Ken Stephenson

Ken Stephenson from Melbourne, Australia, is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and software developer.  (a bit of history..)

Ken co-produces music with his daughter Jo Kelly Stephenson. Recent Back Pocket Records album  release  'I See Flowers, You See Cars' won Alt-Country - Album of the Year in the USA for the popular vote and Album Finalist - Judges Vote in the 7th Independent Music Awards (IMA) reflecting both the production quality of the album and the strength of the songs. Ken and Jo Kelly have continued to work together producing award winning songs both nationally and internationally. The latest being 2009 second place win in the 16th Annual Billboard Song Contest for an R&B Blues track.

Ross Ryan's latest hoot of a recording, with video, Queensland, from The Difficult Third Compilation.

Currently recording with Ken at Back Pocket Recorders studios are Diana Wolfe and The Wolfe Gang , Andrew Ferguson and the Influence, Rob Draper and the Details and other Melbourne singer-songwriters.

As well as writing and recording more of his own material, Ken plays plays with Jo Kelly Stephenson, Ross Ryan, and Diana Wolfe and her Wolfe Gang. There's still the occasional get together with Gippsland friends Obliqua. (read some nice comments about albums and gigs...) 

Here are some MP3s:

• Barbunkular - featuring Yali Linser and the 'Obliqua chorus' - 2003
  a sunny afternoon in South Gippsland with Obliqua and Yali had just learned a call and response song at a school camp. A capella recording on an old Sony Portable Cassette Recorder and then looped and mangled beyond recognition
  
• Wrong Side Of The Road - from the 2001 album"VU"
  that sinking feeling when you pick up a rental car in a foreign country and forget a few fundamentals
  
• The Longest Day - from the 1996 album "Strum".
  "This winter's been a hard one for both of us..." As a long suffering Richmond supporter, this is truly a sad tale.

Ken started out playing guitar, keyboards and writing on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the 1970s. Leaving Sydney and moving firstly to Queensland, he arrived in Melbourne in 1979, working for a couple of years as recording engineer at Crystal Clear Studio, and playing in bands such as The Name, Exploding Cats and Moose Malone.

The mid 80s saw a change of direction with the decision to stop playing live gigs and concentrate on writing and project studio recording. With a growing interest in electronics and the purchase of a Commodore 64 computer in 1984, Ken found that a career as a software developer beckoned, which continues to the present.

Meanwhile the studio quietly ticks along producing 1 or 2 albums per year, with the focus on recording original material from Ken and a number of other local songwriters including Alf Davies and Chris Morgan.

• An interest in all sorts of instruments has led to teaming with long time friend Neil Howell to build the Neilson Lap Steel Guitars
• In 1995, Ken produced the Alesis SR-16 Drum Machine Editor - a program that allows SR16 users to easily make changes to drum sets for use with sequencing programs. (He is pleasantly surprised that this 1991 drum machine is still being manufactured. This may be a record in a world of 2 year technology life spans)
• For anyone who would like to know what chords and note patterns look like on various stringed instruments with various tunings, try the Stringed Instrument Note and Chord Finder 

• "....a visit from Ken Stephenson. (He) played me his daughter Jo's album, as part of his checking the mix/mastering on different systems. I have some harp on about three tracks, and Bill's playing on a couple, and Robbo's on all but two, so you might think I'm biased, but I have to say I was blown away! The songs are all very good, with a couple of them being exceptional, but the arrangements and the production were what took my attention. Without going into detail, I'll be amazed if it doesn't make an impact internationally"
  Mike Rudd (Spectrum, Ariel.....) December 2006 http://www.mikeruddbillputt.com/home/StopPress40/ASRDec/ASR.htm

•  "I See Flowers" is an awesome album. ....Every song is a hit and Jo has a fantastic voice and has a great edge to her performance."
  Nigel Spencer - Synth Zone June 2007 

• "What a night!! It was standing room only. Ross Ryan - Been around a long time and his performance/ entertainment really shines through. Very few left and we finished late. With backing from Ken Stephenson on a range of instruments, the music was exemplary."
  Berwick Folk Club 20 July 2007

• "Ross Ryan AND Spectrum, that’s what the email read. CD Launch. OK? At a bar… where do I sign. Seriously though, how often do you get to spend an evening with two of your old favourite acts and a bunch of friends.... Ross was first up and accompanied by Nicolas Lyon (fiddle and bass) and Ken Stephenson (guitars, banjo, mandolin, any bloody thing with strings on it) who was having a great old time with short sharp succinct lead breaks and tasty discreet backings (Ian and I decided we hate him… Just kidding Ken)."
  Thatch - Trades Hall Bar 24 June 2007
  http://www.notdeadyet.com.au/duggup/2007/06/24/ross-ryan-and-spectrum-at-the-trades-hall-bar/#comment-15205