Kellogg brings family into focus

Fri., Feb. 13, 2015

Drew Repp

Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers’ self-titled 2005 release helped me realize it was OK to get married. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that, not even my wife. As a 20-something weighing the directions life could go, there was something refreshing about a musician who didn’t try to have his life reflect the fact that he was musician, but simply had his music reflect his life. And I suppose that’s the way it should be.

“There in my early 20s, I spent most of it running / But I never once missed my home / You were right there beside me, no idea who I would be / And I never once felt alone.”

In Kellogg’s work, it was obvious that the things we often fear will inhibit us do the opposite. And that the need for someone or something outside ourselves is far from weakness:

“15 years old, what did I know? I’ve never been one for a fight / I needed you then and every day since like a flower is needing sunlight.”

Perhaps every musician strives for it: the belief of his listeners that he’s just like them, just an Average Joe. Few pull it off; Bruce Springsteen probably did it best. But this album achieved just such a connection with me – I felt like they were my stories; that I could plug myself in anywhere.

I was pursuing a love, looking to move past life’s bullies and battling self-doubt. And through this album, Kellogg does the same.

“Fourth Street Moon can you tell me, will this all work out OK? / With a promise to return and a baby on the way.”

For the first time in a while, I’m listening to the album all the way through right now. Our 2-year-old son scampers around every corner of our house. And the lyrics of one of my favorite tracks reverb through my mind, just like they do every time I leave for work and long to stay with my family:

“See you later, see you soon / See you later little button, I will try and get home soon.”

Marriage and family aren’t shied away from, but rather he makes them the axis of the music, just like they are the axis of so many of our lives.

The other night my wife summed this all up quite well over dinner. We are expecting another son any day and have yet to agree on a middle name. “What about Kellogg?” she asked. I looked at her with confusion. “I just think the name should be something we have a connection to. And Stephen Kellogg’s music has had a huge impact on our lives.”

She has no idea. This album gave me comfort in the life I wanted to live. And now we’re sitting here together, talking about the names of our children.

Drew Repp was born and raised in Spokane and recently returned to the land he loves by way of California and Colorado. To write a Story of the Album, email carolynl@spokesman.com.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.