Kane to release Forever this April.
Forever is a collection of songs originally written and released in the 80s, retaining their original character reimagined for today with a modern audio mix.
In the mid-1980s, Rob Kane served as the lead vocalist for the band Little Sister. The band included Kurt Kretchek on drums, Mike Vega on guitar, George Allen on bass, and Rob Kane on vocals. They performed on the club circuit in Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, playing both covers and original songs. After gaining a following and establishing their reputation, the group recorded an EP with Bill Dodd at Mud Hut Studios in Sharon, PA. The album was released on cassette and featured notable rock tracks like "Tainted Love" and "Sweet Sister Mercy," along with the well-received ballad "Forever".
Kane said, "Little Sister was the first band I was in that wrote their own songs. My experience with these guys was awesome. Not only were they great musicians, but great friends. We hung out at Kurt's house a lot (we practiced in his basement) and outside of the band. The experience writing and performing the music, the friendships and life-lessons learned are things that shaped me as a person and a musician and that I've carried with me all my life. While Mike wrote the bulk of the songs, it was a collaborative thing, Everyone contributed ideas from riffs, bass lines, to drum parts, to vocal harmonies, to the arrangements and lyrics. Everyone's ideas were considered and welcomed. The end result was a group of songs that were not only great in the 80s, but, I think, sound fantastic today."
Rob meticulously learned all the guitar and bass parts to record the album once more, many years later, preserving the essence of the originals but utilizing modern technology. "I wasn't a great guitar player back then; I mostly played a bit of rhythm and sang. I'm a better player now. I had to learn all the songs and truly appreciate the musicianship of Kurt, George, and especially Mike. Some of Mike's guitar riffs and solos were exquisite—very melodic and well-crafted. I really hope my guitar playing measures up and captures his original performances as closely as possible." The album features all the songs from the original cassette release, along with a cover of "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, a song the band used to perform live in their unique style.
Over the past several years, Kane has been developing a social media presence and has released several digital works that have established artist pages on many major digital and streaming platforms. Unfortunately, due to a limited budget and managing everything independently, I am unable to afford pressing CDs, so this release will be digital only.
Kane plans to release Forever this April to pay homage to the genre, the songs, and the guys in the band who composed some awesome rock music that he believes is as relevant today as it was in the 80s.
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