Kevin Maxim is a singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia, who has worked on projects for radio, TV, film, and stage. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Howard University in 2007. In 2009, he released his debut LP LOVOLUTION: The Urban Alternative under the moniker KEV.O, later co-writing and vocal producing songs for Eshe of the Grammy Award-winning hip hop group Arrested Development, including “You Make Me Wanna”, which featured NAACP Image Award-winning actor Omari Hardwick. He also co-wrote “First Time” for Soul Train Music Award winner Angie Stone’s album Rich Girl. He was a semifinalist on Essence’s R&B Star competition and a winner on Steve Harvey’s New Star Project in 2010. Other notable clients have included Tiffany & Co., Mercedes-Benz, The Grammy Foundation, and The Walt Disney Company. He is currently based in Shanghai, China.


Link to the latest music
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kevinmaxim/prototype

Where are you based?
Shanghai, China

How long have you been making music?
I’ve been making music most of my life. Ever since I got my first little Casio keyboard as a birthday present from my dad, I’ve been creating music.

What genre would you consider your music to be?
As a black man from Atlanta, who grew up in a Christian household, had a mom who made sure we went to church most Sundays, and a dad who had an amazing collection of 70 soul music on vinyl, my music always has R&B/Soul at its core.

What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I first became inspired to pursue music as a career the moment I realized that the voices and instruments I heard on the radio were from real people. I remember learning as a kid that a close friend’s uncle and aunt worked with the rap duo Kris Kross. I had been in there wedding. So, as tangible as they were to me, I was sure that something like that must possible for me too..

What are your biggest musical influences?
Nobody says this, but I’m gonna say it. Me. The breadth of experiences that I’ve had – musically and otherwise – is so wide, and all of it influences me. The gospel music I heard in church. The old school R&B songs I’d hear my dad singing around the house. The world and classical music I’d discover on the AM side of the radio. That alternative and punk rock I discovered with my friends in middle school. The hip hop that was the backdrop of many of the adventures I had with my older brother. The world of EDM that my younger brother introduced me to. The contemporary R&B that my sister and I geeked over. The African drums that boomed over the yard when I was a student at Howard University. The acoustic and pop rock that entered my life in my late twenties. The classical and contemporary Chinese music that surrounds me now. It’s all me.

Are you signed to a label or are you an independent artist?
Independent.

What have been the biggest challenges in your music career?
The primary advice I’ve received as an artist is to be prepared for lots of “no”. So, I prepared. Unfortunately, that means was not prepared for the “no” disguised as “yes”. There was a lot of rug-pulling happening early in my career, and that was tough for me.

How many songs or albums have you released to date?
Altogether, I’ve released about 30 songs, 1 EP, and 1 LP.

Can you tell us a few things about your latest release?
One day, I got home after my weekend residency, and I couldn’t stop singing. So, I thought I’d record it. Some of my early supporters had been asking me to re-release a cover I had recorded years ago of Outkast’s “Prototype”. So, I decided that would be the project for the night. I was so in the zone that I recorded the entire lead in one take. I’m also obsessed with background vocals. So, I spent a lot of time really developing that, as those they’re pretty sparse in the original. I used to love to smoke and listen to this song back in the day. So, I wanted my version to feel like that – very plush and billowy, like we’re floating on a cloud through space. It will be released on all major platforms July 4.

Any plans for new music or upcoming projects we should know about?
Lots of new music coming later this year and throughout next year! So, make sure you follow all my socials so you’ll be first to know what’s coming down the pipeline.

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