Kansas Stone

Kansas Stone
OriginBarrie, Ontario, Canada
GenresCountry, Country rock
Years active2013 (2013)–present
Labelsindependent
MembersBrian (Vain) Harwood
Matt Davey
Jamie Taylor
Aj Astle
Jeff (DownTown) Brown
Websitewww.kansasstone.ca

Kansas Stone is a Canadian country band from Barrie, Ontario consisting of core members and longtime friends Brian Harwood (front man) and Matt Davey,[1] both of whom sing and play guitar. Kansas Stone is a high energy country band that fuels off of many different styles. Hailing from Ontario, Canada they deliver a sound that ranges from old and new country, blues, rock, and more. Kansas Stone has become known for their catchy melodies and well crafted original songs.[2][3][1]

History

Growing up, Brian Harwood and Matt Davey were heavily influenced by country artists Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and classic rock artists Bon Jovi, Aerosmith,[4] and Guns N' Roses, among others.[5] The pair started Kansas Stone as a side project in 2013.[4]

The band name does not refer directly to the American state, according to Vain, who is credited with having come up with the name. Rather, it refers to the supposed original meaning of the Kansa tribe's name in their native language, which has been roughly translated as "people of the south wind,"[6][7] or as Vain interprets it, "warm, southern wind." The way the band describes their name, it "epitomizes a warm summer good feeling." As for the "stone" portion of the name, the band has also stated that "we're like a family; we're like a stone, solid as a rock."[1][8]

Both Harwood and Davey contribute to the band's songwriting effort.[8] During an interview at the 2018 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards, Harwood and Davey stated that they co-wrote Blaze of Nothing with input from friend Patricia Conroy while they were visiting Nashville, Tennessee.[9]

Music

Kansas Stone has released several singles, and one EP, Country 101, which was released in 2016.[8] The songs All I Want and Whiskey & Wine were both originally released as singles before later being released as part of their Country 101 EP.[10][8]

Singles

  • Edge of Forever
  • Cash'n out
  • Up[5]
  • Next Stop Nashville
  • Country Queen[11]
  • Hand in Mine
  • Blaze of Nothing[12][5]

Country 101 EP

Live and broadcast performances

Kansas Stone has been featured on television and on the radio. On 20 April 2016, the group appeared on the Citytv network's morning television show Breakfast Television Montreal to perform their song Country Queen live.[11] On 3 May 2016, the band was featured on Rogers TV performing their song Country 101 ahead of their debut EP release of the same name.[13] In 2018, Kansas Stone performed original songs Up and Blaze of Nothing, as well as a cover of The Cadillac Three's White Lightning live on SiriusXM Canada.[5]

In February 2016, Kansas Stone unveiled the official music video for the song Whiskey & Wine at The Ranch, a country bar in their hometown of Barrie. The event was hosted by CMT's Paul McGuire.[8][14] During Canadian Music Week 2016, Kansas Stone performed at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto as part of their Boots & Hearts Hot Shots Showcase.[4][15] In 2017, the band performed at Mavricks Music Hall in their home town of Barrie along with Blackjack Billy and Madeline.[16]

Festival appearances

Kansas Stone has performed at a number of high-profile, regional music festivals.

Havelock Country Jamboree – On 18 August 2016, the band performed at the Havelock Country Jamboree music festival,[17] where headlining artists The Band Perry, Terri Clark, Scotty McCreery, and others also performed.[18] The band performed at the festival again in 2019[19] along with a number of other artists including Billy Currington, Gord Bamford, and Brett Kissel, whom Kansas Stone has collaborated with.[17]

Indie Week Canada – In both 2016 and 2017, the band performed at the annual Indie Week Canada music festival in Toronto.[20][21][22]

Country Wild – The band performed at Cobourg, Ontario's "Country Wild" music festival, both in 2017 and in 2019.[23][24]

Trackside Music Festival – In 2018, the band performed at the Trackside Music Festival in London, Ontario, where Dierks Bentley, Dean Brody, and Emerson Drive also performed.[25][26]

Kempenfest – In August 2019, the band performed at Kempenfest, where Loverboy, Jess Moskaluke, Teenage Head (band), and other artists also performed.[27][28]

Recognition

In 2015, Kansas Stone was chosen as one of six finalists for "The Next Country Music Star Talent Search," an annual event organized in part by the Havelock Country Jamboree.[29]

Kansas Stone's single, Blaze of Nothing, was nominated for the "Music Video of the Year" award at the 2019 Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) Awards.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Kansas Stone – Official Website". Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  2. ^ Elliott, Leigh (27 March 2016). "Barrie's Kansas Stone ready for next level". Simcoe.Com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Kansas Stone – Artist Bio". ReverbNation. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Artist of the Month: Kansas Stone". Country Music Association of Ontario. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Burke, Sarah (13 November 2018). "Live @SiriusXM: Kansas Stone Cover Cadillac Three's 'White Lightning". SiriusXM Canada. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  6. ^ Rankin, Robert. 2005. "Quapaw". In Native Languages of the Southeastern United States, eds. Heather K. Hardy and Janine Scancarelli. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, p. 492.
  7. ^ Connelley, William E. 1918. "Indians Archived February 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine". A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, ch. 10, vol. 1.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Dave Woodsfollow (9 March 2019). "Interview with Kansas Stone" (Podcast). Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  9. ^ Chat w Brian Harwood & Matt Davey of Kansas Stone at the 2018 CMAO Awards (Videotape). Rudy Blair Entertainment Media. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  10. ^ Melanson, Jenna (28 July 2015). "New video released by Kansas Stone". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  11. ^ a b Kansas Stone performs 'Country Queen' on Breakfast Television Montreal (Television production). Citytv. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  12. ^ Wolfe, Nicole (29 June 2018). "Kansas Stone release new single, "Blaze of Nothing"". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  13. ^ a b Kansas Stone – Country 101 (Television production). Rogers TV. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  14. ^ a b Wolfe, Nicole (23 February 2016). "New video released by Kansas Stone". Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  15. ^ "CMW 2016: Boots & Hearts Hot Shots Showcase!". The Reviews Are In. 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  16. ^ Wilkins, Glenn (8 June 2017). "Barrie's Kansas Stone ready to rock Mavricks". BarrieToday.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  17. ^ a b Brian Vain, Nicole Wolfe (9 December 2015). Video Interview – Brian Vain from Beyond Haven & Kansas Stone (Videotape). Canadian Beats Media. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Line Up". Havelock Country Jamboree. 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  19. ^ "Line Up". Havelock Country Jamboree. 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  20. ^ "About Indie Week – Indie Week Inc". Indie Week Inc. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Indie Week 2016 Editors Picks". The Scene. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Country Showcase – Indie Week Canada". Indie Week Inc. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  23. ^ Pape, Hendrik (30 April 2019). "Country Wild Veterans Kansas Stone join 2019 VIP Kick Off Party". Sound Check Entertainment. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Cold Creek County headlines Cobourg's first country music festival". kawarthaNOW. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  25. ^ Belanger, Joe (27 June 2018). "London sets the table for a musical feast". The Londoner. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  26. ^ "Trackside Music Festival Announces Festival Line-Up". Complete Country. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  27. ^ "Major Concerts And Festivals Coming To Barrie For Your Entertainment!". Barrie Uncovered. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  28. ^ Bowe, Raymond (28 May 2019). "Loverboy, Teenage Head to perform at this year's Kempenfest". OrilliaMatters.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  29. ^ "2015 Schedule". The Next Country Music Star. 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  30. ^ "2019 Winners & Nominees". Country Music Association of Ontario. Retrieved 22 July 2019.