(Dave Gunning recently released his seventh album, We’re All Leaving.)
We’re All Leaving is folk singer Dave Gunning’s seventh album and the first he can honestly say he enjoys from start to finish.
The Pictou County, N.S. native says he’s never a fan of his records once they’re finished, but We’re All Leaving is the exception.
“I usually only hear the mistakes,” he tells EastCoastNoise, adding that his latest record, released a few weeks ago, features better writing and production than his earlier work.
Gunning worked once again with producer Jamie Robinson, and the singer-songwriter is happy with the result.
“We’re done that first-date awkwardness,” Gunning says with a laugh.
Robinson also co-wrote some of the 11 tunes on We’re All Leaving. Other writing partners this time around included David Francey, Matt Andersen and Rose Cousins.
It’s a star-studded affair, but at the centre of it all is Gunning with his sparse folk sound and crystal clear lyrics that have made him a popular name along the east coast and into the U.S. and Europe over the last few years.
While most of the record features Gunning’s familiar storytelling and folk sound, the first single is a country rocker called Made on a Monday. Inspired by the idea that cars produced midweek are likely to be better than cars made just before or after a weekend, it describes how we all feel at different times in our lives.
With the economy still trying to rebound from a recession, the tune really hits home.
“It’s certainly how I feel sometimes,” Gunning says, “when nothing’s going right, and the pieces just don’t fit. Writing the song was a lot of fun, coming up with different ways to describe that disjointed feeling.”
Gunning got his start in 1994 playing pubs and soon he was gigging with other musicians. His first album was released in 1997, but it wasn’t until 2003 that he really began focusing on his original material.
“Otherwise, I’d be 50 years old and still playing ‘The Gambler,’” he says with a laugh
Since releasing his debut album, Gunning has had a steady stream of success, garnering six Music Nova Scotia Awards and three East Coast Music Awards along the way.
This week finds Gunning still in the midst of his Atlantic Canadian tour for We’re All Leaving (see remaining dates below), and he has plans to tour western Canada as well as the United Kingdom once again.
In the midst of it all, the busy musician is already looking ahead to his next project, sort of a side project to his original work – a tribute to legendary east coast musician John Allan Cameron. Gunning performed on a recent tribute album to the artist, but he plans to release his own CD tribute to his musical hero.
Gunning, who says the first concert he attended featured Cameron and Stan Rogers, honoured both musicians on his latest album’s tune Big Shoes.
And while he’s in the middle of touring, Gunning is keeping a close eye on what’s happening back at home. His wife Sara is expecting the couple’s third child anytime now. While Gunning himself is on the road, other family members are on call in case baby decides to show up before Dad can get home.
Here are Gunning’s remaining east coast tour dates:
Oct. 20 – Corner Brook, NL – Arts & Cultural Centre
Oct. 21 – Labrador West – Arts & Cultural Centre
Oct. 22 – Goose Bay, NL – Arts & Cultural Centre
Oct. 23 – Grand Falls, NL – Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts
Oct. 24 – Gander, NL – Joseph R Smallwood Centre for the Arts
Oct. 25 – Carbonear, NL – Princess Sheila Theatre
Oct. 26 – St. John’s, NL – Arts & Cultural Centre
Above, you’ll find The Motorleague’s new video for Hymn for the Newly Departed (click here to be able to choose high-def version of the video).
The video was released last week on the Moncton band’s website via YouTube and already it’s garnered about 2,000 hits. The video was shot back in spring (not fall, as I’d previously reported). There were roughly 50 extras in the video and a crew of about 10 for make-up, lighting, filming, photography and so on.
‘League vocalist/guitarist Don Levandier couldn’t be happier with the final product.
“It’s such a rad augmentation to the record,” he says in an e-mail to EastCoastNoise. “It’s like you get the record, but the video feels like it’s really adding something to the CD. As for the concept, I like it. We’re going to shoot another one with a bit of a catch to it as well. We want to make sure every video is well thought out and isn’t just ‘BAND PLAYING IN FRONT OF CROWD.’ There needs to be a somewhat unique concept on it.”
The 12-hour shoot made for a long day, but Levandier says it was fun overall and well worth it.
It’s no secret that television music stations like MuchMusic and MTV aren’t exactly playing much in the way of music videos today. Instead, we’re getting reality shows about Hulk Hogan’s daughter. Despite this, The Motorleague sent it out to MM hoping for the best. Whether they play it or not, Levandier says the video can serve a purpose for the band.
“The video has already had almost 2,000 plays in a few days, and I really doubt we’d have gotten 2,000 people to watch it if it had of aired on MuchEast or something like that,” he says. “A lot of people were really against the idea of us shooting a video in this climate / day, but it’s just something we wanted to, and it was worth it.
“We’re going to keep the video in our EPK as well. It’s a lot easier for booking agents and such to take the band seriously with a good video.”
Since the video for Hymn for the Newly Departed has been shot, bassist Dana Robertson (who also plays in longtime east coast punk band Hope) has left The Motorleague and been replaced by Jonah Hache (who you can also spot in the video).
The Motorleague has several dates coming up with Montreal bands Priestess and Trigger Effect. You can catch them here:
After years of being asked (not to mention pestered by certain writers), Moncton’s Chris Colepaugh & The Cosmic Crew have, at long last, released a live album.
