Hector Jenkins: A Music Artist You DON'T Want to MISS

By Ella Coulter | April 26 2021 |

Calling all music lovers: have you heard of Kingston’s very own music artist, Hector Jenkins? Inspired by Wilco, Phoebe Bridgers, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and more, this new artist is quickly making a name for himself in the music world. Hector’s music involvement began at a young age, playing music “in a local choir and around my family and friends.” He says that he discovered his love of performing live and recording thanks to his friend and fellow music artist, Claya Way Brackenbury, who asked him “to sing backups in her band, Piner.”

When asked how he writes his music, Hector mentions a few different methods. “Sometimes I’ll have a tune in my head and the lyrics will just sort of come along as the tune develops,” he says. “Sometimes I'll hear a line in a movie or in something someone has said to me and write it down for later.” He emphasizes the importance of writing while inspired, because “otherwise the song just doesn’t end up being any good.” Hector says that his album, Don’t Let Me Grow Up, is a representation of the past two years of his life, and focuses on his transition from high school to post-secondary education during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We missed our grads, our final goodbyes and we ended up taking post-secondary courses on Zoom,” says Hector. “For students younger than me the loss has been equally as difficult and navigating the new normal can feel really overwhelming.” The album’s theme of solidarity is therefore immensely comforting. Hector acknowledges that making music will always be a huge challenge, particularly when songs have an important personal meaning. “It can be really scary sharing that with people,” admits Hector. He states that the hard part, acknowledging and accepting vulnerability, ultimately “makes the process of releasing songs about love and loss and pain easier.”

While he may no longer attend high school, Hector is happy to give KSS aspiring artists a leg up by sharing his experiences as a musician in high school. For Hector, success can be attributed to his dedication and determination to seize all opportunities that come his way, which include maintaining a balance between school and music. “I remember there was one week where we had a gig playing a benefit on a Thursday night that ended up going till after midnight,” recalls Hector. Unfortunately, while the experience was undoubtedly valuable, “waking up the next morning at 6 am to catch the school bus was not my favourite.” Thankfully, these gigs allowed him to grow as a live musician “in professional settings around town on a weekly basis.” When asked about what led him to record, Hector says that he took advantage of the pandemic to do a lot of songwriting. “I had always wanted to create an album,” he says, and the pandemic provided both the time and the material to do it.

While the pandemic was a big factor in the release of his album, Hector is aware that the health restrictions in place make it challenging to share music. Writing new material keeps him busy and helps him to stay positive. He urges the KSS and Kingston community to stay hopeful, especially now that venues are actively planning their reopenings. “[I am] doing my very best to remember how amazing the music scene in Kingston is and will be again,” he says. Until we are able to see him in person again, Hector encourages all aspiring musicians at KSS not to be afraid, and to take advantage of every possible opportunity to share their music. “I spent years writing and playing without ever putting anything into the world because I wasn't sure of myself,” says Hector. “If I had just gone for it I would have gotten so many more years of amazing experiences with my friends.” Hector has found that the public has been very receptive to his music, because “most people are just excited that youth are making a space for themselves in the music scene.” Having played at both wildly popular and underwhelming concerts, Hector can confirm that any and all experiences with music WILL be beneficial in the long run. “Just go for it with everything you have,” he says.

So what can fans expect from Hector in the future? Making the best of the current pandemic, Hector has booked a gig on June 5th at the Musiikki Café downtown, and has plans to start his second album in the near future. As always, Hector is constantly on the lookout for new opportunities, and is “just looking forward to being able to continue learning from artists around [him].”

So do yourself a favour, Bears, and go check out Hector’s music! Happy listening!

Facebook: @hectorjenkinsmusic

Instagram: @hectormjenkins

Twitter: @KaraokeStupe

Spotify: Hector Jenkins

By Ella Coulter