Out singer Kenyth Mogan has debuted a new song and video aptly called “Unlock Your Heart.” I had a chance to learn more about Kenyth's work earlier this week.
Tell us about the road to this video. What is your background? And, where else can we see your talents?
The road that led to the making of Unlock Your Heart was a wonderful, but challenging one. We went trough several rewrites. Initially, I wanted the video to pay homage to the classic television series “Bewitched.” However, my manager didn't think that the song lent itself to that premise, and came back to me with the idea of “The Wizard of Oz.” As soon as he said it, I realized that it was perfect. As a kid growing up in rural Montana, “The Wizard of Oz” was one of my all-time favorite movies, and the books by L. Frank Baum inspired me throughout my childhood. To have the opportunity to play in that particular sandbox was really a dream come true.
It was a lot of hard work, for everyone involved, but it was also a lot of fun. “Unlock Your Heart” is actually the second single from my debut EP “Fall Apart,” which was released in October of 2013. I always felt like “Unlock Your Heart” was worthy of a video, but the finished product was better than I could have imagined — as is the flood of positive response we've received for the video.
The production quality is superb. Where did you film? Who was involved in the production to make it so professional?
Thank you! We actually filmed the video at my house in California. It was produced by the fantastic KATR Pictures in association with my production company Moonbrat Entertainment.
My manager Jeremy Sonney brought the team together and they did an amazing job. The incredibly talented Robb Padgett from KATR co-directed it with Jeremy, and he also did all of the fantastic post production editing and finish work that really polished the final product. Shane Dzicek, who was responsible for all of the camera work, also made arguably the biggest contribution to the look and feel of the video by designing and rendering the Tin Man costume. The quality of the costume alone raised the video to another level. The Andrew Christian company provided most of my clothing, and our make-up artist Jennifer McFetridge provided the finishing touches. I seriously could not have had a better team.
Are there any personal stories behind the love affair with the Tin Man aka hot stud? Who was he and how do we see more of him?
Who hasn't had a crush on the presumably “unattainable” person? This video allowed me to offer up the fantasy of how to cut through all the things standing in the way to get to that person — literally.
The Tin Man was played by the wonderful Ronnie Kroell (above with Kenyth) and as far as working with him was concerned, I have to quote 80s pop princess Debbie Gibson: it was “Only in My Dreams.” Ronnie is a model and actor most well know for Bravo's “Make Me A Supermodel,” and movies like “Kissing Darkness” and “Eating Out: Drama Camp.” I took a chance on reaching out to him about the video, and luckily he was available and interested in the project. He’s an amazingly sweet and supportive guy and really great to work with.
What's next for you? Will we see other fun videos and music in the future?
Yes! Unlock Your Heart is just the beginning! I have started working on the next EP, and I'm running just as fast as I can to make sure the new songs are absolutely perfect before I release them. That was my only issue with the Fall Apart EP. It was fun, and I love it, but I kind of rushed it. I want to take my time with the next project. The perfect songs — great video concepts — I want to make sure that everything I send out lives up to the expectations of the people who have made Unlock Your Heart so successful. I look forward to sharing new stuff very soon!
Kenyth, be sure to keep us posted here at DanNation.org and be sure to watch the video above!
Be sure to follow Kenyth on Facebook!
And, here are more behind-the-scenes extras…
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