Brendan Grey

Musician

Brendan Grey Bio:
Brendan Kinley is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, and performer currently based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  As an MC, drummer and band leader, he has performed across Canada, Europe and Central America. Brendan’s current projects include leading the live hip hop band Super Duty Tough Work (whose debut album was long listed for the 2020 Polaris Prize), acting as lead vocalist in electro-rap performance art group Facecrime, as well as holding down the drumming duties for beat music/jungle duo Ali Atwell. Over the last 10+ years Brendan has worked as a sideman in the Winnipeg music scene, rising to be a first-call performance, session and touring drummer for most groove based acts, including Ojibway trumpeter Chuck Copenace and contemporary RnB/pop singer-songwriter Sebastian Gaskin.  In addition to playing, Brendan has acted as a consultant and studio musician for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, taught extensively in the non-profit sector, running music programs for youth in community centres and schools since 2006, and acted as a mentor/facilitator in a number of industry association run workshops and mentorship programs.

Most recently, Brendan was the featured guest curator for Cluster Festival (June 2022), Artistic Director for Gerryfest (2021) and cast in the CBC/BET television series The Porter, which premiered to rave reviews in February 2022.

Super Duty Tough Work Bio:

Inspired by the dirty jazz loop sound of 90s east coast hip hop, Super Duty Tough Work are the live incarnation of hip hop culture's quintessential era, appearing as a band (we know, stay with us) but manifesting a sound that’s more akin to something straight out of an MPC or SP-404 sampler. Revered for their methodically curated sets, SDTW mixes laidback rap action and razor-sharp delivery with effortless loops sewn together with surprising transitions, keeping audiences on their feet and salivating in anticipation as to what’s coming next. Simply put: internationalism is the theme, liberation through hedonism is the dream, and satisfaction is guaranteed from the team whose specialty is taking audiences on a journey through a culture where loops are slayed and jewels are the tools of the trade.

After being a live show only act for years, the group released their debut EP Studies in Grey, in September 2019, followed by a cross country tour. Eight months later Studies in Grey received a Polaris Prize nod in the form of a Long List nomination, followed shortly thereafter with a nomination for a Western Canadian Music Award in the category of Best Rap & Hip Hop Artist. The Polaris nod makes SDTW the first Manitoba based hip hop act to be nominated for the prize.

Their new album 'Paradigm Shift' is out now on Next Door Records.