Exclusive Interview: Kevin Quinn Talks It’s About Time EP, Touring, and More

For actor-musician Kevin Quinn, it’s about seizing the day and each opportunity. From landing coveted roles in projects like A Week Away and Bunk’d to releasing his highly-anticipated EP It’s About Time, Kevin Quinn is a rising talent who is making his mark on the industry. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin about his multifaceted career, It’s About Time, and life on the road.

PC: There are so many different facets to your talent. How did you first discover your passion for the arts?
Kevin: It’s something that I’ve always been doing. There was never really a beginning or inception to when it started taking off. It was always a hobby of mine that I was very passionate about. It organically turned into a career. I can’t really imagine myself doing anything else. In a weird way, I wasn’t surprised by it when it worked out.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Kevin: I’m still pretty young, not only in terms of my age but also with where I am in my career. I do have dreams and big career milestones that I’d like to achieve. But for where I am right now, the milestones that I feel I’ve achieved are on the development side. There are certain chapters or seasons of my career that I’ve gone through where I feel I really grew as both an actor and singer. I feel like if I had not gone through those growing pains and experiences, I might not have learned as much as I did or had as much to take forward with me today. I owe a lot of my training and my success so far to Disney and the experience of working for the Disney Channel.

For being a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old performer, it was such a great learning experience. I learned a lot performing those scripts every week for our producers and the network. I learned from seasoned actors what I could do to improve. I feel like I have the tools now, both from the acting side as well as the songwriting side. For the past five or six years, I’ve been developing my songwriting skills as well. Those are the real achievements in my mind because I feel I’m a better songwriter and a better actor because of them.

PC: You have a new EP out now. Tell us about It’s About Time and the inspiration behind it.
Kevin: It’s About Time is named after the title single. The title single was basically meant to be a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of how little time we actually have on this Earth, which is a sobering thing when you really think about it. But it’s tongue in cheek in a way that tries to attack the concept from a positive perspective. I feel that is one of the successes of the song. I’m really proud of what we were able to do there—to turn it into something positive—because it’s a rather sobering subject. It turns into something more anthemic, like “seize the day and use the time that you do have to do something positive or to make the most of it.”

Because we tend to get lost in the mix of things when we think that we have all the time in the world, especially as youths (I know I can speak for myself—I sometimes feel invincible). The song is about taking a step back and being like, “I really shouldn’t feel invincible.” It was more about me coming to terms with my own mortality than anything else.

PC: Something that I really appreciate about you is that you’ve been really open about the journey to get to this point. What have you learned about yourself and your craft during the process of putting together this EP?
Kevin: What I have learned about myself is that I’m capable, especially in a career like entertainment with such hills and valleys and how inconsistent or volatile it can seem. What I learned was that I am capable of writing, recording, and producing good music. I think it takes a bit of hearing the music and realizing, “Hey, this isn’t that bad.” I needed that as a little soul caffeine to keep going and to keep doing what I’m doing. When the EP finally came together, those five songs I felt were the epitome of what I was trying to express and were the most authentic representation of myself and where I’m currently at in my journey. I learned a bit more about myself because of that.

PC: This is such a diverse body of work. What was that process like deciding what would make the EP and what wouldn’t?
Kevin: We definitely wanted the debut single “Wildfire” on there. From the beginning of the project, we thought that would be a great transition from the soundtrack that I did on A Week Away—the Netflix film that I led. People were hearing those songs from the movie and attaching my name to them. I didn’t want it to be totally wrapped up in that character because it is a character at the end of the day. “Wildfire” felt like the perfect transition from that to where I wanted to eventually take the EP and this artist project in general. That felt like the perfect mix of what I had done on that soundtrack and what was coming.

Then there were other great songs like “I’m Still Breathing” and “Over and Over Again.” When you combine all those other songs with the debut single, it takes the departure even further. Seen in their own light, those songs are different from “Wildfire” or “It’s About Time.” We actually released them as singles.

We believed in those songs enough that we knew they could stand on their own. They’re also quite different from each other. We threw some backup vocals, a more choir-like vibe, and an anthemic chorus into “I’m Still Breathing.” Then you have “Over and Over Again,” where it’s more melancholic, introspective, intimate, and vulnerable. By the time I had written and recorded all these songs, I feel like the EP came together by itself. I realized each of these songs could stand on their own if necessary.

