Here's my interview with singer, Kevin Bianchi of the band Vanishing Shores
How'd you get started in music?
I have always been drawn to and inspired by music. I got into my Dad’s collection of records at an early age and listened for hours to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and so many others. I’ve always found music to be such a supernatural thing. It is something that is so full of mystery, but also has the infinite potential to heal and restore. I’ve been writing songs since I was 14, but I am still completely humbled and filled with a sense of wonder every time I write a song. No matter how many I write, each new song is like another undiscovered country to be traveled and cherished for its untamed beauty. For the last few years I have been focused on my Vanishing Shores band. Its a chance for me to record and perform with a whole community of dear friends and musicians. It has enabled me to be completely fearless and just create. No limits. I think my best songs are still yet to come. I can’t ever imagine a time where I don’t want to create and add beauty into the world. We need beauty now more than ever. To put down the phone and simply sit and listen to things of beauty and joy.
Who are your inspirations or influences?
I am influenced by everything around me. I try to keep my eyes and ears open. I want to be humble enough and awake enough to be moved by the stories and the people around me. I don’t like to be static. I do however think that connection is far more important as an artist with an audience than any dedicated pursuit of innovation. If I can connect with a song or a lyric, that means more to me than being the ‘first one’ to say it or play it that way. Connection is what defines success for me. If something moves you, that is success. I don’t want to lose sight of that truth. It is so easy to be frustrated with the current state of the music industry (and world for that matter). But I don’t want to lose joy by thinking I am entitled to something or deserve better. I want to focus exclusively on writing songs that connect with the listener and move them in real and lasting ways. I want them to feel like I am a fellow traveler, sharing the journey with them. If that is one listener or 5,000, I want to be grateful for each one.
What advice would you offer aspiring performers?
My advice would simply be to write songs and make music that means something to you above all else. If it doesn’t move you, move on to something else until it does. Authenticity is not defined by style or genre, but by an individual’s heart and passion. If you fee it, its real. No-one can take that away from you or diminish it, so follow that and develop that in your own writing and performances. That is what makes an artist authentic and worthy of being heard. Fearlessly follow the things that move your heart and mind.
How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?
I think what sets me apart is that I don’t try to be like anyone else. I simply try to be faithful to the gifts I have been given; the words and the melodies I have been inspirer and moved to create. I don’t have any desire to be a part of something that would try to make me something other than who I am. I don’t have any false sense that I should be popular or important. When success comes, it will only be because a song or a lyric meant something to the listener. It won’t be because of any external factor, it will only be because another heart has been drawn to it. I think that sets me apart in a way that brings about a freedom. A freedom that pursues beauty wherever it may lead.
Any new gigs or albums in the future?
I am currently working to finish my next album that will be called, ‘Possible Light’. Its been a long journey to finish this album and I am very much looking forward to its completion and release into the world. I hope to have it released in the middle of 2023.
We also have a livestream performance coming up on December 16th via YouTube.
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