Featuring live tracks recorded in Moncton on Boxing Days 2004 and 2005, Burning feature Colepaugh on guitar and vocals, Lynn Daigle on bass and Danny Bourgeois on drums. The nine-track album features tracks from two of the Crew’s six albums, Trip and In Time.
The album was released a few weeks ago in digital format only. The only way to get the album is to download it. Head over to Colepaugh’s website for more info and to download the album. Digital download cards will be available at the live shows as well.
Sleepless Nights to release 3 EPs
Nova Scotia’s Sleepless Nights are ready to hit the road again with a quick jump to Ontario and back. The band is getting ready to release an unreal three free EPs online later this year. The band promises that the first one, King Diamond will be out “real soon,” so stay tuned.
East coast dates are:
Oct. 17 – The Capital – Fredericton N.B.
Nov. 6 – Nova Scotia Music Week – Yarmouth, N.S.
Meaghan Smith opens for Kreviazuk
The lovely and talented Meaghan Smith, who we chatted with several months back, is touring with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk this fall.
Smith also plans to release her debut full-length record The Cricket’s Orchestra soon. We hope to have more on that in the coming weeks.
Here are Smith’s east coast dates with Kreviazuk:
Tuesday, Nov. 17 – Moncton’s Capital Theatre
Wednesday, Nov. 18 – Fredericton Playhouse
Thursday, Nov. 19 – Halifax at Casino Nova Scotia
Friday, Nov. 20 – Halifax at Casino Nova Scotia
WTU to open for Ninjaspy
Fredericton’s We, The Undersigned will open for Vancouver’s Ninjaspy and Montreal-based What’s He Building In There? at the bands’ upcoming Atlantic Canadian dates.
WTU is also gearing up to release Bleed the Constants, its debut full-length, on Oct. 13.
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 12 – Fredericton, N.B. @ The Capital Center
Oct. 13 – Chatham, N.B. @ The Legion
Oct. 14 – Sussex, N.B. @ Jubilee Hall
Oct. 16 – Halifax, N.S. @ The Pavillion
Oct. 17 – Bridgewater, N.S. @ Kingsman Club
Oct. 18 – Halifax, N.S. @ Gus Pub
Oct. 20 – Glace Bay, N.S. @ TBA
Oct. 22 – St John’s, N.L. @ Distortion
Oct. 23 – St John’s, N.L. @ CBGT’s
Oct. 24 – St John’s, N.L. @ CBGT’s
Oct. 24 – St John’s, N.L. @ Distortion (early)
Oct. 25 – St John’s, N.L. @ The Levee
Black Moor opens for 3 Inches …
Another Maritime act gets the chance to open for some out-of-towners this month. Black Moor will open for 3 Inches of Blood at shows in Halifax on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and Moncton on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Tickets to both shows are on sale now for $10 in advance and $15 at the door. They’re on sale at Ticketpro outlets and online here.
Share CD release tour hits Quebec/Ontario
After successful CD release shows in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Share will head toward the Great Lakes over the next few weeks.
But never fear, they’ll be back here late next month with the following dates:
Nov. 4 – Struts – Sackville, N.B. w/ Emm Gryner
Nov. 6 – Nova Scotia Music Week – Yarmouth N.S.
Nov. 27 – The Playhouse – Fredericton, N.B.
Nov. 27 – The Capital – Fredericton, N.B.
Nov. 28 – The Capital – Fredericton, N.B.
Broken Ohms takes off for the weekend
East coast rockers Broken Ohms are about to embark on a mini-tour which will see them perform select dates in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa over Thanksgiving weekend.
The band’s maiden voyage to these cities has them anxious to showcase their progressive blend of stoner rock and heavy metal. They’re touring in support of the band’s latest effort Nocturnal Emissions.
“We’ve got a whole lot of new songs and a whole lot of older ones to test out on some fresh ears” says bassist Stephen MacDonald in a press release.
Good luck to the boys on their weekend trek!
Halifax Pop Explosion finalizes line-up
The Halifax Pop Explosion announced its complete 2009 line-up recently. Taking place Oct. 20-24 in Halifax, N.S., the five-day music festival and conference features acts such as Girl Talk, Mates of State, Final Fantasy and Owen.
Founded in 1993, the festival has become one of the country’s premiere showcases of emerging music, art and culture from Halifax, Canada and around the world.
East-coast acts performing at the Explosion include: A History Of, Bike Rodeo, Black Moor, Crissi Cochrane, The Danks, The Divorcees, DJ Double A, Dog Day, Dusty Keleher, The Fat Stupids, The First Aid Kit, Gamma Gamma Rays, The Gideons, The Got To Get Got and many, many more.
The Explosion will get a little louder on Thursday, Oct. 22 when Diminished Fifth Records’ showcase takes place at the Toothy Moose. The showcase will feature Black Moor, Thy Flesh Consumed We, the Undersigned and Uigg.
The showcase will also serve as the official Halifax CD Release show for the label’s two upcoming albums: Bleed the Constants, the debut full-length by We, the Undersigned (out on Oct. 13) and Unrepentant by metal veterans Thy Flesh Consumed (Nov. 10).
Festival passes for the Pop Explosion are $100. VIP passes are $250. Both are available at all Ticketpro outlets and online here.
