Though he remains best known for his acting career, Kevin Costner has been active on the country-music stage since the late '80s. He recently started a band with friend and guitarist John Coinman called Modern West.
After a world tour in 2007 and an album on the charts in 2008, Costner has moved beyond the stigma of an actor moonlighting as a musician. In this session with World Cafe, he shares his experience of being a part of a fledgling band.
"Our life is very much just like a gang of friends," he says. "You know, guys in a tree house."
Untold Truths, the band's debut, was released last November. A string of sold-out concerts followed soon after. The group's brand of Americana-infused country hearkens back to the late 1980s, an era dominated by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. The music has the same feel, with storytelling lyrics and guitar-driven melodies.
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