Since the start of his music career, Robert Harris has been “that guy in a band.”
Now, the local musician is looking to branch out on his own, moving from the shadows of his drum kit to the forefront of his sound. Not only does Harris play every instrument on “The Explanation,” he also recorded and mixed it himself.

“I had my vision for it,” he said.

Having graduated from Toronto’s Metalworks Institute, Harris developed a solid set of skills to record himself, which he accomplished in his home studio. He also had Juno-winning record producer and engineer Dan Weston “put an extra ear into it,” mastering the final product.

Harris said he particularly likes the “live” feel on the album.

“It’s the way I played it,” he said “It’s the way I sound.”

The 10-track album crosses the spectrum from dubstep to metal-inspired to ambient melodic tunes.

“It’s almost like a compilation album, from the same artist,” he said with a laugh.

Harris does take advantage of some of his connections, including vocals from Kristen Brutto of My Cousin Karma and accompaniment from Hyatt, Josh Wright, Josh Slack and others.

A family and a career outside music make it challenging for him, but writing songs isn’t something he’s about to give up.

“I’ll keep making music,” he said.

Hardcopies of the album are available at Records on Wheels, Cosmic Dave’s Vinyl Emporium and The Lighthouse Bookstore. It is also available on iTunes. To learn more, visit reverbnation.com/theexplanation.