With sounds reminiscent of the reflections after the weathering of a storm, Kevin Earnest emotes sound which encapsulates the internal workings of the mind, body and soul with sheer musical prowess.A concept born from twenty seven years of life, These Years Have Been... is the brainchild of Kevin Earnest. Having been a fixture in the Orange County music scene for some twelve years now, Kevin’s most notable contribution came from his work with a burgeoning project known as Elijah Fell. Quickly gaining praise and much notoriety, the band created a major buzz for itself over the course of its three year run. With only two releases and countless shows, they forged a solid fan base earning the attention of countless media and music industry heavies before their dissolution in June of 2007.After the demise of Elijah Fell, Kevin wanted to create something based on an idea that had been lying dormant in the back of his mind. To create something that went beyond the typical songs which bands/musicians churn out in their sleep. To lure in audiences through a familiar pop exterior, but move them with a musical complexity hidden within its foundation. “I wanted to construct perfect pop songs disguising music with almost symphonic overtones,†explains Earnest. This idea gave new life to the material, taking what was simple emotion lyrically and setting it among layers of sound to give the songs a new dimension, more depth and a life almost all their own.With the pieces of his idea before him, he began work on his constructing his vision. Writing incessantly, pulling from a pool of ideas and experiences from the aftermath of a tumultuous two year period of emotional strife sprang forth THESE YEARS HAVE BEEN, conceptual album which plays out like a story from beginning to end. “The songs on this record are a collection of the misfortunes everyone experiences in life,†described Kevin, “which for me were summed up over the course of the last two years of my life. This was really just an honest attempt at the therapy of writing in the hopes of working through my problems.â€Coming from musical influences such as Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, Queen and The Beatles, Kevin Earnest clearly showcases subtle hints of those influences within his work and makes them his own. Teaming up with producer Scott Silletta (Taboo of Black Eyed Peas, Bullets & Octane), Earnest holed up at Orange Crush Studios in Orange County, CA to lay down the record. Having played the majority of the instruments on the record himself, Earnest poured himself into creating an album which is quite literally an extension of him as a whole.Upon completion of the album, individual tracks from the record were leaked on the internet. The tracks spread virally like wildfire almost overnight! Earnest's MySpace page was overrun, garnering well over 10,00 plays in a single evening and even inspired one fan to cover and record one of the tracks, “Behind My Flag A Knife,†acoustically and send it to him!
Kevin Earnest is now readying to bring the vision full circle. With a handful of live performances in the works, Earnest has been hard at work assembling a band to back him and with the addition of a visual experience to accentuate his already emotionally impacting sounds, new audiences will be floored no doubt. In addition, a limited edition version of THESE YEARS HAVE BEEN has been made available for download exclusively through his MySpace page and a special collectable version of the record will be available at live shows. With word of mouth spreading like mad, a never ending fan base which seemingly grows effortlessly and accolades pouring in from all around the world, the future of Kevin Earnest seems to be one that will surpass all.<
