Corwin Zekley

“Corwin Zekley is an exceptional musician both in the studio and when playing live. I hired him as support for a major musical showcase event in Leeds and not only did he excel as a support act, but he also effortlessly sat in with my band “The Heartache” in a sold out show headlined by international artist Jon Gomm, after one simple rehearsal. Those watching would have thought he’d been in the band for years! The audience loved his playing and he wonderfully engaged the room. In the studio he’s has both the technical skills but also the listening ear to always deliver a exactly what is needed to enhance any track, from a lifelong dedication to music.” Nick Cody Head of Green Eyed Records and promoter for Music for the Head & Heart music showcases

Corwin Zekley is one of the greatest musicians I have ever had the honor of working with. They transcend violin virtuosity because they are more than a virtuoso—theyʼre an incredible songwriter, lyricist, arranger, and over all empathetic person. Because they have such a vast array of skills, theyʼre able to pull from a range of influences to deliver exactly what's needed to a song. It isnʼt just “fiddle music” or “classical music” to them—music is music. For example, with my song “If There Ainʼt A Heaven,” I wanted a sweeping orchestral feel— something “old Hollywood.” Something that sounded grandiose and timeless. Corwinʼs answer to that was to pull out all the stops and layer violin over violin until they had effectively arranged a twelve-piece string section to go underneath everything. It created an enormous bed on which the rest of the overdubs could sit, all with one violin. I've worked with Corwin for a long time now, since we were both at music school, and I think the thing that separates them from your average violinist is not only what to play, but what not to play. I know that's somewhat of a cliche when giving a musician praise these days, but itʼs 100% true when talking about Corwin. They have a background in songwriting and genuine appreciation for all elements of music, and that informs their decisions while playing. On another song of mine, “Most Of The Time,” I wrote it with the understanding that at the end, there would be a violin solo. I had the guitars tracked, background vocals tracked, a few overdubs, but overall, I tried to leave as much space as possible before Corwin tracked their parts, because I didnʼt know the direction weʼd go with it. What ended up happening is something I truly cannot believe is on my record. Not only is it one of the best violin solos Iʼve ever heard, itʼs one of the greatest solos of all time. They turned this two-dimensional road I had laid out into a three-dimensional stained glass bridge that arced with the gracefulness of royalty. Wow. Words canʼt do it justice. So finally, that begs the question: where do good ideas come from? I canʼt answer that, but I can say that weʼre all a mosaic of our influences. The more diverse your influences are, the more creative ideas youʼll have. I think the thing that makes Corwin the most unique, the most ingenious, is their compilation of inspirations and their intuitive way of blending it all together. - Luke Frees