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By Kate Watkins

Over the last few months, Kevin Mark Trail has been a very busy guy. He recently performed at the Jazz Café; his new album, ‘Just Living’, is set to invade stores in a matter of weeks, and he is embarking on a tour of the UK. Needless to say, life has been a bit hectic for the 23-year-old from Wembley, North London. He may be missing some chill out time at coffee shops in central London, but he has no complaints. “I’m at a good place right now.” Kevin explained how the experience of putting together his forthcoming release has been a great experience for him professionally and personally. “I’ve never put things together demo to track so that’s been pretty cool – just seeing it all develop. I’ve been working in a big studio and I’ve never worked in a proper studio before. The engineers are working on things to make it sound groovy. The whole team around the album have been great.”

Previously, Kevin lent his laid back vocal stylings to Mike Skinner for a project that eventually unfolded into The Streets. Although he had fun with that project, joining The Streets on their first big tour as a backing singer, Kevin said part of the appeal of working on his own solo album is the amount of individuality and personal work he has been able to put in to his project. “There are no collaborations on this album,” he said. “It’s a statement of just me. I put down all the vocals and co-produced. That’s good for me and where I am at right now.”

Always sounding mellow and level headed, Kevin’s roots also served as an influence on the album.
“I have a Jamaican family,” he said. “I have a very multi-cultural background. I’ve met a lot of people along the way. Growing up, I listened to a lot of Jamaican reggae and American R&B. This is all a part of me.” He continued, “I try to be honest [on the record] about things I’ve seen, the people I’ve come across. I write about my experiences. I’m a black guy from Wembley talking about my life experiences and the world I see.” Kevin also spoke about the recent influx of UK street music, which has had a major impact on his album, which features what he calls the latest ‘street bass’. “British [urban] music is slowly coming to the forefront, which is good to see,” he said.

Like many artists, Kevin realises that music industry can be a difficult business to break in to. His work with The Streets has helped him along the way, but he also says sheer determination is part of the reason he is doing what he loves. “You gotta be aggressive and remind people you are doing something,” he said. “Just remember, if you stay humble and work hard, you will get wherever you want to be, whatever that is.”

Recently, Kevin impressed audiences down at the Jazz Café with his cool soul vocals and charismatic stage appeal. The positive vibe from the audience at that performance will hopefully inspire him as he embarks on his UK tour. While some artists complain about the road and the necessary travel that goes along with it, Kevin is pretty enthusiastic about his upcoming trip. “I’m really excited about the tour,” he revealed. “March will be crazy!” The tour kicks off in Bristol on March 9th and ends at the Scala in London on the 22nd. Kevin also told us that he is not nervous about taking things on the road. “For me, normally nerves are a good thing,” he said. “It means I really care about something and will put a lot of effort into whatever that is.”

When he does have time to relax, Kevin said he likes heading into central London and hanging out at coffee shops. “I like coffee bars, especially Borders,” he said. “It’s fun going in there with my friends and having some coffee and relaxing. As long as I am with my friends, I’ll have a good time no matter where I am.”

As for the future, Kevin hopes to continue what he is doing. “I just want to keep at it,” he said. No doubt he will, along with his continual trips to coffee shops.

His latest single ‘D Thames’ and his new album ‘Just Living’ is in stores now. For more information about Kevin, including tour dates please visit www.kevinmarktrail.com.