Bob Kerr and VEIN
Kerr's playing days began with a gift from his parents at the tender age of six. "They gave me a choice between buying me roller skates or a guitar; I chose the guitar.," Since then, music has been a constant in Kerr's life, unlike his location. He's lived in Colombia, Chicago, and Spain, just to name a few places. He also spent a good deal of his formative years living with his family in the remote Azores. It was there that Kerr had a lot of exposure to the traditional Portuguese folk music of the islands. These syncopated rhythms and dramatic chords and tones inform tracks like "A Lie" and "Bring Me Down". In this realm, Vein does a nice job of using the natural dramatic feel of the music to explore pain and rejection. On the other hand, the band takes from its fare share of traditional rock influences as well. Citing staples such as The Doors, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin as influences, there are plenty of crunchy guitars and rocking drums featured on tunes like "My Love" and "I Feel I'm On Top Of The World."