what he's looking for in an artist."

"I didn't talk to him for a couple months, and then that following summer I posted a video to YouTube. Then the next day, he texted me and said 'Hey, when are we going to sign you on the roster?"

Brost said his reply was, "All right. Let's do it."

Two weeks later Brost found himself on Music Row in Nashville to record his debut single, "Stay," then "that launched this whole solo thing I've been doing ever since."

Right now, Brost said he has been involved with a lot of interviews, and he has begun his first podcast interviews, "which has been great."

"I've been playing live on a few radio stations, and I'm currently working on a second record," Brost said. "At the end of November I'm going down to Atlanta to record the rest of my second record."

Brost describes his life now as being a constant state of writing.

"Next year, I'm looking into some of my first international shows," Brost said.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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