King Canyon is the supergroup collaboration between Eric Krasno, Otis McDonald, and Mike Chiavaro. They are proud to announce their self-titled debut album due out on January 13, 2023, on Mixto Records. The album features notable guests including Derek Trucks and Son Little and has been getting praise from critics and peers including Khruangbin, John Mayer and Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas.
The trio first came together remotely during COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 to create music and keep their musical talent fresh. From those sessions came a fresh record rooted in nostalgia and a friendship foraged from the love of music. With each musician based in different cities, Eric in LA, Otis in SF and Mike in NYC they have become known as the tightest band whose never played a gig! The new record will be available everywhere you stream music. Pre-save and order here: https://sym.ffm.to/king-canyon
Eric Krasno is a two-time GRAMMY winning guitarist, musician and producer best known for his work with Soulive, Lettuce, Tedeschi Trucks Band & Pretty Lights. Krasno has been nominated for a GRAMMY a total of seven times for Best Blues Album, Best Contemporary Blues, Best R&B, and Best Electronic Album. Otis McDonald is a producer/multi-instrumentalist best known for his large catalog that continues to be used in millions of videos across the internet. Mike Chiavaro is a Brooklyn-based electric and upright bass player who has played with Richard Marx, Boy & Bear, among others. Combined they form King Canyon, blending their unique styles into an infectious groove filled project with healthy doses of R&B/Soul and funk. The vibe will resonate with fans of Khruangbin, Bobby Caldwell, Allman Brothers, Soulive, Lettuce, El Michels Affair, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Menahan Street Band, Durand Jones and the Indications, and Son Little.
The new album was created from the perfect quarantine story. In April 2020 in the midst of quarantine, Eric Krasno came across Otis McDonald’s music on Instagram and immediately became a fan. Months later, McDonald who had been working on music with his longtime friend, Mike Chiavaro, enlisted Krasno to add some guitar to the mix and before they knew it, the trio had an album’s worth of material and thus King Canyon was born. For the band, the writing and feel captured on the new album, are unlike any other projects these musicians have been involved with previously.
So far King Canyon has released three singles that give a glimpse into the new album. They have garnered critical accolades from the likes of Live for Live Music, Jambands.com, and Relix who said they, “resonates on the same sonic field groups like Khruangbin, Bobby Caldwell, Allman Brothers, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Son Little.”
Rooted in nostalgia, the 7 track LP takes the listener on a sonic journey to a time long forgotten. Bringing in featured guest spots from great musicians like Derek Trucks and Son Little hits home the bluesy Americana vibe. The record roll out had a few singles released ahead of the release with “Keep on Movin’” as the first single. Krasno reflected on the song and commented, “Sometimes in life (all the time in life!), you just have to keep on moving. The only thing in life that remains constant is change. The music becomes the soundtrack. Keep on moving on!”
“Mulholland” was the second single released and featured Derek Trucks and Will Blades on organ. Eric Krasno added, “Mulholland is a “feel good” track. I came up with the original gospel-ish guitar riff and thought it fit the King Canyon album perfectly. I sent it to the boys and what they sent back brought it to a whole other level! As we were finishing the song I thought it needed a slide guitar solo at the end. It just so happened I was heading to Derek Trucks’ studio that week. After I played some guitar on the new Tedeschi Trucks album I played him the track… he loved it and decided to play on it. His solo was exactly what the song needed and gives it that “ride off into the sunset” moment.”
It debuted with Relix who said “For their new grooving desert trip of a track, which resonates on the same sonic field groups like Khruangbin, Bobby Caldwell, Allman Brothers, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Son Little so gracefully traverse, King Canyon recruited the slide guitar master to add yet another layer of silk to their already lustrous sound.”
The most recent release was “Ice & Fire” with Son Little. The new single has received glowing accolades with Celebmix calling it an “undulating rhythm dripping with retro soul flavors, vaguely reminiscent of Sam & Dave and Otis Redding.” Looking back at the new release Eric Krasno comments, “Son Little and I met a few years back at a festival. We had a lot of mutual respect for each other’s music and decided to start writing together. We instantly became tight as friends and frequent collaborators. Ice & Fire is a perfect mixture of the sounds of Son Little & King Canyon. Son’s lyrical imagery blends with the KC’s soundscape creating a unique and soulful sound.“
It is clear that King Canyon was born out of the love of good music and friendship. Looking back on how it all started, Otis McDonald comments, “It was easy and fun. Exactly what it should be. It didn’t take long before we had a couple of albums’ worth of songs. Some tracks feature special guests and others showcase the power trio format. King Canyon is fresh and rooted in nostalgia.” Stay tuned for more music from King Canyon!
