Kevin Renick will be releasing his fifth studio album of folksy, pop-rock titled "Clear The Way" on Tuesday, October 24th at The Sheldon Concert Hall from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. He recently uploaded two of the new songs on Number One Music for people to stream. Visit HERE for the event details on Facebook.
Kevin Renick's Biography:
As the closing credits rolled in Jason Reitman's 2009 Paramount Pictures release UP IN THE AIR, starring George Clooney, many moviegoers wondered who was singing that high, breathy tune about uncertainty and indecision, a now classic song also titled "Up In The Air." The correct answer: Kevin Renick, a singer/songwriter whose stirring, autobiographical tune about the unpredictable and often anxiety-producing nature of life not only caused moviegoers to stay in their seats a few extra minutes at the end of Reitman’s Oscar-nominated film, it also appeared on the offiicial soundtrack to UITA alongside contributions from artists such as CSNY and Elliott Smith. Renick also recorded a fresh new studio version of the song for his debut full-length CD, Close To Something Beautiful, available on CDBaby.com, amazon.com and iTunes.
The story of "Up In The Air" reads as a serendipitousalignment of stars for Renick, a St. Louis native--one that aspiring artists usually can only dream about. Renick is a passionate music lover previously known around his hometown as a freelance journalist who'd contributed countless album, film and concert reviews to publications such as Playback:STL , Sauce , The Riverfront Times and various online music hubs over the past three decades. Renick’s talent as a songwriter, however, remained hidden from all except his close friends. In Fall of 2008, after an unexpected layoff from his long-standing proofreading job at a top ad agency, Renick was moved to take his secret musical dreams public. Guitar in hand, he began performing live for the first time at the tiny Grove Deli in suburban St. Louis, mainly to an audience of close friends and family members. The set lists consisted of covers by Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and other iconic artists, as well as a handful of originals.
Only a few months later, in February 2009, Renick’s chance to meet director Jason Reitman at a college lecture provided him with the opportunity of a lifetime. Renick handed Reitman a cassette tape featuring his original composition titled “Up in the Air” and told Reitman the story of his recent layoff. After Reitman looked at the primitive format and wondered aloud where he would be able to listen to the cassette, Renick admits he left the encounter without a lot of expectations. But thanks to Reitman’s unique diligence in seeking out a cassette player, the song – which echoed the movie's theme and aesthetic – would not only become the title track of Reitman's new movie, the version appearing in the film would be the same one Renick recorded in demo form, sitting on the couch in front of his old cassette recorder, specifically to give to Reitman. In Dec. 2009, Up In The Air was finally released in the U.S., with openings in other countries throughout 2010. What followed for Renick was a whirlwind of attention: appearances on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and numerous TV programs in St. Louis; live hometown performances at the 2009 St. Louis Film Festival and the Songwriters Showcase in nearby Greenville, IL; a press junket to Japan with UITA actress Anna Kendrick co-sponsored by Paramount Pictures and American Airlines; and articles in the Washington Post, the Huffington Post , the Los Angeles Times , St. Louis Magazine , the Riverfront Times and many others. Blogs around the world upon Up In The Air 's release buzzed with Oscar talk sparking debates over why the Oscar rules (that made Renick’s song ineligible for nomination) should be changed...
Renick launched a recording career following his song’s appearance on Rhino Records' Up in the Airsoundtrack with a pair of self-released CDs: Close To Something Beautiful in 2010 and Come On Down in 2011. He also released a long-gestating ambient/spoken word collaboration with Canadian electronica artist John Sobocan, whose Eno-esque soundscapes proved the perfect complement to Renick's soft-spoken meditations on life, love and loss. That project, The Road To Olandra , was a crucial and influential stepping stone on Renick's creative journey. In late 2012, Renick released his fourth outing, Under The Wishing Tree , an ambitious song cycle that features "Ballad of the American Farmer," a song he'd been commissioned to write and record for the upcoming James Roberson documentary about the history of American agribusiness, In the Interest of National Security .
Renick performs gigs regularly around St. Louis and neighboring cities, in both a coffee house singer-songwriter format either solo/duo, and as a 4-piece band. He has played at venues including the prestigious Sheldon Concert Hall, the Old Rock House, Blueberry Hill, Off Broadway, the Way Out Club, Vin de Set restaurant and others, and appeared as a featured performer at the Nashville Songwriter's Festival in June 2011. With Renick’s special ability to channel Neil Young, he also performs periodically in a Neil Young tribute act called Shakey Deal. And he has recorded a children's song called “Read A Book” about the joys of reading; this song was submitted to the American Library Association for consideration in their literacy campaigns. Having penned close to two hundred beautifully crafted songs, Renick has forged a singular aesthetic that captures the timeless themes of love, friendship, loss and leaving childhood behind.
MTV called Renick's journey "one of the best true-life success stories we've heard lately." The international film magazine Empire , published in the U.K., chose Renick's "Up in the Air" song as #5 on their list of "Best Movie Songs of 2010." Renick keeps in active touch with his fans through Facebook, Reverb Nation, YouTube and other online hubs. He hopes 2017 will be a pivotal year , and is busy making lists of goals and songs needing to be finished. Both lists keep getting longer and longer...
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