Unknown Icons.

The spark of inspiration that drove the Unknown Icons to form as a band arose from the idea that each of the musicians were in some ways ‘unknown players’ who had all been as side men for national and internationally renowned artists. There was a shared understanding between them that their contributions to the National Capital Region music scene were significant.

As a result of being a part of so many Ottawa music projects each of the Unknown Icons has forged an amazing repertoire of songs, styles and genres that they can play. And this became the focus for the band – to be true to the material, with an exciting originality all their own.

The Unknown Icons’s are:

Anders Drerup (Vox & Guitar) – This native son of the Ottawa Valley has always been drawn to music. At the age of 15 he began teaching himself to play the guitar to accompany his voice. His natural talent and dedication soon began to catch the attention of musicians and audiences far beyond his tender years. During his early twenties, Anders played in rock and country bands where his skills grew and the opportunities for touring opened up. Fearlessly he dove into other genres and instruments, performing live and in studio on his secondary instruments of piano, pedal steel, drums and bass. This musical journey of blues, rock, Cuban and jazz took him on tours of Canada and the U.S. as well as Europe and Australia.

Mike Goyette (Vox & Guitar) – When you envision a rock guitar god it’s Mike Goyette you are imagining. After years as a studio musician for Interscope Records in L.A. and a permanent member of Leslie Howe’s pet project Artificial Joy Club, Mike has now grown into an in demand engineer, producer and song writing coach. Mike is truly versatile – fluent, in rock, blues, funk, jazz and modern alternative styles all while being the consummate showman.

Kelly Craig (Vox & Bass) – Kelly’s long and storied musical pedigree has made him the artist that he is today. Band leader, arranger, recording artist, sideman and soloist. Equally adept on bass or trumpet Kelly has had the good fortune to play almost every style of music there is and has taken him all over the world with such musical legends as Aretha Franklin, The Funk Brothers, Joan Osborne, Dan Akroyd, The Four Tops and Gino Vannelli just to name a few.

Matt Babineau (Drums) – Matt is a seasoned musician with over 24 years of professional experience. He prides himself on being a versatile, groove-oriented drummer with the ability to play several styles. He’s the drummer you call for when you need someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music and the skills to play it. Matt is totally obsessed with his gear and getting the most accurate sound possible.