Biography
“WOW!!! Fabulous!!!!! I absolutely love it!!!!! THIS is talent ….”
Just a small sample of the rave reviews following Song Monster‘s first single release “Here In My Heart.”
Based in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, Song Monster is a band consisting of three musicians. Their prime elementary genre is neo-power pop/rock vocal harmony, delivering introspective lyrics in sophisticated harmony arrangements against solid rock instrumental backings.
Warren Barbour (left) is producer/arranger, vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and a two time award winning composer, receiving the BMI Canada Limited Certificate Of Honour in 1975 and 1976, certifying outstanding contribution to Canadian music. Chuck Kerr (middle) is vocalist and drummer/percussionist. Peter McLean (right) is vocalist and guitarist.
Peter and Warren have been playing on and off together in the Ottawa area for many years in such bands as the very popular, The Reasons Why, and the nationally acclaimed vocal powerhouse band and MCA recording artists, Octavian. Warren also lead the band, Chain Reaction, who were with Attic Records.
Meanwhile, Chuck had been a founding member of the Chicago/BS&T based horn band, Tree. He had also been playing for a variety of other bands and orchestras in many different genres. Studying music at university furthered his musical skills. He also kept busy acting and being a popular MC.
From the time he first heard them, Chuck, was a huge fan of Warren and his band Octavian. They finally got the opportunity to work together when Chuck was asked to assist in producing the band for a large charity concert/dance. After that, they frequently worked together into the new millennium in various club bands like, The Fabulous Chichez and Betty and the Boners. They also found themselves face to face in recording studios working on other artist’s projects.
Spring 2011 was when the ground work for the eventual creation of Song Monster actually happened. An acoustic ensemble was being put together to perform some songs at a memorial gala being held to honour the life of an iconic Ottawa musician. With only a couple of days to prepare, Peter, Chuck and Warren were recruited. They jokingly called themselves The Skwerlz for the event. Thankfully, the performance was recorded and upon hearing the blend of their three voices together in harmony for the first time, thoughts revolved around doing something further. They were not alone in this line of thinking. A colleague, close friend and member of a group named, Natalia and Montuno, had also heard them sing that night and the three were hired to sing harmony backing vocals on that group’s nearly completed CD. Warren co-arranged the vocals. The result was so successful, that the three of them were then asked to perform on several tunes at the band’s CD release party. Natalia chose the name, The Bad Daddies for them, as it was the title of one of her songs that they performed.
Warren, Peter and Chuck had another wonderful opportunity to work together when, in October of 2012, a giant charity fundraising concert was held. The three guys united with other former members of the band Octavian to headline a rousing show in front of a sold out audience.
Throughout this period, Warren, with his writing partner, had been composing songs. Now, the three of them, had a generous catalogue of material to work through.
Together, as Song Monster, Chuck, Peter and Warren have been delighting music aficionados. They create intricate, soaring and smoothly blended harmonies, which are seamlessly interwoven to original melodic, power-packed melodies.
Excitement and anticipation has been building since the 2016 recent release of the Song Monster single entitled, “Wake Up! – It All Begins With You!”
Now, the new Song Monster album entitled, “It All Begins With You!“ is finally complete and was released in September 2017 by record label Warren Barbour Productions.