Kyle Campbell

Twenty years can sound like a very long time, but for Fake Chapter recording artist Kyle Campbell, it’s all happening at exactly the right time. With the upcoming release of his second solo EP, Sunday’s Best, and supporting tour, all the pieces are finally falling into place for this life-long troubadour.

Growing up in the rust-belt town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Campbell began playing guitar and writing songs at 11 years old. “For me, it was never about mastering the guitar, it was about creating music of my own,” says Campbell. Writing songs helped Campbell navigate the difficult teen years, and when he started a band with his high school friends, things started to click.
 “We had this little scene. It was like ’93, and grunge and punk ruled. It was crazy. These 17-year old kids would rent out these fire halls and have a bunch of local bands play and hundreds of people would show up,” says Campbell.
 The band eventually caught the attention of not only the local press, but of a local Grammy award-winning producer. “I remember, we had a meeting with the band, and all of our parents because we were all teenagers at the time, and this producer. We all thought that this was it, we were on our way,” says Campbell, “But we were way too young for that,” and the band eventually disbanded.
 Campbell came close to hitting it big again in the 00’s, releasing albums, touring up and down the east coast opening up for other well-known bands, and even pulling off a tour of Japan, only to see it fall apart for a variety of reasons. “The music business can be a very cruel place,” says Campbell. After another close call with a national touring country artist, Kyle decided it was time to strike out on his own. For two years he performed as an acoustic solo artist in and around Philadelphia, while laboring at night to build a recording studio in his home. Writing every song, and playing every instrument, he slowly pieced together the six songs that would become his debut solo EP, 'you me and the vast sea.’
 Campbell admits the his first EP was a learning process. “There are some really great songs on that record, but I think it was more about me trying to figure out how to be a singer, since I had almost always been a guitar player first, and then how to work all of this equipment [laughs]”
 For his upcoming EP, Sunday’s Best, Campbell returned to where is all began, Nazareth, Pa, and the members of his first band. “I knew I wanted to have a real band, and since we had all kept in touch, I thought who better to do this then the guys I’ve known since high school. Luckily, they all said yes.”
 For the next year and a half, Campbell would make the two hour drive from his home in Philadelphia to write and record the EP. “My Mom was happy. She saw me a lot more.” It was on those long drives, passing the signposts of his youth, that Campbell began to write the lyrics for the songs. “Everything on this EP is a memory from my life. It doesn't matter how long ago it happened, if it left a scar, it stays on your heart,” says Campbell.
 Packed with memorable melodies, meaningful messages and heartfelt performances, Sunday’s Best will be released January 13th, on Fake Chapter Records.