Kevin California is a singer-songwriter whose musical origins began from the warmth of the west coast in 2014. A decade has passed and he has taken with him a solo artistry compact with picturesque music videos and emotionally charged live performances from the footsteps of Venice Beach to l’amour de Montréal and now to The Beaches of Toronto. His adage has been one thing and one thing only, “I go wherever the music takes me”.
This solo artist’s eloquent lyrics and soulful compositions move the nature in which he finds himself. His chill and relaxing songwriting uplifts with flavours from folk and rock, to roots and blues, to reggae taking anyone on a daydream of their own.
After releasing two follow-up singles, ‘I Am’ and ‘Golden Dreams’ to his affectionately-titled debut EP, “Dear Mom” Kevin California lifted our spirits with his second EP, TIMELESS. The title track sums up this wild adventure from country to country and the effect that following one’s dream has on the mind and essence of one’s self. Writing TIMELESS started during his romance with Venice Beach, where he recorded his previous EP and singles, and finished in la ville de Montréal with the album masters recorded close to the street art-inspired locale of Mont-Royal and some overdubbing completed in and around Toronto. Kevin California’s self-produced work of art honestly expresses himself and he admits, “I started writing these songs in one place only to finish them in an entirely different environment”. There is an obvious mashup of feelings and emotions that surface when listening to the songs and recordings accurately reflecting the writing and production process itself.
Hitting the road solo last year, Kevin began his TIMELESS Tour for all his affectionately called “Dreamers” from all walks of life in his home province of Ontario and neighbouring Quebec at various breweries, performance lounges and centres. The multi-provincial TIMELESS Tour included 40 shows in its first year with alumni and repeat performances at many venues. Concluding last year’s touring cycle, Kevin California opened for three-time Juno Awards-nominated artist, Julian Taylor at The Sanctuary Centre for the Arts and released a live performance video capturing moments from the event. Previously, Kevin has performed throughout Canada and the United States including a sold-out show in his hometown at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre, two televised appearances on Rogers TV in London, a six-month residency at Le Dépanneur Café in Montréal, shows at the iconic House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and at Move Music Fest in the capital of New York, as well as a debut performance for West Coast Songwriters in California.
Since the release of his second EP, TIMELESS this now Toronto-based indie folk artist has placed multiple feature interviews on campus and community radio stations across the country. Songs on the TIMELESS EP enjoyed countless airplay domestically and debuted at #9 on Canada’s National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart by Earshot. His music has been added to popular Spotify playlists from Germany and the United States, and his TIMELESS and other music videos have premiered on renowned blog, Canadian Beats. His additional achievements include being chosen as a select few by curators to present his original music to ten-time Grammy Award winner, Brandi Carlile in a songwriting circle hosted by Grammy U, and attending The 56th Grammy Awards.