May 17, 2025
Most music fans know Kevin Hearn as the pianist and songwriter
for Barenaked Ladies.
Few would know that Kevin was the band leader for Lou Reed for
7 emotional years.
Or that he fought a battle with leukemia for many years, even
while touring with BNL.
Gord Downie knew all those stories when he asked Kevin Hearn
and Kevin Drew to help him prepare for live performances of his
final music project - Secret Path!
Because he had just been down his own darkened path ,
Kevin Hearn was able to bring comfort and strength to the
recording of Gord's final songs.
Kevin takes us though those moments including Gord's last
words to him, about his friendship with Lou Reed and then takes us
on another journey - this time
to Jamaica.
Kevin's new solo album is called Portland
Parish. Recorded in three locations. A small jungle
cottage, the legendary Trident Hotel and the long-abandoned Trident
Castle.
Kevin plays originals, covers (Lou Reed and Sun Ra Arkestra)
on a collection of creaking pianos weathered by time and nature. If
you listen closely, you can hear chirping frogs and dogs barking in
the distance. Several of the pianos were damaged and barely
playable.
Kevin says, "The idea was to seek out semi-abandoned
pianos in spaces said to be haunted and improvise."