Did you know Kirby Hammel, Keyboardist for Hyryder, has toured and recorded with many names over the years. Maybe you heard him before his premiere with Hyryder…
Born and raised in Indiana, Kirby spent 12 years working in the Bay Area of California music industry. He toured the US, Europe, and Canada often during that time. He shared the stage with heroes and peers such as Leon Russell, Doobie Brothers, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon), Living Colour, Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billie), Asleep at the Wheel, Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio), Grahame Lesh, Jeremy Hoenig (JGB), Soul Asylum, the Tubes, and many others.
Kirby played on 50+ albums from many great Bay Area and LA studios, including Hyde St (Wally Heider SF) and Palomino Sound (LA). His original music is the intro/outro theme for all Jambase videos, podcasts, and features.
Kirby has been featured on NPR and in the SF Chronicle and has also appeared as a band member in music magazines such as No Depression, Uncut, & Relix. He has written songs for others and released his own solo records.
Throughout his musical life, a constant source of inspiration has been his love of the Grateful Dead and all the music and subcultures that have emanated from them. After moving back to Bloomington, Indiana, in 2019, fate and serendipity found him joining Hyryder just before the pandemic.
