Kevin Hearn
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Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of
Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...
, and his own group,
Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle (originally Kevin Hearn and the Thin Buckle Band) are a Canadian band consisting of Barenaked Ladies multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn as the front man (typically on guitar or keyboards), bassist Chris Gartner and drum ...
. He primarily plays
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
s and
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
s. He is also a member of
Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
.


Early life

Hearn was born to a relatively large family, and they lived in a small home in
Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...
, Ontario, Canada. He recalls buying
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' ''
Magical Mystery Tour ''Magical Mystery Tour'' is a record by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double EP in the United Kingdom and an LP in the United States. It includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The EP ...
'' and a
Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
greatest hits record, and having them become his first two favourite albums, which led him to an interest in performing music. He has also cited
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
band
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...
(OMD), and
folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...
group
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 2004 ...
, as formative influences. Hearn has a classical piano background. He attended
Inglenook Community High School Inglenook Community High School is a Toronto public high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada which offers grade 10, 11, and 12 level courses. It is housed in an historical building designed by William George Storm in the Corktown neighbourhood of ...
. He also attended
St. Michael's Choir School St. Michael's Choir School (also known as SMCS, The Choir School, or St. Mike's Choir) is a semi-Independent school, private Catholic Church, Catholic Cathedral school, choir school for boys from Educational stage, grades 3-12 in Toronto, Ontario, ...
.


Career

Hearn joined Look People in 1988 and played with the band until their break-up in 1993. In 1995, he replaced departed keyboardist
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a former member of the Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three albums. Career Barenaked Ladie ...
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 ''Rock Spectacle'' is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." T ...
'', which was recorded on his first tour with the group. He played mostly keyboards on the songs included on the album, and some
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
. His first music video with the band was "
Shoe Box "Shoe Box" is a song by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, released as a single from their 1996 album, ''Born on a Pirate Ship''. It is notable for being featured on the first soundtrack to the television series '' Friends'', as well as the last t ...
", followed by the video for "
The Old Apartment "The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and first Mainstream Top 40 hit, appearing on the albums ''Born on a Pirate Ship'', ''Rock Spectac ...
", although he had not played on the recording of either song. Thanks to the opportunities afforded him by his BNL gig, Hearn subsequently released his first solo album, ''
Mothball Mint ''Mothball Mint'' is a solo CD by Kevin Hearn, keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies. This album was produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda and released in 1997. Kevin is accompanied on the album by many Toronto-area musicians who were friends of his, i ...
''. After extensive touring in the United States, building upon the increasing success of ''Rock Spectacle'', the band recorded their fourth studio album, ''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...
''. 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 Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page's ...
or
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in Februar ...
. On August 27, 2011, Hearn played piano and sang backing vocals for Steven Page's performance of
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
's "Hallelujah" at
Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...
's state funeral.


Illness

Shortly after the recording of ''Stunt'', Hearn was diagnosed with
chronic myelogenous leukemia Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulat ...
. He began treatment at the same time the band was shooting the video for "
One Week One Week may refer to: * One Week (1920 film), ''One Week'' (1920 film), a short film starring and co-directed by Buster Keaton * One Week (2008 film), ''One Week'' (2008 film), a Canadian feature film directed by Michael McGowan * One Week (song), ...
", and as such, does not appear in many of the shots. He was hospitalized in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
while the band continued to tour in support of the new album. Several of the band's friends filled in at different points (including
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, Andy Creegan, and Greg Kurstin). Hearn ultimately required
bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...
transplants from his brother Sean Hearn, and eventually his cancer went into remission. He rejoined the band in 1999, though still dealing with the effects of the disease. He also released another solo album, called ''
H-Wing ''H-Wing'' is the first album by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. It was released in 2001 and features the band's original lineup. It was produced by Jeremy Darby, Michael Phillip Wojewoda, and Kevin Hearn. The title of the album comes from a hospi ...
'' (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 his band, Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle.


Return to work

BNL's next album, ''
Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...
'', 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 ''Everything to Everyone'' (commonly abbreviated ''E2E'') is the sixth full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include " Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3 ...
'', the band entered into a new writing process in which Hearn and
Jim Creeggan James Raymond Creeggan (born February 12, 1970) is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. Early life Creeggan was born in Scarborough, Ontario. His mother taught piano lessons to neighborhood children, which Creeggan cred ...
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 A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
for the album and it has become a common instrument for him on tour. Hearn also released a third solo album, ''
Night Light A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...
'' in 2003 with Thin Buckle. A fourth album, ''
The Miracle Mile ''The Miracle Mile'' is the third album by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. It was released in Canada anonlineJuly 11, 2006. The first single from the album will be "In The Country". This is the band's first album on the Warner Music Canada label. ...
'', 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 ''Barenaked Ladies Are Me'' is the seventh full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was their first original-material album since ''Everything to Everyone'' in 2003. It was released in September 2006 internationally. The ...
'', released in September 2006.


