I’m living the dream at last

Ken Sunter was a teen drummer in the 80s and is releasing his debut album at the age of 53

FOR nearly 40 years, Ken Sunter has dreamed of being a musician.

Now aged 53, the property developer has teamed up with John McLaughlin – the man behind hits for Westlife and Busted – to release his debut album.

How long has music been a passion?

I started out as a drummer when I was 14.

I joined my first band, Agents of Change, in the early 80s and we moved to London to give ourselves the best shot at being discovered.

Unfortunately, like many bands and artists, we didn’t get our big break and called it a day to get “real” jobs.

I also tried my luck with a couple of other bands but by the 90s I’d resigned myself to getting a proper day job.

Nearly 30 years on, I decided to record a few of my songs – as a reminder of my music.

John heard the demos and agreed to produce an album for me.

Was it hard when you decided music wasn’t working out for you?

Music was all I ever wanted to do and although I told everyone when I gave up that it didn’t matter, deep down it hurt to know your dream wasn’t going to play out.

What was it like when you decided to get a real job?

I took an all-or-nothing approach and stopped playing almost overnight, rather than working and carrying on with it in some form. I remember going to work and thinking, “If only things had worked out differently”.

But as each day passed, I resigned myself to the music part of my life being over.

What has meeting John meant to you?

He helped so much with the songs, breathing air into them and making them sound how I wanted them to in my head. He gave me confidence and encouragement to do what I love doing. He removed any nagging doubts about whether I should be doing this again.

Why the name Killing Kenny?

It’s a little bit South Park, a little Killing Eve. In my younger days I was always called Kenny but as I’ve grown older, I seem to be referred to by most people as Ken. Killing Kenny refers to a new era in my music life – killing off the old “Kenny” and embracing part two of my love of music.

How has it been going from a drummer to a frontman?

All drummers get frustrated being at the back but out of range from bottles launched on stage – so good and bad points. But I’d always sung backing vocals and took lead vocals on a few songs I wrote.

On your debut album, Exactly Different, the song We Stand Together is for people during Covid. Any reason?

It was written in the depths of the pandemic when my mum was in hospital battling this most horrible virus. I wanted an anthem-style song of hope and solidarity, and to reflect on all the good we have to be thankful for while marking the loss of so many loved ones.

John is a big pal of Rod Stewart. Are you hoping to team up with him?

If Rod offered to team up, I don’t think I’d take much time thinking it over. I’d need to bring my A game though as Rod has such a strong voice.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

I’ve started working on my second album, which John has agreed to produce. When gigs come back, I’ll have a fourhour live set – which would have given Ken Dodd a run for his money. ● Killing Kenny’s debut album, Exactly Different, is out on March 26.