Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Drew and the Medicinal Pen: Dose #2



Besides writing and recording his own EP, Drew has also taken on making his own music videos and designing the artwork for his album. You can say he's a renaissance man. If anyone could be as active as Drew, then they could be trying to break into the music scene too. You see; Drew is an artist, a musician, a road tripper, and his own benefactor (if you could be your own benefactor). “I spent just under two grand on this project, which came out of my own pocket. It was money I had been saving for years from working odd jobs, playing in the subway, etc.” With the little help and large funding he put into this album, I feel kind of bad getting a press copy for free.

By keeping his personal budget small, Drew is able to work on a project that he is so passionate about. "I’ve been silk-screening T-shirts in the bathroom of my apartment and selling them consignment through some stores and at shows. It can definitely be tough, but I think one thing that makes it easier, for me at least, is that I have no interest in buying other 'things.' I only spend my money on stuff I need, never stuff that you’re kinda made to believe you want or desire. That keeps me on point. But there’s this amazing satisfaction that comes with Doing It Yourself. I get tired, but it’s always worth it, I never feel like I’m wasting my time, never crosses my mind."

When asked about the writing process, Drew says, "A lot of times I’ll start writing a song in that half-awake state when you’re first getting up in the morning, or as you’re first drifting off, so maybe that explains that. When I’m writing them, I think about what they’re about. When I’m playing them on stage, I think about absolutely nothing. It feels amazing." His influences range from musicians like Elliott Smith to Neutral Milk Hotel and the Velvet Underground not because of their entire musical careers, but because of the certain sound they portray in some of Drew's favorite albums.

In all honestly, I feel that Drew has potential in this small EP. He is working hard to promote it and become something more than the kid who is always sick. Perhaps his pen really is medicinal not only for him but also for those who listen to him. It's music for the baby boomer kids. I, being one of them, feel that it penetrates to a level of "where do I go from here?" When you spend your formative years trying to pass high school, graduate from college, and start a career, it is also time to think about where you're going and who you want to be. It's a journey of the mind, I suppose. All those years of teenage angst seem to dissipate with the hairline of our forefathers. Luckily, Drew is able to give to this tiny society of MTV Generation kids something more to listen. "Dream, Dream, Fail, Repeat," is basically the mathematical formula for everyone between the ages of 18 and 25. We find ourselves trying to live up to an image our parents have created, but at the same time mark out the map of our own future.

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