I often hear that smell is the sense that’s most closely tied to memory; that a quick whiff of a certain scent is enough to immediately transport you to a different time and place. And I’ve experienced it first-hand– a few years ago I was dumbstruck by how quickly the smell of my mother’s lasagna sent me right back to my early childhood and unlocked things I wouldn’t have otherwise remembered.
Similarly, songs have served as instant memory triggers for certain times in my life, and can shoot me straight back to a very specific emotional place. I can’t listen to Fugazi’s “Waiting Room” without being immediately transported to my high school chemistry lab. The instrumental section of Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” brings me right back to age 5, listening to this song in my grandfather’s house. And Bjork’s “Aurora” almost slinks me back to the same crippling depression I was going through a few years ago, when I couldn’t stop listening to that song on repeat. I can trace back my growth as a human being by examining my musical history. And so can Kevin Davis, except he’s much funnier about it.
Being that I am such an enthusiastic fan of his work, I thought it’d be a good idea for us to meet via Skype for an “interview” of sorts. We spoke at length about online message boards, favorite musicians and the merits of Timon & Pumbaa’s rendition of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. You can listen in to our conversation (without feeling like a total creep!) by clicking the embedded player below:
Again, get “Mystery Pill”. If you’re a reader of this blog, I guarantee you’ll absolutely love it. You can read excerpts and order it at http://www.mysterypill.com/, and it’s also available as a Kindle book on Amazon.
July 29th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
fun interview, good listen, thanks for the recommendation i’ll check out the book
August 7th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Did you?
August 7th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
There’s a specific story in there that I think you’d really dig. Let me know if you do pick it up.
July 30th, 2012 at 12:35 am
First, great start to the interview…what an awesome song.
I read Kevin’s blog upon your request, and it is quite entertaining and interesting and insightful and just stripped down good!
And as a huge fan or essayists and memoir writers, I will definitely be picking up this book.
August 7th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Hey thanks Dani B, I know you like “My Aim is True” a lot. The book is a lot of fun, I think you’ll enjoy it.
July 31st, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Thanks for posting this, i will be picking up the book. Very entertaining chat. You guys have a great rapport together, perhaps you should consider starting a podcast or something
?
August 7th, 2012 at 8:14 pm
NEVER SAY NEVER. (?)
August 1st, 2012 at 11:52 am
Thanks everyone for the kind words and support. If you know anyone who might enjoy this type of writing, please spread the word–any boost we can get is tremendously appreciated. And thanks again to Jorge for the PR.
August 7th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Puerto Rico?