Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I was born in Montreal and I came here to Vancouver Island with my parents just before my teen years and I've been here ever since. So, I was born in the east, but I was definitely bred and raised mostly in the west and I've adopted the West Coast as my home. I love the place. I'll never go back on my French-Canadian roots 'cause that's who I am, but definitely love the West.
Q: What kind of music do you play?
A: A lot of people label what we do as roots rock and roll, because there's reggae influence, there's that folk influence, there's the rock and roll influence, and when you see us, it's a bit of a big lineup. We have two guitarists, I sing primarily and play guitar, we have base and drums, sometimes we have a full percussionist, and then we have a saxophone player as well. So it's quite a big band, and it's a pretty huge sound with the band. So both ways it works, acoustically, and with the rock and roll, and it's just like a different experience, but it's all roots music at the end of the day.
Q: Did you take music lessons as a kid?
A: Not even. I have a photo on my mantel that my mom just gave me, it's an actual Polaroid photo. I'm six months old and I'm smiling like an idiot and I've got a hand drum, and I'm clutching it, I'm hugging it.
Honestly, I feel like I was born with it. I think my older brother showed me a few things on guitar when I was probably about 10 or 11, and then I took it from there. I mean, I had people along the way that guided me when they realized that I was interested in music, but I've got no technical background in terms of training or schooling. It's all just by ear and it's all just been by feel.
I'm a self-taught musician.
Q: What's your writing process?
A: I really always say that emotions lend me the song. If I feel something, I can translate that into what it would sound like to feel that particular thing, so for me, that's the process.
If I'm not feeling something, if I'm trying to make up a song, it sounds terrible, because it's not a genuine expression, it's just like I'm manufacturing this idea based on what I know things to sound like, you know what I mean? And that's not really my style.
Q: What's it like to perform on stage in front of a crowd?
A: Definitely an exhilarating experience. It brings the music to life. It's kind of the moment you work so hard for, in a way.
Q: How many albums have you produced?
A: I put out a full-length in 2009, and then I followed that up with a single and then I did a whole bunch of single releases in 2010 and then released another full-length record called Oceans in November last year, and then followed that up with a few more singles. I mean, it's hard to say full-length. It's kind of a blur, I haven't counted, I just keep putting music out because I can record myself. I've learned over the years how to record and produce and make music sound up to the level that it needs to be if it was to be on the radio, so I've done a lot of stuff myself.
Start-to-finish, I'm able to do it, and it's not because I want to be in charge of everything, but I just really believe in being self-sufficient if need be. If I have to put an idea down I want to be able to start and finish it, so I put out a ton of music. The majority of it you can find online. It's everywhere now.
Q: Can you tell me about your latest album?
A: The new record came together because of a whole bunch of pieces of songs that I ended up putting together while I was injured, and I self-released it, put it out on SoundCloud right away, and I put it out to people through iTunes and other digital distribution (channels), like Band Camp and things like that, and I've had pretty good response. I've sold a few CDs so far, and I think people are really digging the stripped-down versions of them of the Byron Songs.
Q: What do you do when you're not making music?
A: Surfing is something that's come into play in my life in the last few years. I've just been focusing on it a lot more and just that connection with the environment, which is something I feel that people need to get back into a lot more, you know? Connecting with the environment, getting outside.
Q: What can fans expect from your set here in August?
A: I tend to think of myself as somebody that lives from the heart, and that translates to when I get up on the stage. I'm really passionate about what I do, and they can expect a journey, for sure.
