Keith Hancock - Bass Guitar/Guitar received his first instrument (a bass) at age 8, for Christmas. He would often be found playing the simple groove of Alice Cooper's "Killer" over and over, everyday for hours at a time. He slowly drifted away into childhood normalacies until at age 11 he bought a beat up guitar from a Thrift Store. Learning much from his older brother he was soon hooked on music and by age 13 it consumed his life.
At age 17 he relocated to Tampa Bay, FL where a chance encounter at a Mall's Record Store, led to the lifelong friendship with Jay T. Bailey. They were soon writing songs and playing in a High School band by the name of Sweet Dare, with Bassist Dean Tsoupeis and Drummer Chuck Wood.
After the demise of SD, Keith was a part of several jam bands that lacked both seriousness and direction, but he continued writing music and lyrics, hoping one day to find a project that appealed to both his intellect and his love of guitar oriented music. That project revealed itself when Jay came to visit Keith in rural Alabama, where he was living in obscurity and isolation. A few demo songs were made with Keith on Bass, Jay on Guitar and Vocals, and a Boss Micro BR as a recording studio and drum machine. Although the production wasn't very polished, the magic was rekindled and the chemistry that they both shared returned with a vengeance. Songs like the Physics inspired "Flatland" and the instrumental groove "Sacrelicious" garnered some internet attention from the social networking sites, and the fan base began to grow.
Keith's influences are diverse and numerous. His love for eclectical bands (such as Led Zeppelin and Primus) led him to learn both the mandolin and the ukelele. Also with influences from instrumental guitarists (John 5, Danielle Gottardo, Buckethead, etc), he began learning Music Theory and devoting his spare time to honing his skills. He was also heavily influenced by Tampa Bay legends Savatage, Speed Metal artists such as Megadeth, Exodus and Anthrax, along with Classic Rock Icons such as David Bowie and John Lennon. Throw in some Big Band, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Classical and Symphonies and you end up with the musically well rounded entity fondly known by his friends as "Keipher".
