Lockhart is a Canadian trio bringing classic AOR back to life with analog synths, melodic rock, and heavy metal roots. Formed by Devon Kerr, Jason Junop, and Fabio Alasandrini, the band blends years of experience with a shared love for thoughtful, studio-driven music. In this interview with TheNwothm, they discuss their formation, creative process, and what fans can expect from their upcoming releases.

Interview

TheNwothm: Hey Lockhart, thanks for agreeing to this interview! First up can you introduce us to the members of the band and where you are from?

Devon: Any time. Lockhart is 3 members. Devon Kerr on synth, guitar and lead vocals, Jason Junop on Bass and Vocals and Fabio Alasandrini on Drums and Percussion.

Myself… (Devon) I’m originally from Toronto, Jason originally from a small town in the Ottawa Valley called Pembroke, and Fabio, he’s actually from Italy! 

TheNwothm: Lockhart has only been around for a few years, so how did you form and is there any insightful story surrounding its formation? 

Devon: Lockhart began as an idea in 2013 or 14 when I was living with Ian Chains from Cauldron in Toronto. Jay and I actually demoed a few of these songs way back then in our little home studio setup. We actually have those 12 year old demos still. It just took years to finally get around to bringing this project to life.  

TheNwothm: What made you decide you wanted to break away from your other bands and do this style of music?

Devon: Well since Lockhart thus far has been very studio orientated, it’s worked out pretty well for us. We’ve manage to stay creative and nourish that side of ourselves alongside the chaos and responsibility life has to offer in these recent years. Jason, Fab, and I all share a deep love for this type of what we’d call “well-thought-out” rock music. 

TheNwothm: You guys have some interesting musical backgrounds (Cauldron, Axxion etc) so can you tell us more about that?

Devon: Well, Cauldron and Axxion are two pretty different bands. I haven’t been the primary songwriter in Axxion since the early days… though I do write the odd song. So this is a chance for me to take more of a step forward from a songwriter and producers standpoint. Jay on the other hand, writes a lot for Cauldron and I think this gives him a chance to take more of a musician’s role. Jay does help with songwriting on this album though. Both of us are rooted in heavy metal, and I hope it shows through on this upcoming album. 

TheNwothm: Devon, how did you go about learning to sing vocals and play guitar/synthesisers? And do you change your vocal approach for each of the bands you play in?

Devon: I’ve been playing guitars, and keyboards since I was a kid, I never really took on singing until someone had to fill that role in Axxion (me) in 2011 or so. It was only in the last 3 or 4 years that I buckled down, got a vocal coach and addressed all the technical parts of singing. You’ll definitely hear that shining through on this album. Ive definitely changed my vocal approach for each band. In Axxion, I sometimes have to sing these insanely high pitched vocal lines, and deliver more energy through my voice. In Lockhart, I focus a lot on quality, tone and production. I think though, if we continue and produce another album with Axxion this new style will definitely come with me. It will be hard to regress back to that more primitive singing style.

TheNwothm: I interviewed Jason a while back talking about his background with Cauldron, Goat Horn and now Lockhart? From your perspective how did you guys meet and how would you describe your bond?

Devon: Jason and I met back in 2007 or 8 at a house party in Toronto…  We’ve worked together for years, lived together during that time, recorded together with Lockhart and Axxion, partied together around the world, shared some pretty tough times together too… Jay and I have become close as hell. We share a VERY strange sense of humour to say the least. I consider him family.

TheNwothm: Jason, how would you say your playing style for Lockhart differs from your other bands? Do you use different basses or rigs for Lockhart?

Jason: I guess it’s a little simpler and sits back more, less riff driven and more complimentary to everything else that’s going on, but that happens in Cauldron too, just not as much. I’m using the same bass I’ve used on pretty much everything I’ve recorded since 2009- which is an El Degas Rickenbacker lawsuit edition copy.    I still use a Yamaha G100 guitar head as my main amp which I’ve been using since 1996 but there is less amp sound in Lockhart and more of what you’re hearing is the bass DI straight into the board 

TheNwothm: Fabio can you tell us about your drum setup and what brands you play? What is the secret to achieving that Lockhart drum sound?

Fabio: Growing up ADORING Eric Singer Pearl was always my choice when it came to drums. They build the most rounded and cut-through sounding kit out there! Secret to the snare is an old school Remo Controlled Sound tuned to Van Halen’s 1984 snare!

TheNwothm: Upon first listening to you guys I was pleasantly surprised with your sound direction. Who or what has inspired your musical direction?

Well, it’s hard to say. I think my original goal was to get synthesizer back into hard rock or trad metal somehow. I think it was one of those things that got crushed in the 1990s by grunge, and never really made its way back into the new wave of metal world… I vividly recall people saying keyboards were for wimps back in the early 2000s… How out of touch. We’re here to prove them dead wrong.

TheNwothm: You guys are typically classed as AOR with a mix of other influences? Is this popular in Canada?

Devon: Correct.

Popular? Not at all. Which is fine. There are few bands… if any, that are doing what we are doing. I’ve heard the over-polished, ultra digital, modern take on AOR… It’s fine and good that it’s happening, but the true-to-its-roots AOR… I haven’t heard much, if anything. 

TheNwothm: As the internet has become more prominent especially for bands to promote music how do you feel the industry has changed over the years? Do you think the old ways of promotion such as exchanging tapes and plastering posters around the town are something that is heavily missed?

Devon: I do miss plastering posters all over downtown Toronto. I miss having to go out to buy an album because it wasn’t instantly available on Spotify or Youtube… The internet has also made it a bit easier to reach a previously unreachable audience. I think the world along with me, should stop to smell the roses while we can. Enjoy the convenience of modernity, but embrace the authenticity of going to shows, trading physical music, buying a record, spending time with nothing but the sound of the music. Theres few things I enjoy more than putting on an album, and giving it my full attention.

TheNwothm: Tell us about the ‘No Chance EP’ and how the writing sessions went for this! Did the EP come together quite fast or was put together over a long period of time?

Devon: The Ep was mostly written 10+ years in advance. It just took a long while for things to come together. The recording process was pretty standard time wise. I wish I could say the same about the album ha ha! It’s been a year of studio work.

TheNwothm: What does a typical writing/ recording session look like for the band? Do you get together in a room and write a lot or do things separately?

Devon: The songwriting happens in my home studio on a piano. Once I have the structure, vocal, synth/piano, and guitar parts finalized, Fabio writes his drum and percussion parts. Jason writes his bass tracks at the end. The vocal melodies, harmonies, and choir parts are written on piano in my studio.

TheNwothm: So you have had the EP out since late 2022? And now I understand you are working on new music! Is there an EP or full length on the way?

Devon: We’ve got a single on the way to support the album. Everything is recorded for both of those releases. We’ll be rolling out new music this fall!

TheNwothm: What can fans expect from the next Lockhart release?

Devon: Fans can expect fully authentic AOR. This record was made to be exactly the way AOR left off in the 1980s. We’ve got guest musicians performing on songs, supermassive vocal parts, meaningful guitar solos that still shred, analog and FM synths, authentic production that steers 100% clear of any influence post 1980s rock and metal. This album delivers exactly what we intended on serving up. 

TheNwothm: How can our readers support and follow you online?

I suppose they can follow us on instagram @ listentolockhart

and check us out on bandcamp @ www.listentolockhart.bandcamp.com

Bandcamp: www.listentolockhart.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Listentolockhart

Instagram: listentolockhart
Website: www.listentolockhart.bandcamp.com

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