Thanks to the inexplicable popularity of my Submit Music page, I always have a digital backlog of albums, EPs, singles and videos awaiting my perusal. Here’s another recent must-hear, along with the Bandcamp link so you can buy the music straight from the source. Tell ’em I sent ya. And if you’ve got something I need to hear, send it my way. If I think you’re half as good as you think you are, I just might include you next time.
Kyp Harness
Red Rover
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Wherever the name of Kyp Harness appears, the term “songwriter’s-songwriter” soon follows. While often used ambiguously, in Kyp’s case it’s very accurate: his most fervent fans are other songwriters from both the folk and alternative music circles. Daniel Lanois, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Ron Sexsmith, Townes Van Zandt, Bob Wiseman and Bob Snider have all tipped their hats to Kyp at every opportunity.
Focusing on the songwriting aspect of the creative process has produced from Kyp more than a decade of recordings, each with critical acclaim and recognition from the sort of folks who pay attention to such stuff. From local reviewers to national campus radio to international publications, Kyp has been receiving raves from those who seek out good music, while still flying under the radar of the mainstream star-making mechanisms of this industry.
Versatility in his writing allows Kyp to pull off the impressive feat of being a swaggering punk at one moment, and a poignant folk balladeer the next. A natural storyteller, the lyrics are rich in detail, emotional and filled with poetic metaphors. Sometimes stripped down into a songwriter and sometimes backed with a band the delivery is always slightly off-centre but always deeply personal. Kyp is a performer that can project his personality from the stage, winning over audiences with sheer energy and by refusing to compromise the spirit of the song in any circumstance.
Harness has released 15 independent albums of his songs, has had his songs covered by Ron Sexsmith and Mary Margaret O’Hara, produced by Steve Earle, has opened for Elvis Costello and has performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival and Winterfolk. His newest album Red Rover was released December 2020. He has also written two novels, Wigford Rememberies (2016) and The Abandoned (2018).”
MY TWO CENTS: Like a long-lost Dylan album form the late ’60s.
