Artist to Watch: Kevin Fowler

Fans of the Texas country music scene are already well acquainted with singer-songwriter Kevin Fowler who had been playing the music circuit in that state since 1998 with his country band. But, the national scene is really catching on to Kevin’s music now with his unique song “Pound Sign (#?*!),” a perfect tune for when you really don’t have the words to describe how you’re feeling or maybe you do but you choose not to color your language with those choice words. The single is catching on with the country crowd and has earned Kevin his very first Top 40 hit.

Before Kevin found himself with a promising country music singing career, he took a detour or two along the way. Although the Amarillo native taps two country legends – Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard - as creative influences, Kevin made a pit stop in the hard-rock band Dangerous Toys and later his own Southern rock band Thunderfoot in the ‘90s after his stint at L.A.’s Guitar Institute of Technology. But, he said goodbye to the hard-rockin’ lifestyle to pursue music more in the country vein by the time 1998 rolled around and booked a weekly gig in an Austin club in the heart of the entertainment district.

In 2000, Kevin began recording and releasing his own albums, such as Beer, Bait & Ammo, and built a very substantial fan base in Texas. Before long, Nashville was calling in the form of Equity Music, a record label started by Clint Black. Kevin proceeded to release two albums while signed to the roster including 2004’s Loose, Loud & Crazy and 2007’s Bring It On, but unfortunately the singles released from those projects failed to crack the Top 40 although his “Best Mistake I Ever Made” made it close. Upon Equity’s closure in 2008, Kevin was without a record deal, but there was some comfort in the fact that Montgomery Gentry had recorded Kevin’s song “Long Line of Losers” for their Back When I Knew It All album. The MG version of the song was released as the final single from that project in 2009 and made its way into the Top 30. Meanwhile, Kevin signed another record deal earlier this year. This time with the Disney-owned Lyric Street Records and although the imprint was closed in April, Disney decided to keep Kevin around.

Despite the music industry turmoil surrounding his career, Kevin has stayed true to his honky-tonkin’ Texas sound and kept his nose to the grindstone. That devotion to his music and hard work ethic has propelled him to his position on the charts with his break-out single “Pound Sign (#?*!)” and hopefully, that’s a sign of more to come for Kevin Fowler. For more on Kevin, check out his official website.

Image courtesy of Todd V. Wolfson

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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