Riley McKinnon

Buy the debut CD ..
Download "Modern Years" and check out more songs at
View Riley McKinnon's EPK
The official music video for "A Different Thing"
BIO
Born in Lethbridge Alberta and raised in the small town of Coalhurst Alberta, Riley always had plans of using his creativity in the future. He didn’t know that in the summer before grade 10 high school he would discover his creativity in music. “From the moment I picked up my brother’s friend’s fender electric guitar I started writing.”
Between grade twelve in 1998 up until the beginning of 2005, Riley played in two different bands locally in Lethbridge. As a lead guitarist, back up vocalist and co-songwriter in the Delusions of Grandeur and as lead vocalist, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in The Ascetics, Riley has had quite a bit of experience in live performance, writing and recording.
Not until he finally made the decision to quite his job of four and a half years to become a full time solo recording artist in the fall of 2006 was he able to complete his first full length album in April 2007. All on his own he wrote, recorded, produced, mixed and mastered the album.
He also just completed the editing of his first soon to be released music video for “A Different Thing.” The video was filmed in Montreal in September 2007 with the help of camera man and directors assistant Joey Romano. Erin Simms, also a Montréal native, is the only other person that appears in the video as “the girl in the park.”
After a nice break from home, spending time in Montreal and Toronto this summer, Riley is basing himself in southern Alberta once again. He has plenty of support from family and friends at home and says that he enjoys living near home.
Understanding that “making it in the music” business has way more to with just making the music is something that has helped Riley’s career in music progress. He has spent much of his past 10 years educating himself on the music business and how it keeps evolving. “I don’t pretend to know everything though” he says “There are always mistakes to be made and more things to learn…but I’ve learned that there is never just one way to do things in this business.”
Now Riley is working towards booking more shows throughout Canada, and hopefully touring as well. He is a one man acoustic show for now, but plans to form a band next year in order to play larger gigs and festivals.