About Me
Six String Nation guitar. Photo by Doug Nicholson.
visit www.SixStringNation.com
Howdy, I'm Kurt Swinghammer, a musician and visual artist based in Toronto. Besides writing, recording and performing original music, I compose for film & TV projects and do guitar session work and production on other artist's albums. As a visual artist I've has explored a diverse array of media and mediums, creating both a personal body of work and commercial illustration & design.
CDiscography:
Augusta - 2004
Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed - Original Soundtrack 2004
Black Eyed Sue 2001
VOSTOK 6 - 2000
Remote - w/ Andy Stochansky 1999
PoMo-A-GoGo - 1991
CDs can be purchased online at CDbaby.com
and MapleMusic.com
and a few groovy stores
MP3s available at a small price via iTunes, etc.
Songs are changed weekly (almost) on MySpace.
For more stuff please also visit www.swinghammer.com
photo by Rafy
Film and TV credits include original music for The National Film Board of Canada, David Suzuki's The Nature Of Things, episodes of Queer As Folk, and the theme music for CITY TV's Media Television. At cool Video Rental places you can find a few DVDs that have my music such as McLuhan's Wake - a really interesting feature doc on media prophet Marshall McLuhan, the cult horror film Ginger Snaps 2 Unleashed, and the comedy drama Say Uncle
As a session musician I've appeared on over 70 CDs by artists including Ani DiFranco, Rheostatics, Great Big Sea, Sarah Slean, Hayden, Lori Cullen, Kevin Hearn, and new releases from Serena Ryder, Mike Evin, Royal Wood, and Gregory Hoskins. In 2002 I won Best Local Guitarist in Toronto's NOW Magazine annual readers poll.
I've co-written tunes with Alanis Morissette, Arlene Bishop, Blair Packham and a song with Peter Murphy which appears on the x-Bahuaus frontman's 2005 solo CD Unshattered.
Production credits include Mary Margaret OHara, Patricia OCallaghan, Jeremy Robinson, and Ron Sexsmith's first indie cassette release in 1987. Ron and I also collaborated on the score to the feature film The Art Of Woo and last year I produced a track of his for another feature. Artists who have performed my songs in concert include Sexsmith, Andy Stochansky, Laurel MacDonald, Kitchenmusic, Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), Anne Lindsay, and Chris Tait (Chalk Circle, Big faith)
I gig as a solo artist and with a quartet, and have played in numerous bands such as Apostle Of Hustle, The Wild Strawberries (appearing on The Lillith Fair Live compilation), Danny Michelle, By Divine Right, Dan Bryk, Mia Sheard, Lorraine Segato, Tory Cassis, and Howie Beck. As a guitarist of house bands for cabarets and benefits I've had the pleasure of backing up Sarah Harmer, Justin Rutledge, Esthero, Ivana Santilli, Matthew Barber, Luke Doucette, Jason Collete and members of Broken Social Scene, Metric, Death From Above 1979, JackSoul, Pilate, Finger Eleven and Blue Rodeo. I appeared on the cover of NOW Magazine, have been featured on The New Music, and was Artist Of The Week on Bravos Arts and Minds.
Peggy Baker, Artist in Residence at The National Ballet School Of Canada, choreographed a solo dance called Rocket Girl set to music from my concept CD VOSTOK 6.
I'm also a visual artist with work is in the collection of The Canada Council Art Bank. While I continue to create and exhibit personal bodies of paintings, I'm perhaps best known for my colourful commercial work.
Here's a selection of projects:
Album covers, hand painted wardrobe, and art directed award winning videos for jazz-rap group The Shuffle Demons;
Art direction on videos for numerous artists including Maestro Fresh Wes's Drop The Needle and Let Your Backbone Slide winners of Juno and MuchMusic Awards;
graphics for CKLN, CFNY, CBC, and The Music Gallery;
Barenaked Ladies T-shirt and tour program cartoon;
Three dimensional carvings used in unique signage for HMV, and Toronto stores Ring Music, Songbird, Lillith and ideal Coffee; A murals for the first Kids In The Hall episode, and for music clubs Lees Palace and The Cameron, and College Street restaurant Oasis (seen recently on the reality TV show Restaurant Make-Over);
Design of the CANADA booth at the New Music Seminar in NY;
Illustrations for Christmas napkins for Scott and the Jello-O Pudding Shaker for General Foods;
MuchMusic commissioned animated station ids and Video Award presentations
CD cover collaboratiion with A Man Called Wrycraft for David Wilcox nominated for a Juno;
Illustrated childrens book My Stompin Grounds The Songs of Stompin Tom Connors, published by Doubleday;
Original font, shopping bag and posters for Sam The Record Man;
Custom Hot Rod paint job on the Zamboni at Maple Leaf Gardens;
Set design for Peggy Bakers dance set to John Cages In A Landscape;
Set design for Joni Mitchell's Intimate and Interactive special on Much Music.
Recent CD cover designs are for releases from African Guitar Summit, Sho, Mo & The Monkey Bunch, Stuart McLean's History Of Canada, CBC's Sounds Of The Season, and Toronto's Jazz FM.
Please visit my website for more information, MP3's and a gallery of visual art.
Thanks for dropping by!