Rheostatics

Of note are Hearn's collaborations with the
Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
. For their tribute album to Canadian painters the
Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is official ...
, entitled ''
Music Inspired by the Group of Seven ''Music Inspired by the Group of Seven'' is a 1995 album by Rheostatics. The album was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada to accompany its Group of Seven retrospective show. The album has twelve pieces, most of which are instrumental ...
'', he co-composed the music, played keyboards, and sang the song "Yellow Days Under a Lemon Sun". For the Rheostatics' 1999 release, ''
The Story of Harmelodia ''The Story of Harmelodia'' is a 1999 album by Rheostatics."Rheostatics all live in a Yellow Submarine". ''The Globe and Mail'', December 8, 1999. Billed as a children's album, the album is a narrative detailing the adventures of Dot and Bug, tw ...
'', a thematic, and somewhat
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
, children's album, Hearn is listed as a member of the group in the liner-notes. He contributed significantly to the album and composed the songs "Wingophone" and "Monkey Bird". In addition to Hearn's contributions to the recordings above, he performed live with the Rheostatics on many occasions throughout the latter part of the group's career. He is pictured in the group's official portrait at
Zunior Records Zunior.com is a Canadian online independent record label and music store founded in 2004 by Dave Ullrich, formerly of The Inbreds.Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
's live band from 2007, including a European tour in 2011. He performed on piano and keyboards. His friendship with Reed dated back to 2001, when Hearn received a "get well soon" phone call from Reed during his fight with leukemia.


Personal life

Hearn currently lives in downtown Toronto, Ontario. He also spends time at a cottage which he acquired in the early 2000s. The isolated cottage is on a lake where his family spent time when he was a child. Hearn has a daughter, Havana Winter Hearn, born in December 2003 with girlfriend Yvonne. Hearn's cousin is actor and comedian
Harland Williams Harland Michael Williams (born November 14, 1962) is a Canadian actor, comedian and writer. After several years of stand-up in Toronto and Los Angeles he made his film debut in ''Dumb and Dumber'' (1994) before playing starring roles in the short ...
, with whom he spent a lot of time as a child. They released two albums together in 2004 and 2017, as a duo known as The Cousins. Despite the departure of
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in Februar ...
from Barenaked Ladies, Hearn has maintained a friendship with him. His ongoing lawsuit against a Toronto art gallery, after learning that a
Norval Morrisseau Norval Morrisseau (March 14, 1932 – December 4, 2007), also known as Copper Thunderbird, was an Indigenous Canadian artist from the Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation. Known as the "Picasso of the North", Morrisseau created works depi ...
painting he had purchased was an apparent
forgery Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally refers to the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud anyone (other than themself). Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidd ...
, was profiled in
Jamie Kastner Jamie Kastner is a Canadian writer, director and documentary filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada. His company, Cave 7 Productions, produces both theatrical and television productions. Kastner is best known for his feature documentaries, including ...
's 2019 documentary film ''
There Are No Fakes ''There Are No Fakes'' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Jamie Kastner and released in 2019. Starting with musician Kevin Hearn's lawsuit against the Maslak McLeod Gallery after being informed that a Norval Morrisseau painting he had p ...
''. Hearn was eventually awarded $60,000 in compensation in September 2019.


Discography


Look People

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


Corky and the Juice Pigs

* ''Pants'' (1994)


Rheostatics

* ''
Music Inspired by the Group of Seven ''Music Inspired by the Group of Seven'' is a 1995 album by Rheostatics. The album was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada to accompany its Group of Seven retrospective show. The album has twelve pieces, most of which are instrumental ...
'' (1995) * ''
The Story of Harmelodia ''The Story of Harmelodia'' is a 1999 album by Rheostatics."Rheostatics all live in a Yellow Submarine". ''The Globe and Mail'', December 8, 1999. Billed as a children's album, the album is a narrative detailing the adventures of Dot and Bug, tw ...
'' (1999) * ''
The Whale Music Concert, 1992 Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
'' (2005) * '' Calling Out the Chords, Vol. 1'' (2005) * '' Green Sprouts Music Week 1993'' (2012)


Barenaked Ladies

''See Barenaked Ladies' discography; Hearn's contributions include releases from 1996 until present.''


Solo

* ''
Mothball Mint ''Mothball Mint'' is a solo CD by Kevin Hearn, keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies. This album was produced by Michael Phillip Wojewoda and released in 1997. Kevin is accompanied on the album by many Toronto-area musicians who were friends of his, i ...
'' (1997) * ''
Cloud Maintenance ''Cloud Maintenance'' is an album by Kevin Hearn. It is his second solo album, after 1997's ''Mothball Mint'', and his sixth solo release including his Thin Buckle releases. The album was released December 20, 2011. Track listing Personnel * ...
'' (2011) * '' Days in Frames'' (2014) * '' Calm and Cents'' (2019)


Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle

* ''
H-Wing ''H-Wing'' is the first album by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. It was released in 2001 and features the band's original lineup. It was produced by Jeremy Darby, Michael Phillip Wojewoda, and Kevin Hearn. The title of the album comes from a hospi ...
'' (2001) * ''
Night Light A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...
'' (2004) * ''
The Miracle Mile ''The Miracle Mile'' is the third album by Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. It was released in Canada anonlineJuly 11, 2006. The first single from the album will be "In The Country". This is the band's first album on the Warner Music Canada label. ...
'' (2006) * '' Havana Winter'' (2009)


The Cousins

* ''The Love Song Years'' (2004) * ''Rattlesnake Love'' (2017)


References


External links


Kevin Hearn
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Hearn, Kevin Canadian rock singers Canadian rock keyboardists Living people Musicians from the Regional Municipality of Niagara Canadian alternative rock musicians Musicians from Toronto People from Grimsby, Ontario Canadian folk rock musicians Alternative rock keyboardists Barenaked Ladies members Rheostatics members 20th-century Canadian multi-instrumentalists 21st-century Canadian multi-instrumentalists 20th-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian accordionists Canadian mandolinists Canadian male singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian keyboardists 21st-century Canadian keyboardists 1969 births 21st-century accordionists Canadian male guitarists