GET TO KNOW KEVIN CARTEL

Thanks for having a chat with us Kevin and congratulations on the release of your new single PRBLMS. How are you travelling with life and the whole COVID-19 situation? 

Thank you so much for having me. Life has been good! The whole Covid situation took a bit of getting used to with having to study online and workout from home and things like that but musically, nothing really changed for me. I’m used to being locked away inside making music for days on end haha. I actually wrote and recorded PRBLMS during the first initial lockdown which has worked out well for me so far. I think the hardest part was not being able to go out and socialise, which meant that I wasn’t experiencing anything new or interesting to write about or gain inspiration from. It was starting to get hella boring in Melbourne, my housemate and I don’t game much but I’m pretty sure that we were addicted to COD there for a hot minute. I’m currently up in NSW staying with family until restrictions ease in VIC. I’ve already finished two songs up here. It’s been good to get away.

What inspired the artist name Kevin Cartel?

As a kid I grew up listening to Kid Cudi. I loved the way his name rolled off the tongue and how he had part of his last name in it which gave it that personal feel. When I left high school and started to pursue music, I began releasing demos online under the name ‘Kid Cards’ which was corny as hell so I quickly made the change haha. I think I liked the ‘KC’ initial theme and sound so much because of my first and middle name (Christian Kevin). So I just reversed it. I needed a name that would stand out and roll off the tongue like Kid Cudi or Kanye West, and something that people would remember. Cartel came to my mind almost instantly. I loved the sense of family, loyalty and power the word has, for obvious reasons. Kevin is the name of both of my late grandfathers who I never met, and the middle name of my late uncle. RIP.

Your new single PRBLMS is the first single after your debut album ‘The Cartel Baby’. How does your process differ between album and single? 

The Cartel Baby was such a long and tedious process even though it was only an 8 track. It was my first album, so as you can imagine, I was stressed as hell trying to meet deadlines with management and chasing features like a day or two out and things like that. I felt obliged to have a theme with the album and use the same producer for the majority of the production to give it a consistent and familiar sound, so it was super time consuming. I also tried to order the tracks in a way that it was enjoyable to listen to the album in full. In saying that, it was the most satisfying and rewarding feeling once I completed it. Creating a single on the other hand, is my forte. I find it super easy to write and record to a beat once I’m feeling it. The process is a lot more organic and fun for me.

Tell us a little bit about what this single means to you?

As soon as I finished recording PRBLMS I knew within myself that I had achieved something. I showed my housemate and her reaction said it all. I didn’t need anyone else’s confirmation or approval with this song because I felt so strongly about it. This record represents my true self. It’s fierce, it’s cocky, it’s confident and it’s aggressive. Not to mention the growth and progress I had made since the album. I was going through a lot at the time and I was under a lot of pressure. I just had a build-up of things on my mind that I needed to say. It put me in a vulnerable position, but it allowed me to let go of all my ‘problems’ and I guess the rest is history.

 What is on the horizon for this project?

I’m going to push this song as hard as I possibly can and try to reach as many people as possible. My videographer has already come up with a plan for the music video! It’s going to be filmed in Melbourne but given the current circumstances, there will be a bit of a delay. But from what he’s told me, it’s going to be a movie, so stay posted!