Kevn Kinney And Johnny Hickman Talk Music and More in the Classic City E123

We hang with Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin and Johnny Hickman of Cracker in Athens, GA and trace how songs and scenes shape a life, from new releases to punk rock beginnings. Kevn opens up about writing “Mirror Mirror,” a power pop song about Alzheimer’s, with a chorus built around one hard line: “I know you’re in there somewhere.” We talk about what memory loss looks like up close, and the quiet fear hiding in the last verse when the writer starts seeing himself in the mirror.

Johnny Hickman joins with the kind of honesty and humor that makes decades of touring feel lived-in, not polished. We get into Cracker’s annual Camp-In and what it takes to rehearse an album like The Golden Age for a 30th anniversary performance, down to relearning parts and chasing the original guitar tones. Athens comes up as more than a backdrop: it’s a small town with a big music history, a place where friendships with R.E.M. and long nights of shows still echo, and a place Kevn describes as genuinely healing.

From there, the conversation opens into punk rock origins, why hooks outlast hype, and how careers can flip overnight. We swap stories about opening bands and the line every musician has to walk with fans. If you love rock history, songwriting craft, and the real human side of touring musicians, this one’s for you. 

Learn Something New or
Remember Something Old

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