Macaulay still booking summer dates in the Townships
If the name Jonathan Macaulay doesn’t sound familiar, it is time for you to discover this promising local talent, who will be performing at many events through spring and summer. You might also have seen him at the Lion Pub or at the Caffuccino in Magog or even at the annual St. Pat’s Jam at the Hut.
In the summer with all the special events going on, Macaulay performs solo or with his band at different venues and sometimes outside the Townships. He offers covers of well-known songs but also his own original material and he shines everywhere he goes.
“This summer’s shows for my band (doing my own tunes) have us playing at the Marché de la Gare on May 19 (3 p.m.), the Ayers Cliff Rodeo on June 16 (7:30 p.m.), Lennoxville Street Festival on August 25 at 11 a.m. so far, but there are a few more dates that have yet to be announced,” said Macaulay in an interview.
The singer/guitarist/songwriter will also perform at the Country Music Appreciation Jam at Burrough’s Falls hall on May 5 where he will be offering the best of his country music repertoire.
Music has been in Macaulay’s life almost forever. “I started taking piano lessons in Grade 1 after being prompted to do so by my mom,” he said. But classical music didn’t cut it for the young man.
“Down the road, I realized that classical music wasn’t for me so even as a kid I kept bringing in songs by the Beatles and Bob Dylan asking to play these instead of the Beethoven and Bach pieces prescribed to us by the conservatory curriculum,” he explained.
Macaulay has since acquired a taste for the genre but as a musician, this is not where his interest is. He is grateful that his parents convinced him to take the piano lessons since a lot of the musical theory he knows is a product of these lessons.
“My attraction toward folk and rock music certainly played a role in my swapping instruments for the guitar in high school. Some of the first albums I ever got include works by the likes of Bob Dylan and the Eagles.”
His passion is due in great part to the fact that many members of his family also shared a passion for music. His grandmother plays piano and they would often (and still do) sit around the piano to have sing-alongs, when the family got together so he was exposed to music fairly young.
“My mom also plays guitar and has a wonderful voice, but is unfortunately a bit shy to play in front of people. She helped me tune my first guitar and learn to sing; she knows when things are out of tune and is honest about it, which was very helpful when I was learning to play and still is today,” he stressed.
So now his main instrument is the guitar. He putters with the bass but still enjoys playing piano a lot. His voice is also part of the great talent he inherited from his mother and as a songwriter, he uses all those skills.
“Writing and playing my own songs is my favourite part of this job! Unfortunately it can be hard to book these shows regularly around here, so I do this mostly at festivals and concert series in the summer for the time being.
“I released an EP of my own music a few years ago called Solid Ground that people may have heard playing on local stations as well as a couple of times on CBC,” he said.
For now he is all out of hard copies, but it is available on itunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, until he gets around to printing more, which according to him should be very soon.
He works hard at honing his skills and his taste is as eclectic as can be. He is influenced by different musical genres and their artists. His open mind along with the desire to push the boundaries let him evolve and stimulate his creativity.
“My influences continue to grow every day. I have idols in several genres of music. The most obvious influences present in my songwriting would probably be Jason Isbell, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. I am a huge blues fan as well as bluegrass, jazz, country, soul, funk and more. I guess you could say I’m a fan of music in general,” he explained about music.
“Lately I have been really getting into Americana music which straddles the fence between rock, folk, and country. I’ve mentioned him before but one of my favourite artists in that genre, would be Jason Isbell as well as John Hiatt and The Band.”
He has many plans for the future, which includes a new album and taking the road to promote his own material. He would be happy if music was a fulltime job.
“I am looking into hopping onto a cruise ship to play for four months in the fall. I’m looking forward to that because it would allow me to continue to work exclusively as a musician after the summer, when our slow season hits around here.
“If all goes well after the boat, I am planning on starting work on recording a second (and full-length) album of original music and hoping to take that show on the road for a small tour.”
It will be a pleasure to see and hear him play at The Country Music Appreciation Jam, which is a showcase for our local talents. Reserve your tickets to make sure you will be there to cheer our local musicians at 819-838-4912.