When musician and modern-day troubadour Bryan McPherson takes the stage on Sept 15 at the Artaban Hall in Orillia you’re not just gonna hear what he’s singing..you’re going to feel it. When I got handed a copy of his latest album 2012’s ‘American Boy / American Girl’ I didn’t know what to expect being unfamiliar with his music or his story but after putting it on and feeling the passion in his voice and his words I knew this was a man who didn’t just sit around dreaming up fairy tales here was a guy that lived the lyrics and believed in them with all his soul.
I got the chance to talk with Bryan (through email) and I asked him a few questions about him, his music and being out on tour:
Q: After listening to your album American Boy / American Girl I don’t get a sense that you would let someone else tell you what to do, in your career have you come across people who try to voice their opinions on how you should sound as an artist? And if so what did you say to them?
BM: Once or twice this has happened. I don’t say anything to them. I just do what i want regardless. It usually works out for the best.
Q: Singing and songwriting…are these things you want to do? Or are they things you have to do?
BM: Definitely things I have to do. I write songs. I gotta sing them. Simple as that. I’m not satisfied in the pursuit of anything else. Nothing makes me feel like the writing process makes me feel. I’m a sponge in this world. Experiencing things and I have to express and write and perform. The world is a better place because of it. Trust me, you don’t want to deal with me when I’m not in the midst of writing, performing, or recording. Definitely don’t want me to be your waiter.
Q: What was the first album you ever bought with your own money?
BM: Appetite for Destruction
Q: What artist or artists inspired you when you first picked up a guitar?
BM: I was inspired by the punk rock bands of the 90’s like Rancid, Operation Ivy, Avail, Dropkick Murphys, Bob Dylan, The Violent Femmes, the traditional Celtic music my mother would play, as well as country music like Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline
Q: You’re about to head out on the road…what’s the one thing you can’t leave home without?
BM: My Walmart parking Lot app. It tells me where every Walmart is in America that allows overnight parking in their lot. I spend a lot of nights sleeping in the van in walmart parking lots. It’s symbolic.
Q: On tour do you find audiences differ from city to city?
BM: Absolutely,. There are definitely those towns where people don’t care about music and have no soul and then there are awesome towns where people love music and the shows are great. What those towns are or are not I will not go on the record 🙂
Q; what can people expect when they come see you at the Artaban Hall on Sept 15th?
BM: Sweat.
Q: What’s next for you?
BM: After this tour I am currently on I will be shifting my focus to making it back to California in one piece and figuring out where I want to set up shop to record my next record.
One last question, If you had to describe your music in three or four words, what would you call it?
BM: Fucking music motherfucker Listen
Thanks to Bryan for answering our questions and a big shout out to Kevin Gangloff for turning me onto the music.
Check out Bryan McPherson‘s latest album ‘American Boy / American Girl’ below…and please remember if you like than BUY IT.
Joe Cornelisse-SMM
Stand Up! Orillia Against Bullying Presents:
Live in Concert on September 15th at the Artaban Hall Bryan McPherson, Aaron Mangoff and Tyler Knight.
The show is free, but there will be a collection taken for The Sharing Place food bank.
The Artaban Hall is located upstairs at the The Couchiching Community Initiative HQ which is at 58 Mississaga Street East in Orillia (Above Rexall Pharmacy).
Click HERE for all the info.
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