Back Pocket Records

Ken Stephenson

with Ross Ryan
Boyup Brook WA 2009

Ken Stephenson is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, recording engineer and software developer from Melbourne, Australia.

He started out playing guitar, keyboards and writing in bands such as 'Marrakesh' on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the 1970s. After periods in Queensland with 'Kuta' and 'Banshee', and another Sydney stint with 'Winter' (now 'active' as Men With Day Jobs), he arrived in Melbourne in 1979, working for a couple of years as a recording engineer at 'Crystal Clear Studio', and playing in bands such as 'The Name', 'Exploding Cats' and 'Moose Malone'.

The mid 80s saw a change of direction with the decision to stop playing live gigs and concentrate on writing and setting up a project recording studio. With a growing interest in electronics and the purchase of a Commodore 64 computer in 1984, Ken found that a career as a software developer beckoned.

Along with this, over the following 20 years, he recorded a number of solo albums, along with 9 albums with songwriter Alf Davies and guitarist John Dean as 'The Kellaways' and later, 3 albums with Christopher Morgan as 'Flat Planet'

He co-produced an award winning album with his daughter Jo Kelly Stephenson. 'I See Flowers, You See Cars' won Alt-Country - Album of the Year in the USA for the popular vote and Album Finalist - Judges Vote in the 7th Independent Music Awards (IMA).

Ken and Jo Kelly have continued to work together producing award winning songs both nationally and internationally, including a 2009 second place in the 16th Annual Billboard Song Contest for an R&B Blues track. They worked together in 2019-2020 on Jo's latest project in Nashville, USA including sessions at Columbia Studio A.

Many years were spent performing and recording with Ross Ryan, along with brief stints with Vic Simms and Grant Hansen. In more recent years he has collaborated with lyricist and former ABC journalist Mark Bannerman on two albums under the band name Bent Penny’s, and with long-time friend Aria Stone.

Of late, he spends a lot of time with a C++ compiler writing audio applications for recording, mastering and new hands-on controllers for old synths that have too many broken buttons to have hands on then.

Selective discography - listen on BANDCAMP