On a musical trail
Dylan Guthro settles into a singer-songwriter niche during busy year.
SYDNEY — 2012 has been a banner year for Dylan Guthro.
The Cape Breton-born singersongwriter released his debut album, picked up his first award, and has toured both in Canada and overseas over the past 12 months.
The son of renowned international artist and Sydney Mines native Bruce Guthro, Dylan grew up around music and first picked up a guitar when he was just four years old. As a teenager he began taking his music more seriously and explored many genres of music, including hip hop, punk and rock, in developing his own sound.
“I went through a bunch of phases. I still listen to a whole bunch of different types of music,” he said. “It just kinda fell into place with the singer-songwriter vibe. I think it just suits where I’m at vocally better than any other style I’ve tried.”
Following the release of his debut album, “All That’s True,” earlier this year, Guthro has maintained a busy schedule. He just recently returned from Europe, where he toured Denmark and Germany with his father, who was touring in support of his own album, “Celtic Crossing.”
“I opened all the shows over there and then I played bass in his band, so that was great,” said Dylan.
The father-son collaboration is nothing new for the two, as Dylan joined Bruce many times onstage as a child and now as a fellow singer- songwriter. The Guthros also work well as cowriters.
“(It) goes both ways with me and my dad, if we hear each other working on something that we have an idea for we just kinda help each other finish it,” he said.
In fact, the two co-wrote five songs on the album, including “A Kid To You,” “My Brother (Marky’s Song),” and “Love Takes Priority,” on which Dylan’s sister, Jodi, also has a co-writing credit.
Bruce also co-produced his son’s album, alongside Dave Gunning, who recorded and mixed “All That’s True.”
Earlier this month, Dylan took home new artist recording of the year honours from Music
Nova Scotia for his debut release and is now doing a short tour of the Maritimes alongside fellow musician and Cape Bretoner, Carleton Stone, himself a Music Nova Scotia award winner for rock recording of the year for his selftitled album.
The two, who first met at the Gordie Sampson Songcamp and became fast friends, have one Cape Breton stop on the tour, Friday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Flavor 19, located at the Lingan Golf and Country Club on Grand Lake Road in Sydney. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door. To make a dinner reservation call 562-2233.
Dylan said he’s looking forward to sharing the stage with Stone and is excited to return to Cape Breton, where he spent the first several years of his life before moving with his family to the Halifax area. He said he’s always been inspired by the level of musical talent on the island.
“It’s amazing how much talent can come out of one place in my mind,” he said. “The amount of people that you’ll find in one kitchen that can outplay almost everyone when you go travel the world — it’s pretty mind-blowing.”
For more information on Guthro go to www.dylanguthro.com.