Kevan Taplin’s musical career began in his early teens, playing regularly as a percussionist mainly on washboard. Performing on the London folk and Blues circuit working with and supporting such folk luminaries as John Renbourn, John Martin, Sandy Denny etc and Joanne Kelly, Ansley Dunbar, and the original Fleetwood Mac in the blues genre.

​

Kevan regarded this as a sublime and critical apprenticeship. He started to write lyrics after working with poets Roger McGough and Adrian Henri who convinced him that it was OK for a working class kid to write and also to base his writing on his own experience and background, thus he took up the guitar in order to deliver the material. He worked and travelled in the USA where he was influenced by the Laurel Canyon/Troubadour artists such as Crosby, Nash, Jackson Browne, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. He also cemented his love of rural blues by working in Louisiana and New Orleans.

​

Building on these foundations winning a Scholarship to work in Scotland with some songwriting heavyweights. He was Highly Commended in a national song writing competition and has had his works requested by National Archives at home and abroad as well as having songs taken to Nashville and being played on the radio at home and abroad. He continued to develop as a poet and lyricist, was shortlisted to play on the fourth plinth Trafalgar Square as well as an alternative busker at Banksey”s Dismalworld and was invited to perform for a Poet Laureate twice, whilst continuing to work on his vocal and guitar styles.

​

Now at an age when his self confessed recreational drug of choice is “a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit” he continues to deliver the material, the plus points of the journey being that he has seen and worked with most of his role models, heroes and musical greats. He says he will continue to do so as long as ‘words’ cross over and resonate to an audience, for as he puts it “therein lies the loci of the magic!”

​

Long may this continue. Ars Longa vita brevis ! Based on an article in the music press

​

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE VENUES PLAYED AT BOTTOM OF PAGE