A Spotlight on International PRS Artists!
Posted Jul 01, 2024
Spanning the globe, our roster of official artists is a truly worldwide community. In an ongoing effort to highlight individual members of the extended PRS family abroad, we proudly present the next installment of our international artist series spotlighting artists waving the PRS flag outside of the US. This time, we take a closer look at Simon McBride from Ireland, Kanami Tōno from Japan, and Eugene Pao from Hong Kong.
Simon McBride // Ireland
Former Young Guitarist of The Year and now fully-fledged blues-rock virtuoso, Irishman Simon McBride is an extremely gifted performer and songwriter. As the current lead guitarist for the legendary English rock band Deep Purple, Simon McBride stands shoulder to shoulder with his iconic predecessors Richie Blackmore and Steve Morse. A long-time endorser of PRS Guitars and a personal pick of Paul Smith himself, Simon's unique style and impressive skills have earned him recognition and respect from throughout the music industry.
Connect with Simon:
Simon Mcbride (@simonmcbrideguitar)
Kanami Tōno // Japan
Born outside of Yokohama, Japan, Kanami began her musical journey with the piano at the age of three. After continuing her keyboard studies for many years, she found her true calling in the electric guitar. Inspired and mentored by female guitarists, Kanami quickly found herself fluent in a wide spectrum of genres ranging from hard rock, to funk, and fusion. She was recruited into Band-Maid after her solo YouTube videos caught the attention of Miku Kobato, the group’s founding member. Kanami’s favorite guitarists include Carlos Santana, whom she credits for her own application of pentatonic scales in her leads.
Connect with Kanami:
BAND-MAID KANAMI (@kanami_bandmaid)
Eugene Pao // Hong Kong
One of the biggest names in Hong Kong jazz, Eugene Pao is a long-time PRS supporter. Initially rising to prominence in the 1980s, he has a far-reaching reputation for his tone, practicality, and musicality. Growing up in a musical family, Eugene was exposed to a wide array of western music from classical to contemporary rock. Inspired in part by the Beatles, he picked up the guitar at an early age and never looked back. Throughout the course of his impressive career, Eugene has performed and collaborated with many notable musicians both at home and abroad.
Connect with Eugene: