Jiks bio and story behind "Brand new eyes" Jiks free download for Hevyds Kettle Korn...

Having school friends who played various instruments, and never being short of  players, or a reason to play on weekends, Jik spent his youth playing guitar, playing sports and drawing. And the benefits of having a world class guitarist as a best friend living nearby (Mark Severn) who took the time to teach Jik guitar set the future path in music for him.
Always playing with different bands and  player types helped him excel rapidly on his chosen instrument, and helped him to express his own unique guitar playing style. While perfecting his drawing talents along with his music talents, Jik continued playing in more than several bands and continued writing songs until his decision to get serious with his art and enroll into art college. Still playing music and at times switching to bass when no bass player could be found, Jik continued learning and playing with his childhood friend, Mark.

Soon he was working in his chosen art field as a commercial artist. Living in Toronto and further exposing himself to big city lifestyle and music, he continued playing and eventually seized an opportunity he could realistically fulfill - his dream of living and working in europe as a designer. He continued working in the advertising business from Switzerland to Austria, learning a new language and meeting and playing with new and exciting musicians. Soon Jik was playing in both a Beatles and blues rock cover band. This was when he wrote  "Brand new eyes" after watching countless railcars carrying tanks go by one day, destined for the conflict in the middle east. This song sadly was'nt fit for either bands style and remained on the shelf for a few years. Fast forward, Kelowna 2007, Barry Steyck contacts www.thewhitemouse.com, the advertising agency Jik has established locally and starts a client relationship with the Hevyd Kettle Korn owner. This relationship fused a friendship that grew rapidly between Barry and Jik. The branding of Barrys kettle korn company came first yet countless hours spent talking about everything in business and otherwise included a common passion between the two - music. When Barrys  idea of  We Salute Our Heroes was presented to Jik, he was already a recording musician and had several CDs, internationally and in Canada to his credit along with another Jik penned song getting local radio airplay. It was uncanny that the idea Barry had of writing several songs for the  fundraising cause would bring Jiks song out from the dusty shelves of his european music days. Jik contacted Steven Skeen, a local singer/songwriter he was on occasion playing with and after song and writing tweeks with Steven,  it was into the studio to record, Brand new eyes and two other songs Steven had quickly penned, Return to Me and Always Remember.
Steven suggested several amazing local talents to record with, Scott Mathias (drums), Chris Vickery (bass) and Michaela (backing vox, keyboards) who all met in the studio for the first time and recorded the three songs Jik and Steven had prepared for the We Salute Our Heroes project.
To hear more music and songs Jik has written, co/written, please visit: www.hevydmusic.com, www.cdbaby.com and his own website, www.jikmusic.com.

...ENJOY!