Keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Kevin Hearn stepped in for keyboardist Andy Creeggan of The Barenaked Ladies just as the Canadian band was exploding into the U.S. market. What was at first considered a temporary gig turned into a permanent one, and Hearn used the doors opened to him to start a successful solo career.
Hearn is best known as a multi-instrumentalist from Barenaked Ladies, the multi-platinum selling band he’s played with for almost two decades now. One of the most respected Toronto musicians of the past 25 years, Hearn’s solo albums always attract equally brilliant collaborators: here, they include singer/songwriters Ron Sexsmith and Dan Hill, drummer Rob Kloet (the Nits), Joan as Policewoman, and producer Gavin Brown (Metric, Tragically Hip, Sarah Harmer), not to mention his 22-year-relationship with the rhythm section of Chris Gartner and Great Bob Scott. The album was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Amy Winehouse, Adele). The ever-modest Hearn rarely asks for favours; people insist on granting them. Violinist Hugh Marsh (Bruce Cockburn, Mary Margaret O’Hara) happened to be visiting the studio where Hearn was recording; intrigued, he ended up spending 10 hours in the studio, playing on almost every track on Days In Frames.
Though Hearn has contributed songs to Barenaked Ladies albums in the past 10 years, the songs on his solo records are much more personal, both in subject matter and musical exploration. “It’s fun for me to make music that doesn’t have to fit a certain criteria, whether it be regarding the style or sound, or who is playing it,” he says. “I’m inspired by the works of artists such as David Lynch and Sun Ra, whereas going in that direction with Barenaked Ladies might not make sense. It all finds a home in the proper place. When I make my own records, I can follow my heart and curiosity.”