Backstage Pass

Michael Jerome Browne Three-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner (Traditional Singer, 2015; Solo Artist, 2012 & 2008), Recipient of the Blues With A Feeling Award at the 2020 Maple Blues Awards (with 35 nominations since 1999), five-time Juno Award Nominee in both the Roots/Traditional and Blues categories, Kerrville (Texas) New Folk Finalist -- Michael Jerome Browne is a multi-instrumentalis...

Marc Jordan - Waiting for the Sun to Rise A songwriter’s songwriter, Marc Jordan is best known for writing (along with John Capek) “Rhythm of My Heart,” the 1991 smash for Rod Stewart. Marc’s songs have been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Diana Ross, Cher, Chicago, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes and the Manhattan Transfer, to name a few. Waiting for the Sun to Rise se...

Ian Tamblyn. – BACKSTAGE PASS Musician, Adventurer and Playwright I first met Ian Tamblyn at Northern Lights Festival Boreal close to 50 years ago and it’s been a joy to watch his continued skill and craft grow over these many years. His music is beyond an inspiration, delving poetically and figuratively into Canadian and Universal themes as only a master such as he can achieve. It’s a great honou...

SÉAN MCCANN SÉAN MCCANN (the Shantyman) is a founder of the iconic Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea and an Order of Canada recipient for his recovery advocacy. A survivor of sexual abuse and subsequent addiction, Séan has spent the last ten years touring North America as a solo concert performer and musical keynote speaker, singing and sharing his story with theatre audiences, front line work...

On June 9th, Big Little Lions (Helen Austin & Paul Otten) release their first concept album (and seventh album) AMPM via Fallen Tree Records. The trans-continental folk-pop duo enlightens us from morning to night on the new album. Tackling anxiety and self-hate, the grind of daily life, the perils of parenting, and the value of community and forgiveness. The JUNO-winning collaborators once aga...

Acclaimed songwriter Justin Rutledge released of his tenth album entitled ‘Something Easy’, May 19th,2023, via Outside Music. “Something Easy” is album and set of songs of rare beauty, each song is a world unto itself and yet draws you into a compelling narrative of discovery and understanding. Indeed, it was the arrival of Rutledge’s first son that convinced him he should level up on this record....

This week, Terra graciously agreed to a conversation about her career and newest album ‘Old News’, her collaboration with Ben Caplan. “In ‘Old News’, Spencer weaves a mysterious aura around finely etched portraits of faces, places and faded memories, as only a songwriter of her imminent promise can. Almost in cinematic, slow motion, a series of characters materialize, share their hard-won lessons...

Canadian singer/songwriter Tara MacLean has been an internationally renowned and award winning recording and touring artist for over 25 years. She released her first album with the Nettwerk Music Group in 1996 and Sony Music Publishing Canada. Since then has been signed with Capitol Records, and EMI Canada with her JUNO nominated band Shaye. She has written and recorded six solo albums and two wit...

Since 2022 to date, Steve Dawson has released three extraordinary albums, “Gone, Long Gone”, “Phantom Threshold” and this March 2023, “Eyes Closed, Dreaming”. The trilogy comprises a remarkable body of work, styles and spotlights Steve’s grace and agility as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Over the past two decades, Steve Dawson has become such an indelible fixture on the Canadian musical...

This week, [ someone ], [ someone else ] and [ another person ] cover [ topic ]..... Topics discussed: Topic A Topic B Topic C Links mentioned in this episode: http://example.com http://second-example.com This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

This week, Douglas McLean talks with The Small Glories about their upcoming concert in Haliburton. This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

LYNN HARRISON Lynn Harrison joins Douglas in conversation about her newest album, Treasure and performs three songs acoustically during our talk, letting the magic of these songs speak for themselves. “A gifted artist known for thoughtful, heartfelt songs of uncommon beauty, power, and insight; Toronto singer-songwriter LYNN HARRISON is an inspiring presence on Canadian stages. Her new seventh sol...

Kate Weekes // Better Days Ahead February 3rd, 2023 Release Date On her 4th album, Better Days Ahead finds the Quebec-based singer-songwriter Kate Weekes exploring “the liminal space created by lockdowns and cancelled plans”. Given that Weekes’ song writing has typically been inspired by travel, Better Days Ahead required an entirely new way of writing, using internal cues to map a moment in time....

With their new album, “Inside These Walls”, the Salt Cellars have made a huge step forward on their road to establishing themselves as a major, must hear act. This conversation took place in April 2022, before the album release in August. I have long hoped to publish this talk with these talented musicians to Backstage. Take some time to get to know this incredible band. The Salt Cellars come from...

BIO - Matthew Barber is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter who has been plying his trade for two decades, releasing ten records and touring across four continents along the way. His work has garnered a couple of Juno nominations, a handful of Canadian Folk Music award nominations, and even a pair of Montreal English Theatre awards for his musical contributions in the world of the dramatic arts. Mos...

In this intimate and personal conversation David Myles takes us inside the making It’s Only a Little Loneliness, his fifteenth album release – a album of very special songs lyrically, thematically and beautifully performed and recorded. Our most fundamental questions—about how to exist in this world we share, and how best to love the people we love—so often keep us awake at the end of the day, at...

David Libert had such a long and interesting career in the music business, his friends encouraged him to write a book about it…so he did. The result is an autobiography 50-plus years in the making aptly entitled Rock and Roll Warrior, recently released on Sunset Blvd Books. It’s a chronicle of David’s inner circle life in the music industry as a popular international performer, singer/songwriter,...

Bruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness Bruce Cockburn’s conversation with Douglas McLean covered his stellar career of over fifty years in the music industry . Recorded in February 08, 2022. For 50 years, this Canadian musical legend has been capturing in song the essence of human experience – while fiercely striving to make it better.“One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an...

Backstage Pass with Douglas McLean Episode 1 - Julian Taylor “Beyond the Reservoir is an album that addresses identity, loss, sadness, hope, and redemption. The themes of resilience, courage, and strength are prevalent in every carefully-chosen lyric. It contains a gentle spiritual thread that runs throughout the album touching on each of the elements like fire, water, air, and earth as they relat...