Meet Kevin Bull, Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Bull, Jr.

Hi Kevin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was younger, I played music around my house and usually old-school Motown and R&B like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Mariah Carey. It’s always been there for me and has fueled every aspect of my life ever since. By 10, I got into the upright bass and performed in orchestras in school and other regional groups, including an all-state orchestra. My love for the low-end grew further with my introduction to Coldplay. In all of their tunes, there was a distinct low-end sound happening, and I realized it was an electric bass from watching countless live performances. That’s where my obsession with music headed next. Picking up the electric bass at 15, I went through learning and understanding the instrument and how I would develop my signature style. I then started to join and tour with other local bands until the pandemic/lockdown came into the picture. While the world was in a dark place, I began to write the original music that would feature me being the frontman, singing and playing bass. I would then record these tunes and put together a solo band to promote the release of my EP, Trying My Best. We did about 30 shows throughout my senior year of high school until August of 2021 when I went to Nashville to attend Belmont University. I major in Electric Bass Performance with a minor in audio engineering. From there, I created a solo band in Nashville, and we’ve been on the road ever since to create music that we can relate to on a large scale. We continue our quest and hope to make music a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest struggles is time management. I’m sure the guys over at Sunday Alibi can agree with this, too; being an independent musician, attending school full time in a brand new area while simultaneously trying to keep a stable social life is a struggle. It’s a true balancing act and can sometimes hinder our growth as other unavoidable priorities and obligations come up. Along the way, there has also been some music drama within the bands I was in. Egos can sometimes get in the form of true art, which can result in uncomfortable conversations or me having to remove myself from a situation. I had to learn along the way that it’s important to surround yourself with people that are just as committed as you are.

Another smaller struggle is my age. I’m 19 years old, and that can sometimes cause problems with a good amount of the venues in Nashville being 21+ only or just the crowd has to be 21+, And those venues are typically bigger in size and more well-known. The cool thing with this is that we’re forced to push ourselves outside of the Nashville scene and reach a broader audience so that when we can play these bigger 21+ venues, we have the numbers to fill it up. This is one of the most important aspects of booking shows; how many people can you bring? Because the venue has bills and staff to pay as that price increases, the bigger the space. A good draw can guarantee that their people are being taken care of and possibly a bigger cut for the bands.

It brings me to another crucial point. It’s tough to be in this business without a few different revenue streams. Due to no current legislation, as it comes to revenue from audio streaming, streaming services have no obligation to pay the artist a livable wage for their work. It’s not fair something needs to be changed with this system, but until then, independent musicians have to figure out other ways to keep the lights on and put food on the table. I’m incredibly fortunate that my parents are helping me with my college costs and expenses, so I don’t have to worry about bills, which gives me a lot of leeways to try different things out and see which can generate good revenue and something that I truly enjoy. Over the past few years, I started creating Youtube videos of playing bass to my favorite songs and sharing them on social media. These videos would serve as a reflection of my playing. How could I improve my bass playing? I would also try to outdo everything single video, whether it came to timing, feel, tone, or overall sound quality. All of this editing I was doing presented an exciting opportunity to offer my services to other people. This past year, I started to shoot videos for live bands in Nashville and edited their entire set for them to post on social media. I found that while there were a plethora of amazing photographers in the area, there aren’t as many options for videographers, especially at an affordable price. I can charge a lot cheaper because I have no overhead, and my gear is fairly simple, just a few older iPhones I collected over the years that I use to film 4 angles simultaneously. Nothing fancy, but it gives them a sound HD recording with pretty decent audio. All of these bumps in the road are worth it if it means creating a sustainable income with music without the need to pick up a job.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, I am writing and recording music under my name, Kevin Bull, Jr., which can be found on all streaming platforms. I am mainly a bass player in the hard rock genre and enjoy playing heavy and loud music. My solo band in Nashville has been doing some gigs around town in hopes of reaching a larger audience and touring the world. One thing that sets me apart is being a bass player and singer in my band. That’s something you don’t see too often as the bass is typically overlooked and has a long-overdue reputation of being boring. While some players play simple parts to serve the song brilliantly, they also provide a rich harmonic and rhythmic foundation to the ensemble that cannot ignore. The music is being underserved without the bass or a bass instrument, which is crucial in my genre. I hope that bringing the bass to the forefront of my band can inspire others to do the same thing no matter what others say. I’m most proud of my live band in Nashville. My guys (James Tidwell/Guitar, Reece Bittner/Guitar, Ryan O’Connor/Drums) are some of the friendliest and most talented musicians I’ve had the chance to work with. They’re easy to work with and are invested in music. They always come to rehearsals prepared and help me bring my music to a live setting. I cannot do what I do nearly as effectively with any other group of people.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The main lesson from COVID is that my ability to play music or my life, in general, could end at any moment. We’re all just people with issues and problems to overcome. This pushed me to give my 100% every day when it came to my well-being and career. It permitted me to drive anyone out of my life who didn’t believe in me; I didn’t have the time. It made me want to take more risks and try new things I wouldn’t have usually done before. We only have 1 finite amount of time on this Earth. I will make mistakes and regrets and want to go back and change the past. That will happen no matter what. But I do not want to go through life knowing I didn’t try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kevinbulljr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevin_bull_jr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.bull.5437
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgiEg90iQMkkb_smWCwaTvA

Image Credits
Hana Harzani- https://www.instagram.com/harzaniii/ Cap2Red Studions – https://www.instagram.com/cap2redstudio/ Austin Dellamano – https://www.instagram.com/photos_by_jad/