From Metal Roots to AOR Heights: Devon Kerr on Lockhart’s Breakthrough

From Metal Roots to AOR Heights: Devon Kerr on Lockhart’s Breakthrough

Lockhart may be the newest name on the AOR horizon, but for vocalist, songwriter, and multi‑instrumentalist Devon Kerr, the story stretches back a decade — through metal clubs, long‑shelved demos, and the kind of friendships that quietly shape entire records. With the band’s debut City Pulse ready to land, Kerr steps forward with a sound built on melody, heart, and the unmistakable grit of musicians who cut their teeth in Canada’s heavy metal underground. In this conversation, Kerr opens up about the origins of City Pulse, the unexpected path to High Roller Records, the guest players who helped bring the album to life, and the renewed spark fueling both Lockhart and his long‑running band Axxion. It’s a look at an artist in full creative motion — and a band poised for a breakout moment.

Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in Lockhart.
I’m Devon Kerr. In Lockhart, I’m the primary songwriter. I handle vocals, and on the recordings I play synthesizer and guitar.

Where are you based, and what is your local music scene like?
We’re based out of Southern Ontario, Canada. Jay and I actually live a few hundred kilometers apart now, but we used to live together and spent years living close to each other in Toronto. So even though we’ve moved outside the city, I’d still say Lockhart is a Toronto‑based band — that’s where we grew up, and where we really established ourselves as musicians.

Are you on the west coast or east coast?
We’re kind of central. Toronto sits just east of Michigan, north of New York State — right in that zone.

How did you wind up on High Roller Records, a label not typically known for signing AOR or melodic rock?
Yeah, I know — I’m really glad they took a chance on us. One of their guys reached out about a distribution deal, not even knowing we were working on a full‑length record or that we were unsigned and looking for a label. I asked if they wanted to hear the album, and things moved from there.

Jason, our bass player and backing vocalist, had already been signed to High Roller with his other band, Cauldron, and my other band, Axxion, had also worked with High Roller. So there was already a connection. And honestly, even though Lockhart is AOR/melodic rock, we all play in heavy metal bands outside of this. It’s melodic rock made by metalheads — so it still makes sense for a metal‑leaning label and fanbase.

The new album is called City Pulse. Is there an overall story or concept behind the title?
Definitely. The title track, “City Pulse,” was inspired by a Canadian true‑crime story. At the same time, there used to be a Toronto news program called City Pulse that ran from around 1977 to 2004. It covered all kinds of local stories, and the name always stuck with me.

Because the song was based on a true‑crime event and the phrase City Pulse felt connected to that world, it just fit. For Canadian listeners — especially Toronto folks — I hope they recognize that the title is intentionally referencing that news program we all grew up with.

Let’s talk about a few songs on the record. I want to start with “The Dose That Made You Poison.” Tell me about that one.
When I first wrote it, I was trying to write a ballad — and then I got carried away. As I pushed the song forward, it picked up tempo and turned into this big, sing‑along chorus track.

Lyrically, the title comes from a phrase my fiancée used years ago: the dose that makes it poison. It stuck with me — the idea that too much of anything can be bad. I built the lyrics around that concept. In the end, it’s meant to be taken as a breakup song about an overbearing partner.

“Together as None” was one of the early singles. Tell me about that one.
The first single we released was actually “City Pulse.” “Together as None” was the second — although High Roller released it first. We put out “City Pulse” before High Roller even contacted us.

I can’t comment too much on the meaning behind “Together as None,” because Jay wrote it. His band Cauldron originally recorded it on their last album, New Gods. I was around when it was being written, and I always loved the song. When we started working on this AOR record, I reminded Jay that he’d originally envisioned it as an AOR‑style tune. So we re‑imagined it.

We layered keyboards, I completely reworked the vocal arrangements, we adjusted the structure, changed the guitar solo — and of course, I’m playing guitar on this version instead of Ian Chains from Cauldron. It took on a whole new energy.

Fun fact: Jay got the title from the Death song “Together as One.” It’s funny — a death metal band with a positive‑sounding title, and then we, a pretty upbeat melodic rock band, end up with the more negative twist: “Together as None.”

Speaking of positive titles, let’s go to the final song — “No Chance in Heaven.”
I actually wrote that one back in 2014 — a long time ago. I demoed it in a house I shared with Ian from Cauldron, and somewhere out there is an old demo with Jay singing on it. Originally, the song was called “No Chance in Hell,” before I really understood what Lockhart was going to become.

Ian encouraged me to change the title because “No Chance in Hell” was too predictable. He said, “Man, do No Chance in Heaven. No one’s ever done that.” And he was right — it worked. The song itself is a breakup tune, a sad one, and the title credit goes fully to Ian Kilpatrick of Cauldron.

Fabio plays on a crazy number of bands, from Bonfire to Annihilator. How did he become involved with Lockhart?
Fabio is friends with Jason and Ian from Cauldron. At one point, Cauldron was even considering him as a live drummer — there were talks, but it never came together. When Lockhart needed the right drummer, Jason suggested we call Fabio.

I’m glad we did. Like you said, he’s everywhere — a Jeff Porcaro or Cozy Powell type of guy. You flip over a record and there’s his name again. The best part is we let him do his thing. We brought him into the studio, had him play to our demo tracks, and didn’t change a thing. No revisions, no “play it this way.” Whatever he heard, whatever percussive feel he envisioned — that became the foundation of the record. Fabio really provided the meat and potatoes of these songs.

