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No showcase reservation? No problem. When the ECMAs were held in Fredericton in 2007, Andrew James O`Brien and Kevin Hamilton of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, decided they wanted to get in there and turn some heads. They were too late to be officially included, so they teamed up with their buddy, Sherman Downey, packed up their guitars, got on a plane and went knocking on doors at the conference. They managed to work their way in, played some great rooms, and got warm reviews. They also acted as unofficial ambassadors for Corner Brook.Imagine what a fabulous impression Andrew and Kev will make at the 2009 ECMAs in the western Newfoundland city, now that they`ve let the committee know their plans long in advance - and they`ll be performing for a hometown crowd, to boot!The boys have named their duo West Moon, in honour of the poignant play by Newfoundland poet, Al Pittman. Andrew and Kevin are each infused with poet`s souls themselves, having written dozens of songs between them. Andrew is from Mount Pearl, but has adopted Corner Brook as his hometown, deciding to stay on after he completed a degree in Theatre Studies at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. He teamed up with Kev, a hometown boy and a graduate of the Music Industry Performance and Recording programs in nearby Stephenville. It`s acoustic rock, with dashes of pop, blues and folk. Hamilton and O`Brien meld their tenor voices in tight harmony, evoking the likes of America and Simon and Garfunkel. Andrew provides solid rhythm guitar, while Kev takes flights of fancy up the neck in intricate playing that echoes that of Bruce Cockburn.West Moon has played a string of local gigs in the last two years. Then, for a bit of a break, Andrew and Kev teamed up again with Sherman in October, 2008, on a Paul Simon tribute tour across Newfoundland and Labrador. They`ve been virtually living in the studio since the summer of 2008, working on their debut album – all original stuff..Watch for West Moon at the ECMAs in Corner Brook in February, 2009 (is it too contrived or confusing to call West Moon "rising stars"?)
Brian McHugh is a musician, and Co-Host of the CBC Radio Morning Show in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. - Brian McHugh, CBC Radio Corner Brook
Discography
As of this writing, they are in the final stages of recording their debut album together.
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Bio
Kevin and Andrew have been playing together for around three years. Occasionally, they have played with additional musicians to flesh out a more standard sound, but the root of their music has always been the two voices and the two guitars. Andrew is young - 23, he has a theatre degree and an artist's soul. Kevin is not as young, 37, almost has a science degree and has seen his music as a constant through a life of science and technology. The singer songwriter is their biggest influence - and how they see themselves. Ron Sexsmith, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Bruce Cockburn - they all figure heavily into their evolution as artists. West Moon may perform as just the duo of Kevin and Andrew, or may add drums, bass, keys, as the mood and opportunity permits, but vocal harmony and skillful guitar define their sound.
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