Keys Keys

KEYS is a collaboration between keyboardist Mark Mangold (Touch, Drive She Said, Michael Bolton, Cher, Paul Rogers and others) and singer Jake E (Cyhra, Amarenthe, and others). Featuring live performances with three keyboardists and a huge battery of keyboards, this ambitious band brings keyboard and instrumental prowess to new heights while playing songs that run the gamut from scathing progressive melodic forays to catchy and melodic rock anthems featuring keyboards...and Jake's award winning voice (Burrn Vocalist of the year 2020).

Jake and Mark met when Jake's band Cyhra needed a place to stay and record in 2019, which turned out to be in Mark's studio in New York. They collaborated on a song for the Cyhra album and decided to record the KEYS album when Mark presented some songs to Jake. The band recorded the album, made up of songs penned by the duo, during the pandemic and finished it up during early 2021.

The KEYS album also features guest keyboard additions by Charlie Calv of Angel, and "moral" support by Don Airey of Deep Purple, Adam Wakeman and drummer Alex Landenburg (Kamelot and others).

Showing the versatility of keyboards in this day and age, these artfully crafted songs are ripe with scathing synth and organ pyrotechnics, dazzling time signatures and drumming, bombastic choruses and even guitar riffs, played on keyboards with the now available plug in's that perfectly emulate guitars.

As Mark and Jake are first and foremost award winning songwriters, they never lose sight of the composition and melodies, though couched in the very signature and distinct sound of the band and Jake's 4 octave vocal range. This will be the first of hopefully many KEYS albums.