After four decades together, Kevn Kinney and Drivin N Cryin are still on the road, bringing the band’s new album, Crushing Flowers, to Oklahoma City on Aug. 25 at Resonant Head.  According to lead singer and guitarist Kevn Kinney, Crushing Flowers was inspired by the idea of disconnecting fro m technology and the internet. “It is just kind of an opportunity to once a week, put your things in a drawer and read a book, sit outside, feed the birds,” said Kinney. For Kinney, that meant creating a space where he could step away from the presence of technology and become more connected with the simpler moments in life. Kinney added that “we are all flowers out there,” and people have gotten addicted to being liked or checking their comments. He describes the digital world as a place where people are “predators” in constant pursuit of attention, surrounded by others who want to make connections, collect information, sell something and gain our attention. Crushing Flowers is an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and appreciate the simple moments that can easily be drowned out by the growing noise of the internet.  The idea of slowing down and becoming more present is what eventually evolved into the creation of the album. Crushing Flowers took shape over roughly three years. After writing a large collection of songs, he went back through them and selected the tracks he felt best fit the Drivin N Cryin sound. One of his favorite memories from working on the album was the first time the band came together to practice the songs. With the members living in different cities, getting everyone together in the same room became a memorable and enjoyable experience. “I was looking at my notes the other day, and I think one of the first songs is a song called ‘Dead End Road,’” Kinney recalled. For those listening to Drivin N Cryin for the first time,he considers “Dead End Road” a good place to start, along with “Mirror Mirror.” “Mirror Mirror” is the first song on the album and is the most personal song to Kinney.  The song was inspired by his family’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease. He wrote the song about his mom and his grandfather. He describes watching someone with Alzheimer’s as the heartbreak of seeing someone who may no longer remember you. “The third verse is about me looking in the mirror,” Kinney said. The last verse makes the song more personal to him. After watching someone go through this, Kinney turns inward and explores his own fear of the possibility of it happening to him.  “Mirror Mirror” is a recent example of how Drivin N Cryin continues to find inspiration and evolve through music.  Kinney continues to find something to look forward to every time he steps on stage. For him, the best performances come from feeding off the energy of the crowd and communicating with the audience in the moment. “When I’m at my best, I’m communicating with the crowd and seeing what they want to hear,” said Kinney. Drivin and Crying new album Crushing Flowers now available. No two shows are ever the same, and each time they perform is a unique experience. If you shout out a song you would like to hear, they are happy to do anything from a catalog of more than 200 songs. They perform a blend of new songs and older songs. The band also honors longtime fans who remember them from different eras of their career, bringing back songs that hold special meaning for those listeners. “Drivin N Cryin is definitely a band without a category,” said Kinney.  Kinney points to the variety of music he grew up listening to, from Buddy Holly and The Who to Black Sabbath. He acknowledges that this variety of styles may seem “out of sorts,” but to him it feels natural.  “It’s like Black Sabbath if Bob Dylan was in Black Sabbath, that’s our goal,” said Kinney. The band’s wide range of influences makes it difficult to compare Drivin N Cryin to any one genre or artist, which is something Kinney considers an advantage. Oklahoma City is one of 26 stops on the Crushing Flowers tour, and Kinney said he’s looking forward to being in OKC. The show gives local audiences a chance to experience the band’s newest material alongside the songs that have carried Drivin N Cryin through decades of change. For Kinney, the show is another opportunity to leave the noise behind, be present in the moment and see where the night takes him. The post Still on the Road: Kevn Kinney and Drivin N Cryin appeared first on Oklahoma Gazette. ...read more read less