On the one hand, The In-Fluents are young, unsigned and without a manager, but on the other, remarkably musically mature and resolute. They’ve assimilated blues and hard rock influences into their own identity, creating a distinctive sound somewhere between vintage and modern. The enigmatic front man, Kevin Johnson, surprises listeners, as he swings from a tight but somewhat reserved intensity, to climactic grungy power screams. His unique phrasing style has been likened to Chris Robinson of ...
On the one hand, The In-Fluents are young, unsigned and without a manager, but on the other, remarkably musically mature and resolute. They’ve assimilated blues and hard rock influences into their own identity, creating a distinctive sound somewhere between vintage and modern. The enigmatic front man, Kevin Johnson, surprises listeners, as he swings from a tight but somewhat reserved intensity, to climactic grungy power screams. His unique phrasing style has been likened to Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. There are overarching influences on the band’s instrumentation; the Allman Brothers Band’s rich sound littered with guitar harmonies, Cream’s improvisational fire and Led Zeppelin’s riff based song structures all bleed into The In-Fluents’ music. With stage modesty akin to Derek Trucks, Anton Cenerini’s fundamental talent on lead guitar is at the heart of the band. Lee Galinaitis and Nelson Sprout, drummer and bassist, are the most animated and energetic of the foursome, steering the dynamic range from solid blues to fervent funk rock jams. In 2008, The Winnipeg Folk Festival accepted The In-Fluents into the highly competitive Young Performers Program with their first original, the up-beat, blues influenced, “Breakin’ at 12”. This program connected the band with Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene fame, who mentored them as they shaped their next original, the darker “Things Will Never Change”. The band is currently recording an album at Bedside Studio with Len Milne (three Western Canadian Music Awards and three Juno nominations for his studio work). In summer 2009, three songs emerged from these sessions, leading to the band’s first break – being picked as a top 4 out of 75 bands in Winnipeg’s Rocking the 204 competition, hosted by the city’s leading rock radio station, Power 97. This selection landed daily summer airplay of their next potential single, the hard rockin’ “Wet Whistle”. The contest also gave The In-Fluents their biggest gig to date, playing before thousands at the Canada Day Celebration at the Forks. That same summer, the emerging band won another competition, earning two playing spots at the legendary Minnedosa Rockin’ the Fields festival, where they played with the likes of Edgar Winter. Over the last two years, The In-Fluents played regularly, up to three times a week, in renowned pubs, blues bars, and parks, accumulating an amorous following. They are now focused on finishing their album by June 2010, in time for summer promotion.
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