The Story of Kris
Growing up in Westville, a coal town on the northern shore of Nova Scotia’s mainland, Kris MacFarlane knew from an early age that music would either drag him kicking and screaming to glory or leave him in ruins.
In addition to his love of pop and rock music and the influence of his musical home (his father and two brothers are musicians while his sister is a dance teacher and his mother is very patient), Kris spent his boyhood summers dragging around a 40 pound snare drum for some of the many Scottish pipe bands that litter his part of the world and the rest of the year studying jazz, big-band and classical music, although that inconveniently required him to attend classes at three separate high schools, all at the same time. He has since built a reputation as a sought after freelance drummer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer.
Besides his work with Great Big Sea, Kris has had the opportunity to record and perform live with many other artists including Denny Doherty of The Mamas and the Papas, Dave Gunning, The Paperboys, Nathan Wiley, Lennie Gallant, Kilt, Barry Canning, George Canyon, Patricia Conroy, Crush, Janelle Dupuis, Slainte Mhath and Sons of Maxwell.
He has most recently appeared on Dave Gunning’s “House For Sale”, played drums and accordion on Dave Carroll’s “Perfect Blue” and produced the self-titled third album from Nova Scotia hard rock band Beyond Ash.
Kris is a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan, a goalkeeper for the PC United Dock Rovers Soccer Club and he has a crippling addiction to sugar.
Kris endorses Sabian Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, Garrison Guitars, Roland Electronics, and M-Audio technologies.