PC: I know it was really important for you during this process to marry your faith with mainstream accessibility. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of bringing these two worlds together?
Kevin: A lot of people like to put labels on it or genres, which I don’t blame them for. But for me, it’s always been about making the music that I want to make. I’ve made music that’s less vulgar. I realized that I don’t want to put that kind of music into the world right now, so it was more of a creative choice that not only am I going to write and record songs that I want to write and record, but I’m also not going to put any labels on it or be constricted to any genre. Yeah, it’s pop music. Yeah, it’s inspirational. But it doesn’t have to be anything beyond that. I feel like I wanted to make the music I wanted to make. That’s exactly what I’m doing.

PC: This EP finds you showing fans a glimpse of this chapter in your life. Has it always been easy for you to tap into that vulnerability?
Kevin: Surprisingly, it has. I wear my heart on my sleeve, which translates to my music and some of the emotions that I put in there, but I also don’t trust easily. It’s a double-edged sword because on one hand, it makes for great songwriting, but on the other hand, you can see it as a bad thing. But I do feel like my heart is on my sleeve with the entire EP. That’s just always been the way that I write. It’s always been the way that I record. I don’t hold anything back. I think that people want to hear that vulnerability. That’s what makes for good music because no one wants to hear something that they don’t believe in. I try to write lyrics that I believe in myself.

PC: If you had to select a song off of It’s About Time that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Kevin: “Over and Over Again.” Don’t get me wrong, I love “It’s About Time.” I love “Wildfire. I love “I’m Still Breathing” and “Fuego En Mi Interior.” But “Over and Over Again” felt like the epitome of what I want to do going forward. That’s the kind of vibe I’m going for. It’s a little bit slower, a more mid-tempo ballad. I’m that kind of person. I hate to say it. [laughs] There’s a very deep, introspective, reflective side to my personality. I feel like that song was the closest I’ve come to really articulating that in my music. It’s fun to write an anthemic pop song that’s radio-friendly and that people come to know and love. But the songs that really hit home for me and the songs that make it really creatively fulfilling when it’s all said and done are songs like “Over and Over Again.” That takes the cake in my opinion.

PC: Speaking of the future, when we look ahead to the rest of 2022, what can fans expect from you?
Kevin: Obviously more music. I have a pretty lengthy option period with Capitol CMG, so there will be lots of music coming up. They also have a tour for me to look forward to. I’m currently on the Winter Jam tour doing a promotional run for my EP. I’m performing It’s About Time in these markets. I’m actually on the bus in Mobile, Alabama for our show tonight. But I will be doing another tour, likely in the fall, which will be my own tour. It’s going to be a theater tour, so maybe 1,500-2,000-seat venues. We’re going to get to a couple of cities out on the road and do a 60- or 90-minute set. They have that to look forward to. If I happen to be coming to their city, I hope they can make it to one of the shows.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Kevin: Bon Iver or anything that Justin Vernon is a part of.

PC: First album you bought?
Kevin: I don’t remember exactly the first one that I bought. However, I do remember the first concert I ever saw. It was the Who at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Kevin: Probably the White Album by the Beatles. My dad was a huge Beatles fan growing up. He took that into his adulthood and showed me the Beatles. I fell in love with their music growing up because of him. There are so many songs on that album that hit home. I still sing them twenty years later from the first time I heard them, like “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Glass Onion,” “Rocky Racoon,” or my favorite “Dear Prudence.” I still warm up before shows to songs like “Dear Prudence.” That album holds a special place in my heart.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Kevin: What is now the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It used to be the Staples Center, but that’s changed. That would be cool. I’d also love to do Madison Square Garden. I’ve performed at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville with Winter Jam, but if I could do it on the Kevin Quinn tour that would be a bucket list thing. I love Nashville. I spend a lot of time there when I’m not in California. Those three would be a good place to start.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Kevin: AirPods. I mean everyone has AirPods, but whenever I get downtime, I’m either listening to music on the bus or I’m watching TV shows in my bunk. Actually, another thing you must have is string lights. I’ll tell you why. I have a little tradition of taking all of these string lights and photos. I’m notorious for taking two hours during the first week to set up my home away from home. I set up these string lights in my bunk with photos of me and my family, Disneyland tickets, letters that I’ve received. It gives me a little soul cap being on the road when I’m gone for periods of time.

To keep up with Kevin, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Pick up or stream It’s About Time today.