Kevin Wayne Gruen & The Collective Conscious Plant a Bold New Sound
"Seeds of Change" is Kevin Wayne Gruen’s declaration of personal growth and artistic rebirth—an Americana-soaked journey that bridges soulful storytelling with raw musical roots. Backed by The Collective Conscious and recorded at Blue Lotus Studio, the single reflects a turning point: the shedding of an old self and the planting of something far more expansive.
March 22, 2025 – After thousands of miles, hundreds of shows, and a catalog that crisscrosses genre and geography, Kevin Wayne Gruen is planting something new. With the debut single from his evolving project The Collective Conscious, the St. Louis-based artist invites listeners into a moment of reflection, vulnerability, and forward motion.
“I remember writing it as a New Year’s Day song back in 2024,” Gruen says. “It was a time that I’d felt like I was beginning to step into a better version of me.” The track emerged at a personal turning point, a moment defined by discipline and a growing desire to become “tired of your old self and attempting to bridge the gap between who you are and what you are meant to become.”
The lyrics—“Seeds of change, the breeze blow away. Land somewhere new and things... they will never be the same”—echo ancient wisdom. “It’s a similar thought as the Heraclitus quote: ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.’”
It’s not a metaphor when you’ve been on the road long enough to forget what the old version of you even looked like. Gruen has logged over 1,000 performances in 48 states, and the road has shaped him. “Every new place and experience fundamentally changes the perspective of the troubadour,” he says. “What I’ve found is that the people everywhere you go are the most important part of the journey… we’re all seeking survival and clarity in such a confusing place. It’s a comforting thought that brings a sense of unity, often divine.”
The song leans into that unity—musically, emotionally, and spiritually. Rooted in country rock, it channels Dylan and Stapleton but lets other voices in. “My soul influences are always apparent through my singing,” Gruen says. “Paul Niehaus IV brought his classic B3 Organ sound, which brought quite a warm, funky feeling to it… combined with the bass and the lonesome country wails of the pedal steel.”
Niehaus, a pivotal figure in the St. Louis blues scene and owner of Blue Lotus Studio, produced the track. You can hear the shift happening—something about this one feels different.
“I believe this EP represents the burning in me to release something under the name The Collective Conscious, with a more rock-based feel. These influences—Muddy Waters, Hendrix, Bad Brains, Rancid—they’re what made me want to pick up a guitar again a decade ago. I really want to let those influences breathe on a project finally.”
Even the artwork carries forward a long-held vision. “The tree of life has been a central piece of art and logo I’ve wanted to develop for a very long time… it’s the first of many attempts at visualizing The Collective Conscious—that nature unspoken which we all share.”
For Gruen, authenticity is the true showmanship. “Putting on a great show is being vulnerable,” he says. “I look up to artists like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, and Jason Isbell… songwriters who just take a stage and don’t question whether they’re going to ‘fit in.’”
While fans may know him from recent momentum with “No Looking Back”, this new direction represents more than just the next track. “It’s about turning the page onto the next milestone… it’s less about just my journey and more about a journey of collective conscious as well as nature.”
With a European tour on the horizon in Fall 2025 and a full slate of original sets planned, Gruen is ready to bring this message to a global audience. “I can’t imagine what kind of connections and opportunities could come of such a trip,” he says. “And I’m very grateful to weave my sound into the fabrics of such rich cultures open to the arts.”
When asked where he’d most like to perform this song live, Gruen smiles and says: “Holopalooza would be a good start.” He jests—but only slightly. “My dream would be Red Rocks Amphitheater. The Grand Ole Opry would be a close second. Give me any place where people care, and I’ll share.”
What does he hope a listener might take away the first time they hear it? “If they’re in a dark place or feeling at all inadequate with who they are and how far they think they should’ve come… they don’t have to do it all at once. The greatest things worth having are built over large amounts of time. Planting small seeds of change over time adds up to a harvest one day.”
Listen to “Seeds of Change” now on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZqGCCBNjBjqcy9m3XjFtC
Learn more about Kevin Wayne Gruen:
Official Website: https://kevingruenmusic.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/KGruenMusick
Instagram: @gruenkevin
Facebook: Kevin Gruen Music
And as a passing note: I Am Hologram will be directing the official music video for Kevin’s song “Lost in the Desert”—based on a true desert misadventure Kevin barely made it out of.
