Kevin Skinner: A year after his Americas Got Talent win...

SplatterTribe: So where are you at today?

Kevin Skinner: Good old hometown, USA. Mayfield, Kentucky.

SplatterTribe: So America's Got Talent just ended which means it's been a complete year since you won last seasons. What has this year been like for you?

Kevin Skinner: Uh, well it's been different (laughs). I've opened up for George Jones. Just recently come back off the road. Did some concerts...a big one in Ohio. Then opened for Charlie Daniels. (I) got to meet Willie Nelson. I'm getting ready to do a big concert and open for Jo Dee Messina...Just a lot of things, you know. (I've) been doin' a lot of interviews...been gettin' to know a lot of my fans and just tryin' to get out to as many people as I possibly can.

SplatterTribe: As part of the prize for winning America's Got Talent, you did a months worth of Vegas shows, what was that like?

Kevin Skinner: Well, we had a good turn out Luie at every show there in Vegas... A live show in Vegas is pretty fun. A lot of people showed up and after the performances I would have what they call a meet and greet. We held them in this huge room and it seemed like it wasn't big enough. All the fans, you know, would just surround me. I would be taking pictures with them all and signing stuff for them, just getting to meet all my fans. It's really amazing to me how many people from other places was coming there to get a glimpse at me. It's like they almost flocked from Canada. I had a lot of fans in Canada and I couldn't really believe (it) and even from China. It was really something to see, to know you have that many fans that would take the time to come out and watch those shows.

SplatterTribe: So what's it like goin' back home to Mayfield, KY after the A.G.T. whirlwind?

Kevin Skinner: Well, you know, after being in Vegas that long, I can remember the first night I drove back into my hometown...It felt good to be back, but it looked like it was so slow (laughs). You know what I mean? After being in Vegas that long... But, that's not a bad thing, it's just a slower pace in a small town and that has it's good points. You can kinda clear your mind and you got time to think.

SplatterTribe: Before Americas Got Talent had you ever visited any of the bigger cities like Vegas before?

Kevin Skinner: Oh no, no, not ever. I always liked to stay close to home. I'd been down to Nashville quite a bit, in my earlier years. I'd go to Nashville and perform some of my original songs at what they call 'Writers Night'. I'd go do that ang they would always speak to me and ask me to come back Friday and Saturday night, you know. No, Nashville was the first big city or what I call a big city (that I ever visited) until I went to (places like) New York... I went to New York for Regis and Kelly, a film'n after I won. I did Conan O'Brian, got to meet Conan and Ellen. Conan was actually in LA and I had to do a 'red eye' from LA up to New York for Regis, I think, a couple of days after I won the show. To see New York, man...to be standing downtown on 3rd Street and lookin' up is just really amazing. Anybody that has never got the chance to do that, I would say do it, once anyway because it is really an experience,

SplatterTribe: I know it has got to be a cultural shock to go from Mayfield, KY into all of this is such a short time.

Kevin Skinner: Yeah, it is. It's a different pace. It's a different lifestyle. From like New York and the way they live everyday verses how people 'roll' her in Mayfield, KY (laughs)

SplatterTribe: So with the whirlwind of promotion and shows, when did you find the time to record your Long Ride album?

Kevin Skinner: Well, I've been a song writer for years. I started writing probably when I was, well, (I'm) not really for sure at what age I started. I'm gonna say when I was around 17 to 20, somewhere along (there) I started writing and I've wrote music ever since. I had a lot of good material and it was just settin' there and (the chance to record them) couldn't have happened at a better time...

SplatterTribe: So you wrote all the material on the album?

Kevin Skinner: Yeah, all those songs are song I wrote.

SplatterTribe: Oh, OK, I would have assumed there was other song writers involved.

Kevin Skinner: Well so many people don't (write their own songs) The studio musicians down in Nashville, they played with me on every song and these guys have been around. They done worked with all the artist down there, over the years. They've been around a long time. Some of the older pickers, if you will, and they said, "Man, you know, for somebody to come in and have that many original songs..." It just, kind of, floored them. I walked away feeling good. That was a big compliment to me, you know. Them guys have seen a lot.

SplatterTribe: That's awesome that you where allowed to be yourself. I noticed some of the songs on the album, you almost get a ' (John) Mellencamp' feel or almost a 'Rock' feel even more than just your traditional Country.

Kevin Skinner: Yeah. The song Long Ride, Without You and Last Goodbye... Last Goodbye is actually the single release off of that album. That's the one that they released first to radio with. We did a music video for Last Goodbye (that you can see) on CMT.com. I'm pretty sure they run it on the CMT (television) station. At any rate, those songs right there, just to name a few kind of got, like you said, an Alternative Rock feel to'm. You know, like a crossover. I think it's good to be able to do that. You know, you're not goin' to far over the line. You're still teeter tottering goin' the other way, that's good because they not only can play it on Country radio. It can also be played on Rock radio.

SplatterTribe: Yeah and I think your voice ties it all together no matter what the background music is sounding like or even how your singing. Your voice helps keep it a constant.

Kevin Skinner: Right...

SplatterTribe: As far as the video for The Last Goodbye, tell me a little bit about that. Where was that filmed and what was it like?

Kevin Skinner: We actually filmed that here in Mayfield, where I'm from. The guy, he's an award winning video producer, John Lloyd Miller. He's done a lot of Garth's (Brooks videos). He's worked with everybody, you know, the Kentucky Headhunters. Martina McBride and Reba (McEntire). You know, the list was just unreal and I got to meet him. That was the first video I had ever shot and I guess about 10 minutes into the shooting he kind of looked at me and grinned. I was setting down and he put his arm around me and he said, "Man, are you gonna make any mistakes so I can give you some pointers?" He said, "Man, it's like you're a natural at doin this." So the video was really fun to make, you know. I really didn't know what to expect, to be honest. when we made the video. Like I said, I'd never been involved in a music video. It couldn't have went any smoother than it did and John was a great guy to work with. Just a good guy all around. He really did a heck of a job on that video. I've had a lot of people, well everybody that's seen it compliments on it.

SplatterTribe: Do you think that maybe the Americas Got Talent experience helped you with the video experience? That has to be a lot more intense than making a video.

Kevin Skinner: Sure. Yeah. I was under the gun a whole lot out in LA. They where actually filming because up to the finals most of that is taped. It's not really live. The few however many episodes...the last maybe 6 or 7, those are live, but from the start through the end and middle, those are all pre-taped. You know, I think you're right. It kind of got me feeling good about being under the birds eye on the camera, yeah.

SplatterTribe: How did you originally get involved with Americas Got Talent?

Kevin Skinner: They was taking auditions locally through a place in Illinois. The local TV station held these auditions. I did good, so they moved me onto Chicago to meet the real deal. I did two auditions before I actually met the people that actually put the show on. So, yea, I took the steps to try and make something happen and a lot of people's glad I did.

SplatterTribe: When you went into it, did you think there was even a possibility of you winning the whole thing?

Kevin Skinner: You know man, you just don't never know when you're going into something like that. I guess it's kind of like a NASCAR race or goin' into a basketball game when you got UK playin' North Carolina for the championship. You just hope for the best. You know you got a good feeling about it, but you just don't know...and that kindly, sometimes can work on your nerves.

SplatterTribe: I know you're busy and have other interviews, so do you have any closing comments you'd like to add?

Kevin Skinner: Yeah, I want to say thanks to all my fans for staying with me and wantin' to know what's goin on. I get a lot, you know, over Facebook (and internet). It's really unreal how many fans I have, and in Canada...and it just goes on. I'd really like to say thanks to all my fans.

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