Born and raised in Northern California,
John's musical roots include classical training in piano and saxophone, informal
training in jam-based rock gleaned from years of following experimental psychedelic rock
acts such as the Grateful Dead, Phish, Zero and Jambay, and 15 years of
songwriting and solo performing in
the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego.
During a 7 year stint in San Diego, John co-founded the area's premier jam-rock
band Oversoul, playing an eclectic mix of psychedelic rock, country, folk,
and bluegrass. Over the years, John's arsenal of instrumental abilities has grown
to include lap steel guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, and even a touch of fiddle.
Through the years, John's diverse experience and abilities have led him to share
stages with acts like Lucinda Williams, Fishbone, Ben Harper, Merl Saunders, Zero, 311, the Greyboy
Allstars, and more. John brings his expertise on guitar and steel guitar as well as
a smooth high tenor and over a decade's worth of original material to King Harvest.
John is also the webmaster for this site, so feel free to keep your nasty comments
to yourselves and email all your praise and adoration to
John@JohnMcG.com. I promise fame. no fortune.
Guitarist/Songwriter Lee Simpson is originally a Northern Californian from
the Chico area but was raised down on the beaches of Southern California.
Years of touring and making records with his and Jason Fletcher's
original act Blue Dye Fire honed a life long love of the craft of
songwriting. After several recordings and a record single were produced
Thank You For Being Alive and Roadburger were made from 1993 to 1995.
These records led to heavy touring of the West Coast culminating in a San
Diego to Seattle circuit and several overseas tours of the European
continent. After much change Blue Dye Fire's songwriting members settled in
the San Francisco area and through several incarnations including local SF
favorite Mobius they became the act King Harvest that we know today. As a
player Lee is strongly rooted in the bluegrass style and tradition with
strong disciplines in jazz improvisation and the classical. This is fused
together in an original American Roots songwriting technique that offers a
tip of the hat to those who have come before as well as a uniquely
wooden sound all it's own.
John McCain is a self taught drummer raised in the belly of the southeast,
North Carolina. John's upbringing on blues and rock gave him the
appreciation of idolized drummers such as John Bonham, Stuart Copeland,
and Bill Bruford. As other peers hit the books, John experienced expansion
through jazz and progressive rock. Upon moving to California, John
found self realization in the warmness and feel of groove. John is on the
never ending search for the deeper pocket, the higher consciouness of the zen
of drumming.
Damon Lee has been bringing his rock
solid and inventive low end into the mix since the end of 2000. with extensive experience
in everything from Jazz to Metal to Country, Damon provides a diverse sound that gives
King Harvest's tunes new vigor and a nice tasty flavor.