The Recorder
SUDBURY—Manitoulin Island singer-songwriter Kevin Closs debuted his new album with a main stage appearance at Northern Lights Festival Boreal (NLFB) in Sudbury this past weekend.
This is Mr. Closs’s 12th independent album, titled ‘In Deep.’ The record chronicles his five years working as a musician and guide in the Arctic and Antarctic. From Nunavut to Greenland, Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic, to Antarctica and South Georgia, Mr. Closs has been travelling to the most remote parts of the planet. The history and natural beauty of the polar regions inspired Kevin to begin a song-writing project initially supported by a grant from the Ontario Arts Council.
In the winter of 2019, Closs created a Kickstarter campaign to fund the recording of the new songs. The campaign exceeded its goal and the recording was complete in June. He debuted the new album with a main stage appearance at NLFB in Sudbury. Several smaller Ontario concerts will follow before he continues his travels in the fall, visiting Greenland and Iceland.
The album, including its first single, ‘Song of Svalbard,’ can be streamed or downloaded in high quality at SoundCloud.com/KevinCloss/sets/indeep.
Since 1990, Mr. Closs has worked as a recording and performing artist, releasing 12 independent albums, playing concerts, festivals and clubs across the country. His third album, ‘Surrender,’ featured two hit singles: ‘Erica’ and ‘Home.’ He has also toured with multiple-Juno-award winner and country music legend Charlie Major. His contributions to the Northern Ontario arts community won him the Jackie Washington Award in 2002 and the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts Exceptional Achievement Award in 2016.
In 2015, Kevin was given the opportunity to travel through the Northwest Passage with Adventure Canada as a resident musician and songwriter. The following year, he joined G Adventures for 10 weeks exploring Svalbard, a small group of islands in the Arctic Ocean midway between Norway and the North Pole. He was trained as an Arctic guide which included Zodiac driving and firearms handling. In 2017-2018 he continued with G Adventures, playing music and guiding in Antarctica and South Georgia. He has spent over 12 months in the polar regions.
Mr. Closs music, including ‘In Deep,’ can be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other major streaming platforms, while his CDs can be purchased at his website, KevinClossMusic.com, or on Bandcamp.
