Music

For the last 10 years I have been extensively involved in Victoria's music scene, including starting and playing in many bands, playing festivals, writing and recording music, and working with some of the regions most talented musicians. The biggest thing I have taken from my time playing music is that in many ways, everyone is an entrepreneur, and when it comes to art, you are an integral part of the product. Being entrepreneurial has opened a lot of doors for me, including giving me opportunities to expand my network and my skill set. I started out playing the guitar and singing in one band, but have since met many talented people, picked up new instruments, and played in many different bands. Listed below are some of the highlights of my music career so far.

Sunday Buckets is the first band I started when I graduated high school. We were a group of five friends, along with my younger brother, that started learning and playing music together. We were fortunate enough to put out two albums, In Case You Hear This (2009) and Curious Crimes (2011), and were featured as The Zone at 91.3 fm's Band of the Month in October 2009. Our song, Personality continues to be a highly requested song for the station. We played the Tall Tree Music Festival main stage on two occasions and the Rifflandia main stage on one occasion, sharing the stage with the likes of K'Naan, Said the Whale, Wide Mouth Mason, and Current Swell.

I have had the pleasure of playing bass for talented local guitarist and songwriter Sam Weber for the last few years. At only 19, Sam was one of the youngest people to ever be featured in guitar player magazine. Now 21, he will either be found in the studio working on his own music and producing music for other talented artists or on the road, as he has been touring the country extensively. I was able to join him for 15 days throughout Western Canada in April of 2014 and we played the Main Stage at Tall Tree Music Festival last June along with such talented artists as Dan Mangan and The Dudes.

Are We Family was a cover band that my brother and I started, along with our good friend Nick McRae, to earn some money and practice our craft when we were in town. We held down the Sunday night spot at Irish Times in Victoria for two years. We covered mostly Canadian music and local artists to spotlight the great music that Canada has to offer for the tourists who travelled through town.

Dougal Bain McLean is a journeyman musician who has played in many successful bands and alongside many talented artists throughout his career. When he put out his own record in 2012 he was looking for a bass player to join his band. His keyboardist at the time was my good friend Nick Mcrae, who suggested that I join on to play bass. Dougal was selected as a finalist in The Peak Performance Project in 2013 and I was lucky enough to join him on that journey. The project involves an intensive "music bootcamp" to whip the finalists into shape. This involves an eight day getaway with keynote speakers and breakout sessions along with training in recording, performance, marketing, licensing, and much more. The project concludes with performances by each band with the top three splitting a prize of more than $200,000 in cash. I have also had the pleasure of joining Dougal on stage at Rifflandia Festival and Break Out West Festival, as well as opening for such talented acts as The Sheepdogs, Daniel Wesley, and Current Swell.

For more information about any of the artists listed above, click the images to be redirected. I have included some music videos and live performances below so please enjoy!
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