Our Story
Lock-in' Ringers didn't form by chance — they were brought together through a shared community. Each member found their way to barbershop through the Cloverdale Chordsmen, a barbershop chorus in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and through "Young Singers in Harmony," a program designed to introduce young people to the art form.
In 2024, the Chordsmen's musical director encouraged his youngest members to form a quartet and compete together. Joey, Sean, Steven, and Alex stepped up — and Lock-in' Ringers was born.
The lineup has shifted since then. In September 2026, Sean left the quartet and Kyler Hoffman — a member of the Cloverdale Chordsmen since 2025 — joined to anchor the chord on bass, with Alex moving to lead and Steven to baritone.
The name is a nod to one of barbershop's most iconic moments: when four voices "lock in" together and the chord rings with a resonance greater than any one singer. That's the sound they're chasing every time they step on stage.
2024
Year Founded
4
Members
BC
Based in British Columbia
YSIH
Young Singers in Harmony Alumni
The Members
Tenor
A jazz band trip to Idaho was all it took — when chorus director Keith Richmond introduced Joey to barbershop harmony, he was hooked. Back home, band teacher invited him to join the Cloverdale Chordsmen, where the Young Singers in Harmony program eventually brought him together with Steven, Alex, and the quartet's original lead, Sean Hylands. Outside of music, Joey is a BCIT Games Development student whose work can be found at joeydriedger.ca.
Lead
Alex’s love of music began in middle and high school, where he performed in bands, choirs, vocal jazz, and musical theatre. In 2023, he joined Keith Richmond’s Cloverdale Chordsmen, singing baritone before forming a quartet with the guys a year later. Outside of barbershop, Alex is a full-time SFU undergraduate studying Archaeology, Anthropology, Geography, and Religion, while also pursuing various “side quests” in bartending, marketing, telecommunications, and Vancouver’s film industry.
Baritone
Steven’s high school music director, Patti Thorpe, introduced him to barbershop music through the 2019 Young Singers in Harmony program. There, he met Keith Richmond, who eventually invited Steven to join the Cloverdale Chordsmen in 2023. As of right now, Steven currently serves as the music teacher for drums and percussion at Long and McQuade.
Bass
Kyler was hooked on instrumental music all through high school and university, but it took an impromptu tag with Keith Richmond at the end of a jazz concert to bring him into the world of Barbershop. He joined the Cloverdale Chordsmen in 2025, and stepped up to sing bass in the Lock-in’ Ringers in September 2026 when an opening appeared. Outside of barbershop, Kyler works full-time for a natural cosmetic company, volunteers at various organizations, and plays trombone in numerous musical groups.