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Kevin Hearn

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Kevin Hearn

Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969 in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada) plays keyboards and other instruments for Barenaked Ladies (BNL) and also has his own band, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He also attended Inglenook Community Highschool.

Early life

Kevin was born to a relatively large family, and they lived in a small home.[1] He recalls buying Magical Mystery Tour and a Beach Boys greatest hits record, and having them become his first two favourite albums, which led him to an interest in performing music.[1] Hearn has a classial piano background. He also attended St.Michael's Choir School.

Career

Hearn joined The Look People in 1988 and played with the band until their break-up in 1993. In 1995 he replaced departed keyboardist Andy Creeggan in the Barenaked Ladies. Hearn did not own any of the band's albums and had to learn all of the band's songs in a matter of weeks.

His early contribution to the band can be heard on the live release Rock Spectacle, which was recorded on his first tour with the group. He played mostly keyboards on the songs included on the album, and some accordion. His first BNL music video was the video for "Shoe Box", followed by the video for "The Old Apartment" (neither of which was for a recording he actually played on). Also, thanks to the opportunities afforded him by the job, Hearn released an album called Mothball Mint of his own material.

After extensive touring in the United States, building upon increasing success of Rock Spectacle, the band recorded their fourth studio album, Stunt. This was Hearn's first album with the band. While Andy Creeggan was mostly focused on acoustic keyboards (mainly piano), Hearn was experienced with electronic keyboards, synthesizers and samplers. This contribution to the band's sound is evident on Stunt. Hearn also contributed some lead electric guitar to the album, having a noticeably different style than Ed Robertson or Steven Page.

Shortly after the recording of the album, Hearn was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. He began treatment at the same time the band was shooting the video for "One Week", and as such, does not appear in many of the shots.[1] He was hospitalized in Toronto while the band continued to tour in support of the new album (which had become a hit).[1] Several of the band's friends filled in at different points (including Chris Brown and Greg Kurstin). Hearn ultimately required bone marrow transplants from his brother Sean Hearn, and eventually his cancer went into remission.[1][2] He rejoined the band in 1999, though still dealing with the effects of the disease. He also released another solo album, called H-Wing (named for the hospital wing he was in when he wrote most of the songs) which centered on his illness. This time his album was performed with a band, Thin Buckle (all the members of whom performed in some level or another on his first album).

Kevin Hearn playing the mandolin, 2005

BNL's next album, Maroon, featured one of Hearn's songs, "Hidden Sun" as a hidden track at the end of the disc; his song "Born Human", later re-recorded for Thin Buckle, was recorded and left off the album. Starting with the release of the band's sixth studio album, Everything to Everyone, the band entered into a new writing process in which Hearn and Jim Creeggan brought not only songs, but also song ideas that the band would complete together. Everything to Everyone saw Hearn's first writing credits on the regular body of a BNL album. He learned to play the mandolin for the album and it has become a common instrument for him on tour. Hearn also released a third solo album, Night Light in 2003 with Thin Buckle.

A fourth album, The Miracle Mile, was released on July 11, 2006 in Canada and online. The BNL writing process from the previous album continued for their seventh studio album, Barenaked Ladies Are Me, released in September 2006.

Also of note are Hearn's collaborations with the Rheostatics. For their tribute album to the art of the Group of Seven, Hearn contributed keyboards throughout the album, and sings the song "Yellow Days Under A Lemon Sun," (which bookends the CD with two different versions. For the album The Story of Harmelodia, a thematical, and somewhat psychadelic children's album, Hearn contributed the songs "Wingophone" and "Monkey Bird." He also contributed to the overall sound of the disc, and has performed live with the Rheostatics throughout the years.

Personal life

Hearn currently lives in downtown Toronto. He also spends time at a cottage which he acquired in the early 2000's. The isolated cottage is on a lake where his family spent time when he was a child.[1]

Hearn's cousin is actor and comedian Harland Williams, with whom he spent a lot of time as a child.

Discography

See Barenaked Ladies for Hearn's discography with that group.

with The Look People

  • More Songs About Hats and Chickens (1989)
  • Small Fish, Big Pond (1990)
  • Boogazm (1991)
  • Crazy Eggs (1993)

Solo

with Thin Buckle

with The Rheostatics

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart (2004). The Barenaked Truth (Television documentary/DVD). Take 3 Productions/Casablanca Media Television.
  2. ^ Moll, George (executive producer) (2000). Behind the Music (TV-series). New York, NY: VH1.
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