- Story by David Wylie Photography by Darren Hull

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Search the web for Calvin Lechner and you害羞草研究所檒l find two distinct results: one is playing the drums on stage with jet-black shaggy hair, sunglasses and a leather jacket; the other smiles professionally at the camera, clean cut and looking spiffy in a suit and tie. You could be forgiven for thinking they are two different people.

害羞草研究所淲hen I was applying for jobs, the question always came up in interviews 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所榃as this you?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 says Calvin in his Kelowna home studio. 害羞草研究所淲ell, it was at one point.害羞草研究所�

Calvin is currently the sales and marketing director for Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 . But before that, he was the drummer for Juno-nominated band .

害羞草研究所淲hen I look back on it, it was a very strange time in my life,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not that I would ever want to get rid of that side of my life. It害羞草研究所檚 just funny when they run into each other.害羞草研究所�

Calvin, who grew up in Kitimat, started playing music when he was five years old. He took guitar lessons until he was 12 害羞草研究所� that was the year his older brother got a drum kit for Christmas.

害羞草研究所淚 was obsessed with drums,害羞草研究所� he says.

Calvin played in his first band, Anything August, while at Mount Elizabeth secondary school in Kitimat, and the group soon met music video producer Stephano Barberis, who has received at least 35 Director of the Year awards over his career so far. Though they met in Kelowna, they were excited about their 害羞草研究所淜itimat connection,害羞草研究所� and Barberis landed a $25,000 grant in 2005 to produce a video for Anything August that received airtime on MuchMusic.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what gave us our first push as kids,害羞草研究所� says Calvin. 害羞草研究所淲e were only about 16 or 17 when we started touring and didn害羞草研究所檛 focus on much else for the next six or seven years. We just really focussed on making a go of it. It was a crazy experience. We had no idea what we were doing. We were just rolling with the punches.害羞草研究所�

The band moved to Kelowna where the music scene was blowing up, and a few of the bigger bands at the time had come from the Okanagan.

Calvin was drawn to the marketing aspects of growing a band, and Anything August soon became 害羞草研究所淜ings of MySpace害羞草研究所� and networked with everyone they could.

害羞草研究所淲e were trying to get clever with how to get bigger shows, how to get on bigger bills,害羞草研究所� he says.

Calvin started to promote concerts and paid bands to come to town so that Anything August could open for them.

When he met Dave Faber, the lead singer of Faber Drive, everything changed. Faber eventually called him, needing a new drummer.

害羞草研究所淭hat call imploded our band Anything August. It was an opportunity for me to go exactly where I saw my own career going. As much as I loved the guys I was playing with, it was something that I felt I had to do.害羞草研究所�

The move changed Calvin害羞草研究所檚 life. He toured with Faber Drive, playing songs from the debut album, Seven Second Surgery, in front of big crowds. He also helped write Faber害羞草研究所檚 second album, Can害羞草研究所檛 Keep A Secret, which was nominated as Pop Album of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards.

害羞草研究所淚t was a totally different game. We had management, we had booking agents, we had tour managers and stage managers. I wasn害羞草研究所檛 setting up my own drums anymore. We were signing autographs,害羞草研究所� he says.

Despite the taste of music fame, being a part of Faber Drive wasn害羞草研究所檛 bringing Calvin joy in his life. He missed the business side of music. And looking back, he says, the band became too calculated, too formulaic.

害羞草研究所淚t took the magic out of it,害羞草研究所� he says.

He left Faber Drive and moved back to Kitimat with his parents to recalibrate, deciding to pursue a future in marketing. Calvin says he made music to create a connection with others, and saw similarities between the two careers.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what I do today through marketing. Although it害羞草研究所檚 a completely different job, my approach is the same. There are a lot of parallels,害羞草研究所� he says.

After leaving Faber Drive, he stopped playing music, and his drums gathered dust in a closet. Calvin was asked to join other bands, including well-known Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepson, but he told them he just couldn害羞草研究所檛 do it.

After a break, he started to dabble again, working alongside local Kelowna artists including award-winning winemaker Jason Parkes in the band Proper Man.

害羞草研究所淢y favourite thing to do as a musician is the session work.

I don害羞草研究所檛 like to be the centre of attention, so I really like being able to add that little something that can really help elevate an already-great artist,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭he goal is to make your music and have as many people hear it as possible. If you can accomplish that, I think that害羞草研究所檚 the dream 害羞草研究所� doing what you love to do and finding a way to be able to make that a bigger part of your life.害羞草研究所�

Calvin is currently in a cover band called The Feels, playing an atypical selection, including songs by the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Beatles and Hall & Oates.

Their website is

To see more of Darren Hull害羞草研究所檚 photography check out his .