‘I live my life doing exactly what I love’ says eclectic Toronto musician and artist Harkness

“I live my life doing exactly what I love.”
These words encapsulate the essence of Harkness, a Toronto-based musician and artist whose life and creative journey are featured in the new CBC Gem documentary, Harkness.

Raised in a profoundly musical household, Harkness was surrounded by instruments and inspiration from the very beginning. His mother was a gifted pianist and French horn player, while his father—a multi-instrumentalist who led his own band, the Al Harkness Orchestra—played piano, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and trombone.

“My siblings and I would sit at my father’s feet as he played, soaking up the magic,” Harkness recalls. “He would be shirtless with a fan blowing on him, scribbling arrangements by hand at the piano.” This early exposure was formative, and concert outings with his father—ranging from Miles Davis to Beethoven to Electric Light Orchestra—were among the greatest gifts he ever received.

Harkness began playing piano at the age of four, but it was at twelve, when a friend showed him his first guitar chords, that his true passion ignited. From there, he taught himself to play bass and drums, and began composing original songs. Now, he writes with an urgency and fluency that feels almost otherworldly.

“When I write, the music comes fast and furious,” he says. “I don’t think about genres or eras. I don’t use samples or machines. I hear sounds—bassoons, tubas, marimbas, flutes—and score them as they come.”

Refusing to be boxed into any musical framework, Harkness creates music that is unfiltered, honest, and rooted in collaboration with real musicians. His studio is located in his parents’ basement—a symbol of both humble beginnings and deep roots.

In both music and art, Harkness draws inspiration from a wide array of sources: personal relationships, dreams, world events. But above all, he believes that real change must begin internally. “We need a revolution in our hearts and minds, not in the streets,” he says. “If you’re listening to my music, I want you to take whatever trip you feel.”

His artistic vision extends beyond music into visual art. Harkness has been drawing since childhood, but around the age of eighteen, he noticed a shift. Blank pages would seemingly project images into his mind, which he would then trace. “This act creates a state of mind so open and free that I feel transformed,” he explains. “It’s like the old me disappears, and something entirely new takes shape on the page.”

This philosophy also informs his unique stage presence. Performing in a long gown and a visor, Harkness intentionally removes his personal identity from the performance. “I wanted the music to exist without presenting myself,” he says. “Just like my drawings, which never feel like mine. Wearing the gown and visor allows me to shed all prior selves and channel something entirely new.”

On a practical level, he jokes, it’s also just a lot more comfortable and easier to prepare for a show.

Despite his initial hesitation to share his story, Harkness was ultimately convinced by director Maria—whose warmth and determination made him feel safe enough to open up over four years of filming. “At first, I didn’t want to reveal anything,” he admits. “But she helped me do it with blind faith.”

Through the documentary, Harkness hopes to pass along a simple yet powerful message: “If I can do it, you can do it.”

Now, after stepping back from the pursuit of rock stardom for over two decades, Harkness re-emerges with a self-produced power-pop masterpiece that reflects not only his technical prowess, but his deeply personal vision.

“I’ve always lived by doing exactly what I love, and I always will,” he says. “There’s nothing stopping anyone from chasing what matters most to them. The road won’t be easy, but at least your heart and soul will be at peace.”