Wolfville musician making the best of COVID-19 silver linings
Wolfville based singer-songwriter Daniel James Mcfadyen hoped to build on the momentum of the release late last year of the popular song and video, Goin' Back (The Wolfville Song), with an extensive summer tour.
When the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed those plans, Mcfadyen kept himself busy for several months working construction in Ontario to pay the bills. However, he was also busy writing songs for the upcoming release of his first fulllength album called August, I'm Yours.
During a recent interview, Mcfadyen said the album's name came from his desire to return to his Annapolis Valley home base and rekindle his music career.
“I made a plan in June to work as hard as I could in construction, then head back to Nova Scotia in August. I looked forward to August all summer, and that's why I am calling the new album August, I'm Yours,” he said.
Mcfadyen said the break in performing live caused by health restrictions was a turning point for him.
“I was supposed to tour, so I don't know if I would have started this record, or even recorded, if it wasn't for COVID, so that's the silver lining for me,” he said. “I found a way to adapt so that when I can gig in the future, I will have songs, and hopefully, the record does well.”
During the break from live shows, Mcfadyen wrote, recorded, and posted a new song online every day for 11 days.
He expects three or four of those songs to end up on the album when it is released.
Mcfadyen is collaborating on the new recording with well-known Kentville producer, singer-songwriter and musician Ryan Roberts, who also produced most of Mcfadyen's other projects, including the Goin' Back single.
Roberts brought together a team of pedigree musicians for the project, as well as lending his skills on piano, banjo, and fiddle.
Mcfadyen and Roberts worked within COVID-19 travel restrictions to travel to Moncton to work with producer Danny Bourgeois, who produced the drum tracks played by Taylor Mcknight. They also went to Halifax to do sessions with bassist Mike Macdougall.
“We have reached out to some world-class musicians to get the best of the best onboard. We decided on the sound we wanted to shoot for, and then I hand-picked the people I wanted to have to pull it off,” Roberts said.
“A lot of the songs are about romanticizing the idea of happiness in a place, especially with COVID going on,” Mcfadyen said.
Mcfadyen and Roberts both used words like “modern folk” to describe the songs.
“I am definitely inspired by a lot of local musicians and Canadian singer-songwriters like Joel Plaskett and Craig Cardiff. These people have shown me I can do this full time and make a go of it,” Mcfadyen said.
“I would say it is a mix of folk music and Maritime music. I always try to put a little bit of the East Coast and what I love about this province and the Maritimes into my music,” he said.
“I love the people and the sense of community. Even during the COVID times, people really come together in Nova Scotia and care about their community. I find that being from this place connects everybody in a special way. It's something that wherever I go, I really miss.”