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Take Her Easy 🎵

Songs From Home: Places We Can't Live Part One

Each Wednesday at noon I go live on Facebook, with a new half-hour set of originals and covers. This week, I introduced my upcoming album Places We Can’t Live by playing a selection of new tunes on the album, and old tunes that the album is transforming. Enjoy the

Show Announcements for January 2020

2020 has somehow arrived and with a new decade come new opportunities. Here are the places I’m performing this month. January 23 – The Red Hart, Red Deer The Red Hart is a fantastic brewery and taproom owned by some fine folks. I’m happy to return to this cozy,

Knowing He Would Fail, He Set Goals

For the past several years I’ve been making and breaking goals each year around this time. I don’t mean ‘breaking’ like you would break a world record or even break a sweat. I mean failing. Why bother setting goals at all? I view resolutions as a “shoot for

The Waiting Season

Christmas Time is Here. Almost. ‘Tis the season of waiting. I play a 1963 Silvertone guitar. I remember seeing the online listing. I debated back and forth. I worked the budget. I wondered how wise it was to order a fragile old guitar from Vancouver Island in the mail. The

What If Nobody Shows?

I’m afraid of crowds. But not like you think. I’m afraid the crowds won’t show. I’ve had to confront this ugly truth about myself this week and I thought this might be something you deal with too. It all came to a head Saturday evening. My

"Good This Year" Is Your Heart-Haunting Christmas Playlist

Christmas music can be annoying, cloying and soul-destroying. If you’ve dialled in your easy-listening radio station only to find Elton John replaced by endless renditions of the same twenty ‘classics’ on a sadistic loop, I have a gift for you this season. Christmas is a season of depth. Light

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News

Here's Where We're At, Team

Facebook Live for Dads

Good news for fans of Bow Tie Rock – I’ll be going live on Facebook every Wednesday at noon for a series of concerts called Songs From Home. Except for this Wednesday. Today. Because I’m a dad. Because real life. This week, you can catch me on Thursday, November

I'm Open for Business

ANNOUNCEMENT ALERT – I’m officially open for business as a freelance graphic and web designer! If you need any design work done, I’d love to chat. This is all very exciting, but risky too. Last week I left my steady part-time job in marketing to move towards a life

A Cloud of Sacred Pain

It’s been more than a week since my friend Cheryl Muth died and I’ve been wrestling with that loss. I am grieving, but I’ve found unexpected comfort. On Monday afternoon I found myself in awe as a thousand people gathered to celebrate Cheryl Muth’s life. I

Cheryl in the Golden Light

My friend and mentor Cheryl Muth passed away this week. She was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street and suffered irreversible brain damage. For a week or so there was some hope of recovery, but it was not to be. Her death is sudden, senseless and surreal. But

How to Fight for Hope

“To imagine is everything, to know is nothing at all.” Here is what I’m sure of; hope is worth fighting for. The older I get, the less I seem to know. I have plenty of information and access to infinitely more. What I’m lacking is Truth. Certainty. Faith

Cozy Up to The Sounds of Fall

“I found God so late last night / on a city bench waiting for the sun to rise” These opening lines from Lucas Chaisson’s Most True Thing also open this year’s edition of my #YEG Falls playlist on Spotify. This list of original music is made and released exclusively

Are You Making Connections?

Have you ever found yourself in a good situation by seemingly random chance? Then, when you look back at it, you realize a connection led you there? The people I’ve met have determined the course of my entire life, and my music career is turning out to be no

I'm Passing You A Note

This weekend a stranger passed me a note. I was between songs, on stage in front of an audience. I’ll tell you what it said in a moment. First, let’s talk about that stage. It’s small – not really a stage at all. It’s a patch of

Trying To Be Free

I didn’t drink until I was in my thirties. In part, I was staying faithful to my religious community. In part I was scared. Afraid of transgressing. Fearful of what I didn’t understand. These days I really love a good craft beer. A fine whiskey. A rich red

5 Ways to Wander Aim-fully

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” – Mary Oliver I just travelled thousands of miles and paid thousands of dollars to learn how to be a better songwriter and human in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’d like to share what I learned, and it won’t

Angel Acoustic - Now Free on Patreon

Today I’m releasing a Patreon-exclusive single – an acoustic version of my song Angel!  This is not the version you’ve heard, but the song as it was originally written. A different key. Different instruments. Different vibe. As a way to say thank you to my current supporters on Patreon

Music Library

Angel (Acoustic) 🎵

Today I'm releasing a Patreon-exclusive single – an acoustic version of my song Angel! This is not the version you've heard, but the song as it was originally written. A different key. Different instruments. Different vibe. As a way to say thank you to my current supporters

Song Story - "I Want To Be Known" Is A Song Born In The Cold And Dark

When you hear the horns on I Want To Be Known, you’d never know the darkness it came from. Horns often herald something glorious, but I wasn’t writing from a place of triumph or fanfare. I wrote this song from defeat.  The melody found me in the mountains

I Want To Be Known - Release and Lyrics

Hey pals – my brand new single is rolling out across the internets today and I’d love for you to take a listen.  I’ve worked my little bowtie-wearing-butt off for this one. Hours of recording in my basement. Making mistakes. Learning. Making more mistakes. Finally, emerging victorious and bloodied

Song Story - "I Want To Be Known" is a Song Born in the Cold and Dark

When you hear the horns on I Want To Be Known, you’d never know the darkness it came from. Horns often herald something glorious, but I wasn’t writing from a place of triumph or fanfare. I wrote this song from defeat.  The melody found me in the mountains

Music Library

I Want To Be Known 🎵

I can't believe it's already release day for my little baby. Well, this is actually quite a big baby, featuring a lot of instruments, studio tricks and pedal steel guitar by wonderful local legend Smokey Fennell. Once again I THANK YOU for your support. Paying musicians

I Want To Be Known - Release and Lyrics

Hey pals – my brand new single is rolling out across the internets today and I’d love for you to take a listen.  I’ve worked my little bowtie-wearing-butt off for this one. Hours of recording in my basement. Making mistakes. Learning. Making more mistakes. Finally, emerging victorious and bloodied