Guy Smiley

Formed in 1992 in Winnipeg, Canada, Guy Smiley have been entertaining audiences around the globe with their energetic and fast paced live performances making a name for Canadian Hardcore and solidifying a spot in the history and evolution of this style of music in Canada. The band has managed to capture an intense style of music, while still remaining melodic. Band members include Derek Kun on vocals, Ryan Francis on drums, Paul Stewart on Guitar and Jamie Fyles on Bass guitar. Derek Kun, an addition to the band in 1993, was recruited and pulled away from his studies of Fine Arts at the university level to tour on a full time basis with the band. Kun?s musical projects to this point had remained local, although his musical influences (Descendants, Bad Brains, Dag Nasty) greatly altered the overall sound the band was producing. Ryan Francis, an accomplished Secondary English and History teacher, had played in many bands prior to GUY SMILEY?s formation with bass player Jamie Fyles.. In addition to having early punk influences, Francis openly admits being greatly influenced by the Heavy Metal surge of the 1980?s. In fact he still enjoys a good metal album more than the average person. The rhythm section of this band boasts having played together since the age of 16. Jamie Fyles fancies himself to be quite the car salesman, when not ripping up the bottom end for GUY SMILEY. Fyles credits his unique bass playing style to such influences as Operation Ivy and Bad Brains. Paul Stewart, the most recent addition to the band in 1995, has played with many notable Canadian Hardcore bands over the years. The most notable being "Crown of Thorns" a Winnipeg original act that gained national attention. GUY SMILEY boasts touring Canada coast to coast an incredible 30 times as well as numerous tours of the United States. 1998 saw the band?s first excursion overseas as the support act for Epitaph recording artists H2O. This tour was the catalyst in Epitaph?s signing of the band for their most recent release "Alkaline" in the label?s European territory. "Alkaline" is the band?s third release. The first "Auger" is stricltly a Canadian release on the Canadian record label Smallman Records. The band?s second release entitled, "Can?t Turn Back" was the first worldwide release for the band (Smallman Records in Canada and Devil Doll Records in all other territories). "Can?t Turn Back" was in many ways a breakthrough album for the band. Recorded in New Jersey with Grammy Award winning producer John Rollo, "Can?t Turn Back" boasted great sales in all territories. "Alkaline" proves to be the most exciting of all recording projects for the band to date. Recorded by Dylan McLaren (the Misfits), "Alkaline" is a high energy album that captures the energy and impact of Hardcore music and most importantly manages to capture some of the energy the band exerts while performing live. Guy Smiley have shared the stage with such notable acts as Pennywise, the Misfits, H2O, NOFX, Face to Face, Agnostic Front, Good Riddance, Ten Foot Pole, Sick of it All, and Ignite, to mention only a few. The band very much looks forward to hitting the road in support of "Alkaline" in 1999 and the year 2000, spending a great deal of time in all territories already toured, but breaking new ground as well.