ABQ MEMORIES
Canadian singer-songwriter looks forward to returning to Duke City
Alan Doyle travels the world performing his music.
He’s seen many places, yet Albuquerque sticks out in his mind.
The city brings back fond memories for the Canadian singer-songwriter.
“I spent some time in Albuquerque working,” he says. “My good friend Oscar Isaac was making the film ‘10 Years’ a while back at Hotel Andaluz. I flew in to help write some songs for the movie. I wrote ‘Never Had,’ which is a song that Oscar’s character sings in the film. It was a fantastic time. We wrote quickly for that one.”
Fast-forward eight years, and Doyle is touring in support of his latest album, “A Week at the Warehouse.”
Doyle spent almost eight months in 2016 writing the album.
And when it came to recording, he took a different approach.
The album was recorded live with Doyle’s band, with legendary producer Bob Rock at the helm.
“Producers today do not do records that old school,” he says. “I was a teenager in the ’80s, and that’s what it was about. In very early 2017, Bob had a window open and we banged out the album in a week.”
Doyle likes to keep all options open when it comes to his career.
Aside from his solo career, he had a successful career at the helm of folkrock band Great Big Sea.
He’s also an author and an actor. “I still think of myself as a person that has one job — a guy who plays in a band for a living — that’s me,” he says. “If someone asks me to write songs, I guess I’m a songwriter too. If someone asks me to produce a record for them, then I guess I’m a record producer too. I never looked for an acting job in my life — they come to me. Someone calls who needs a hairy, Irish-looking fellow to bully someone or play the lute, come throw rocks at Colin Farrell — OK, sounds fun. It’s a laugh. Books came to me the same way, Random House said, ‘We’ve been reading your blog. Why not write a book? I’m grateful to do all of it. It’s a wonderful life, and I’m very lucky to have it.”
Doyle says his current set list will encompass his entire musical career.
“The bulk will be from the new album,” he says. “But there’s so many songs to pull from. I’ll put in some Great Big Sea material in there as well. The one thing I truly enjoy about my life is that I’m able to be on stage every night and perform.”