"What kind of music do you play?"

It's a vexing query. Musicians fear being pigeonholed, and there's often no one good answer.  I still struggle with the question. Luckily, someone else answered it for me a while back:

"What does Kenley Young sound like?" asked the bass player for the headlining band that night. "Think back to the last time rock radio was enjoyable to listen to."

My name is Kenley Young, and I play that kind of music. My backing band is called The Open Fires, and we're based in Columbia, S.C. I'm originally from Georgetown, a quaint coastal town in the Palmetto State, smack-dab between Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

I enjoyed some success there in the famously hot Capital City over the past few years before moving to L.A. I've been fortunate enough to have shared the stage with a number of excellent artists over the years: from Mike Watt to Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion; from Nine Days ("Story of a Girl") and Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) to Nashville legend Phil Lee and members of Washed Out and the Polyphonic Spree.

My influences are varied, but some of my favorite artists include Radiohead, David Bowie, Sufjan Stevens, Elvis Costello, The Replacements, Damien Rice, The Hold Steady, My Morning Jacket, The National, The Pixies, Matthew Sweet, The Rolling Stones, Elliott Smith, The Lemonheads, The Pretenders, Idlewild and The Talking Heads.

When I'm not working on my original material, I also:

•  Play guitar in a Replacements tribute band (The Placemats)
•  Sing Rat Pack standards as part of a Crooners & Swooners showcase
•  Perform in my unmentionables as Dr. Frank 'N' Furter in a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" touring ensemble
•  Front a cover/wedding band called Kenley Young and The Restless (available for events)

I recently released my first full-length record, "Standard Candle," some of which you can hear by clicking on the "Sounds" button. You also can listen to other songs I've written and recorded. Some you can download for free, and others are available for purchase on this site.

I hope you like what you hear.