ION INDIE MAGAZINE November 2015, Volume 18 | Page 85

By J. B. Bridges ION Indie Magazine is appreciative of its partnership with ReverbNation, as they allow us to receive submissions from talented artists each month from various genres. This month alone we have received 3,015 submissions, our campaign was served to 1,285,496--and it’s only the 12th of the month. It is difficult each and every edition to pick just one artist as the “ReverbNation Artist of the Month” with such a talented pool from which to choose. Sometimes a band or an individual comes along that makes that a bit easier, and this month, when I came across KEVIN GULLICKSON and RADIO DRIVE, I knew the choice was an easy one. Kevin’s group, Radio Drive (he decided to keep the name from his recently disbanded group in 2009), has been described as “motivational rock” and aims to uplift individuals in a time when so many feel deep despair. Kevin's music and videos began making their way to the television networks. July of 2014, Kevin’s music video "New Direction" was added to BONGO BOY TV "Bongo Boy Rock n' Roll TV Show No. 1030"--which airs on 20 syndicated channels across the USA, including several NBC Comcast stations. Kevin released his video for "A Taste of Heaven" in July, and that was also picked up on the same show. International music and video site, Beat100 awarded “A Taste of Heaven” two Bronze Awards--one for “Well Written Original Song” and the second award for “High Quality Original Video”. Kevin received news his music has been used in the TV show "Pit Bulls and Parolees" on THE ANIMAL PLANET NETWORK, plus, his music has been used in the TV show "Epic Log Homes" seen on THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL. International Pop star and actress KYM MARSH used one of Kevin's song in a documentary she produced called "Teen Mums and Me". Gullickson brings a rich musical history to his work with Radio Drive. Early on, he received radio play in his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, and followed up with a single that aired on stations in the Twin Cities. He traveled throughout Europe to develop his own sound and style, which he later developed with THE BLOKES-- a band that achieved instant success on the Minneapolis/St. Paul club scene, including First Avenue. The singer later moved to NYC where he continued writing, recording and playing clubs in Greenwich Village as a solo musician. During this time, he received interest from five major record companies and several Grammy winning producers. He set music aside after various disappointments, but roared back as the guiding force of Radio Drive. 2015 began with more success for Kevin's music, as it began playing on even more radio stations and featured on webzines and blogs in the USA, Canada and Europe. "Footsteps" made the Top 20 list on EGH RADIO, broadcasting out of the UK. "A Taste of Heaven" made the Top 30 artist list on PACIFIC MOON RADIO, broadcasting in the South Pacific. In November 2009, the song “One Life To Give” from his debut Dream the Impossible was chosen to represent “Sudan Hope”, a humanitarian effort to help the people of Sudan. He appeared at a Hollywood fundraiser to perform this song live. In mid-August 2015, Kevin finished a project with internationally recognized producer, STUART EPPS (credits include OASIS, LED ZEPPELIN, ELTON JOHN, BAD COMPANY and many more). The result was a song called "Humanity". Working together with his management team at ARTISTA GROUP, they plan a world wide release along with plans for a European tour. Working together with a radio promotional company in Europe, Kevin's music began receiving radio play on a larger scale alongside major artists. In May, "A Taste of Heaven" hit the well-known Indie music chart “Top IndeCourvertes” at #18 the first week and began climbing the chart. The second week it reached #7 and the third week #2 spot.