Founding Member of MV’s Preeminent Band Kuinka to Play Solo Shows in Skagit and Surrounding Counties

While acclaimed Skagit County Indie Folk Rock band, “Kuinka,” has been writing material for an upcoming new album, founding member Zach Hamer has been busily composing songs for his upcoming solo album. His solo endeavors will be under the pseudonym Forest Stoke and the music style will gravitate towards the Country genre.

Although Forest has already written enough material to fill several albums, now comes the process of finding the right songs to put on the LP. Playing live solo shows in and around Skagit County is allowing him to reconnect with his musical roots and catch up with the hometown fans whilst previewing his new material. Upcoming shows are as follows, with more to come. Make sure to follow his IG page for videos and newly added shows https://www.instagram.com/forest_stoke?igsh=ZHVlNmZ2c29qeXpj

Skagit River Brewery
Tues 8/06/24
6:00pm-8:00pm

Mirkwood
Friday 8/09/24
Starts at 8:00pm

Big Lake Bar & Grill
Saturday 8/31/24
8:00pm-10:00pm

Spada Farmhouse Brewery
Thursday 9/26/24
6:30pm-8:30pm

If you are new to Skagit County local music, maybe you haven’t heard of “Kuinka.” Originally named “Br’er Rabbit” over a decade ago, “Kuinka” has garnered national prominence in Indie Folk Rock circles with a couple of cross-country tours playing scores of theatres and music festivals, culminating in an appearance on NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concerts https://www.npr.org/2018/03/09/591938690/kuinka-tiny-desk-concert.

The Pandemic threw a monkey wrench in what was to be Kuinka’s third tour in 2020. Taking a break from touring, as well as 2024 being the 10th anniversary of their debut album “The Wild North,” sparked a longing to veer away from Indie Rock and return to their Folk roots. Kuinka plans to be back in the studio this December to record a new album with a release date sometime in the first few months of 2025.

The pandemic was a busy time for Zach (aka Forest Stoke) personally. While writing material for an upcoming Country solo album, he also developed a comedic history podcast entitled “History’s A Joke.” Each episode explores a different historical topic and includes a comedian adding witty commentary in between the evolving story that Zach unfolds. “History’s A Joke” is available on all streaming platforms.

Another undertaking was writing and directing a feature film; “Dragons On The Hill” is a Monty Python’esque take on the Black Death in the late Middle Ages. The film stars Zach’s brother, Nathan Hamer, who is also a founding member of “Kuinka.” The movie can be streamed on the Roku Channel or Tubi.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the Hamer Brothers bore another collaboration during the recent epidemic years; a short film called “Margaret” that made it into numerous Independent Film Festivals. You can view the short film on YouTube https://youtu.be/mgRf47qP7ow?si=jGpBJ6ZOEXAEbupv

Being a fan of Kuinka’s blend of Indie Folk and theatrical musical stage performances, I wasn’t surprised by Zach’s artistic talent in other creative formats; more so just astounded by how far-reaching his creativity extends. Owning and operating his own production company, LavendarFinger Productions (https://lavenderfingerproductions.com/), located right here in Skagit County, allows for boundless opportunities to generate new projects spanning all areas of media expression. Between his band, solo music project, movies, short films, and podcasting, he finds time to work the family farm, “Lazy H Farm & Gardens” (https://www.lazyhfarmpnw.com/). If you’re interested, the farm can be rented out for events, parties, and even camping.

Please make sure to catch one or more of Forest Stoke’s solo musical appearances and celebrate one of the significant artistic legends from our extraordinary county.

Kuinka albums to check out on your favorite streaming platform:
The Wild North
The Heartland
Stay Up Late
Kuinka on Audiotree Live
Shiny Little Corners