Bio
Harvey King & The Grindstone began as a passion project of vocalist Will Himsl (Hugh Jazz) and guitarist Sam King (Apparatus, Sulfur City) , the two began writing material in 2019.
The duo curated a group of talented local musicians with decades of experience in the industry. Each of them bringing their own flavour and stylings ultimately contributing to the fusion of funk, soul, and rock n’ roll. With the obstacle of a worldwide pandemic hindering their ability to continue gathering, they seized the opportunity to begin laying down tracks for their upcoming album.
The summer of 2021 was a busy time for HKGS. On July 30th they released their first EP- “Bigtime” Tracked at Lala Pop Shoppe in Sudbury, ON by the talented Dany Lajeunesse (of Dany Laj and the Looks), then mixed at Bigtime Records & 2Berners Studios by band members Sam King and Sean Brouse. Its release was accompanied by the band’s first video for the single ‘Get Gone’ on August 6, 2021, filmed and produced by Justin Lamothe, Josh Desormeaux, and Curt Carriere of Midnight Society Productions. Its release was well-received and prompted an unexpected invitation for the band to play its first ever live show at Up Here festival 7 to a delightfully energetic and receptive crowd on August 21st. That same month, the band took to the Forest stage of Northern Vibe Festival in Bruce Mines performing for a few hundred festival goers.
HKGS's first full-length album titled ‘Ever After’ was released on July 1st, 2022. Accompanied by a video for their first single 'Six Feet' filmed by Justin Lamothe of Midnight Society Productions. The LP was tracked, mixed, and mastered at Deadpan Studios by Matt Wiewel. The band celebrated its release with a live show closing Sudbury’s multicultural Canada Day event at Bell Park complete with a Fireworks finale. That same month, they closed the 50th annual Northern Lights Festival Boreal performing all their recorded material.
“It's like listening to songs I've known my entire life” – Stanley Prince, Buzzrock Podcast - Sudbury
On December 21st, of 2022, the band suffered a great loss with the sudden death of their lead guitarist Matt Saroka. After many months off, the band collectively decided to carry on with its remaining members. The band began crafting songs that were in the early writing process with Matt. HKGS are currently recording new material at Bigtime Studios for their upcoming EP to be titled ‘Wild Card’ which is a tribute to their fallen brother. The album is set for release in April 2024.
HKGS is:
- Will Himsl - Vocals
- Sam King - Guitar, Vocals
- Sean Brouse - Bass, Vocals
- Kris Harris - Keys, Vocals
- Andrea Solski - Vocals
- Dave Turnbull - Drums