Nick from Municipal Waste is also on the record. How did he get involved?
We’ve been friends with Nick and Ryan from Municipal Waste for a long time, but I actually know them best through their traditional heavy metal band, Vulture. I’ve even got a Vulture LP sticker poster framed on my wall — they probably don’t know that.

Last time Municipal Waste was in town, I was hanging out with them on the bus and asked Nick if he’d play on the Lockhart album. They’ve known for years that I’ve been writing these songs — some go back to 2014–2015 — so once we started recording for real, it felt like the right time.

I’ve always been open about not needing to take the driver’s seat all the time. Fabio had full freedom. I don’t control Jay’s bass parts. I want multiple guitar players on the record. I want guest musicians. It’s important to bring in as much quality as possible, not just dominate every instrument myself. Nick adds diversity, and moving forward, we’ll have more guest musicians on future tracks.

Has Lockhart had a chance to play live yet?
Not yet. The entire band has tons of live experience in our other projects, but Lockhart hasn’t hit the stage. It’s definitely part of the plan.

We already have verbal offers from Jonny Nesta — best known for Skull Fist — who’s playing bass with me in Axxion right now. He’s featured in our last music video and has agreed to take a live guitar role. He’s also welcome to appear as a guest musician moving forward, just like Nick or Ian Chains.

We have one or two keyboardists lined up as well. Once the record is out, we’ll see what opportunities are available for live shows.

Your other band, Axxion, recently hit the ten‑year anniversary of Back in Time. When you look back on that album now, what comes to mind?
Anyone who listens to Axxion and then listens to Lockhart is probably thinking, “Is that even the same guy?” It’s wild. I founded Axxion as a guitar player and ended up singing without knowing what I was doing. I was just a kid yelling into a microphone — not tone‑deaf, but with zero technique.

Looking back ten years later, I’m eager to move forward with what I know now as a vocalist. I want to help elevate Axxion to where we could’ve been if I’d actually been a singer by nature back then.

Axxion recently released a new single, “Moonlight,” on May 1st. Tell me about that song.
“Moonlight” was written by Ken, our guitar player. I don’t know how long he had it — maybe ten years. We started rehearsing again after a decade of hanging out without ever picking up our instruments. Something sparked in him. He remembered what he was born to do, and the song came to life.

I sang on the single and tried to make it something Axxion fans would recognize from our earlier days, while also bridging the gap toward where I want to take the band vocally — more control, more orthodox technique. As for what the song is about, I honestly don’t know. It’s all Ken, and good for him. I’m just happy he’s writing again.

You have some live shows coming up — Muskelrock, I believe? Or did that already happen?
Muskelrock is next week. On May 28th, we’re performing after Tank and before Bullet — a pretty incredible slot. Ten p.m. in Sweden. It’s our first international gig, and honestly, I can’t even believe it sometimes. We’re extremely excited to get back on the road, meet people, and I’ll have some Lockhart merch with me that I think fans will be eager to grab.

Axxion played live for the first time in a long time last year. What was it like stepping back onstage after such a hiatus?
It was amazing. We didn’t know what to expect. We threw the show ourselves — no promoter — and invited the American band Wanted to come experience what’s left of the Toronto heavy metal scene.

We booked a small venue because we had no idea if anyone would show up. And it filled to the brim. Packed. It was eye‑opening. We realized we have to keep going. Some bands struggle so hard to fill a room, and all we had to do was show up. It would be a waste not to use that energy and make something new.

Is there any new Axxion music on the horizon?
Yes. We’re working on new songs every week. A new album is in progress — we’re in the writing and demoing phase right now.

Lockhart has a new album about to come out. What’s next for the rest of the year?
Honestly, I haven’t thought much past the release. This record is the big reveal. Once it’s out, I’m hoping festival opportunities present themselves for 2027 so we can assemble a full live band and hit a big stage somewhere appropriate for this kind of music. Lockhart isn’t meant for a tiny club on a Tuesday night.

With Jason, myself, Fabio, and Jonny from Skull Fist all involved, I don’t think we’ll have trouble landing a festival gig right out of the gate.

Have you ever played in the Los Angeles area with Axxion?
I have. We played Ventura, California — Frost and Fire Festival — with Night Demon and others. I can’t even remember all the bands because it was such a great party. That’s the only time I’ve been to Southern California, and I’d love to come back. I don’t think that festival exists anymore, but it was amazing.

I can imagine seeing either of your bands at a place like the Whisky here on the Sunset Strip — especially Lockhart.
Absolutely. That would be amazing. That’s exactly the type of gig that makes sense — such an iconic venue. We’re totally open to it.

The challenge with the U.S. is visas. For Canadian bands, it’s thousands of dollars just to come down. Meanwhile, American bands like Wanted can hop the border, play a show, sell merch, get paid, and head home with no issues. For us, promoters have to justify that extra three‑to‑five‑thousand‑dollar overhead when there are a million U.S. bands without that cost.

Well, I’m crossing my fingers that it happens someday — with one or both of your bands.
I’d love that. We’re fully ready, willing, and able. It’s just the cost — that’s all.

In Conclusion

As City Pulse prepares to make its impact, Devon Kerr stands at a rare crossroads — one where past experience, present momentum, and future ambition all collide. Lockhart’s debut is more than a stylistic shift; it’s a declaration of intent from musicians who refuse to be boxed in by genre or geography. Whether it’s the promise of festival stages, the return of Axxion, or the growing chorus of fans discovering Lockhart’s melodic firepower, Kerr’s vision feels wide open and ready for the next chapter. If City Pulse is the spark, the rest of the year may well be the ignition. And for listeners on both sides of the border, this is a band worth keeping an eye on.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Lockhart on Instagram
Axxion on Instagram