Taken To Unexpected Places with Cal Kevany (Wallice, Albert Hammond Jr, JW Francis)
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Cal Kevany
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Host note
We talk with Cal Kevany, guitarist, engineer, and producer who has toured with Wallice, Albert Hammond Jr., and JW Francis. The episode title question is what changes between the first show and the hundredth: less thrill, more logistics, more fast food.
We get into touring without a full band (running tracks live), the trick of learning songs fast with Roman numerals instead of by ear alone, and the physical toll of two straight weeks on the road, his neck was still catching up after. Cal also talks about how a jazz background feeds his indie-rock playing, and about posting musical ideas on TikTok for the fun of it, before it became a strategy.
The episode closes on why he keeps doing it: the friendships and community that only show up when you make music with other people instead of alone in a room.
Selected moments
- Introduction to Cal's Journey 2:04 Cal discusses his background and excitement for playing guitar.
- Managing Tour Logistics 3:22 Cal explains the challenges faced while touring and the logistics involved.
- Running Tracks on Tour 4:43 Cal shares how they managed tracks live without a full band.
- Learning Songs Efficiently 8:44 Cal talks about his strategies for learning new music, focusing on efficiency.
- The Unpredictability of Live Shows 21:43 Cal reflects on the unpredictability and energy of live performances.
- The Community of Music 45:21 Cal highlights the friendships and community built through music.
Selected excerpts
It was definitely a problem that I had when I first learned all of the stuff. It's like when you get a wah pedal as a guitarist, it's like I'm going to put a wah on everything.
I think just it's been like two weeks and my neck is just now starting to feel okay.
I haven't really had time to tackle like oh I want to have a new project or any specific thing that I'm working towards. It's really just been I started posting just musical ideas on TikTok because I was having fun making music.
The community and friends and being able to do these things with your friends and making new friends and just it's amazing how music can just make these connections.
You really could get to different heights through that support; if you're just playing alone or just playing and recording in a silo, you're just not as good at music compared to those moments.
FAQ
What stories does Cal Kevany share about touring?
Cal discusses the endurance required for touring and shares logistics stories, including the challenges of performing without a full band.
How does Cal Kevany's jazz background influence his indie rock style?
Cal speaks about how his jazz education informs his songwriting and incorporation of unique chord progressions in his music.
What are Cal's strategies for learning songs quickly?
He uses Roman numerals to organize songs and relies on repeated listening for memorization.
These pages are host notes, not a full transcript. The episode itself is on the listen links above.