don brownrigg

Artist Information

Biography

Don Brownrigg is a wanderer. This Halifax-based Newfoundlander blends his haunting voice, morose melodies and pensive writing into non-assuming folk-pop music.

He has toured Canada, New England, and Europe and has performed at events such as Popkomm (Berlin), CMJ (New York City), and CMW (Toronto).

He has been a guest at shows for Serena Ryder, Great Lake Swimmers, Gurf Morlix, Martyn Joseph, Rose Cousins and Amelia Curran as well as lending his talents as an instrumentalist, vocalist or writer to least a dozen recordings by folk singers, rock bands, a poet, a rap artist and an experimental percussionist/songwriter.

Don Brownrigg's musical meanderings are catalogued on his debut release Wander Songs - a recording of non assuming folk-pop music that has spirit and is sincere and heartfelt in it's delievery. Brownrigg blends folk, blues and country with his haunting voice, morose melodies and pensive writing.

"...takes the listener in instantly and, like a good novel, keeps you captivated from beginning to end. Acoustic based, the songs don't try too hard and aren't intimidating in any way - it's just beautiful, truthfully written music." (The Telegram, St. John's, NL)

Wander Songs, a "prolific musical anthology" (The Coast) and "timeless anthology of thoughts" ( ChartAttack) is 11 songs of pensive, self-reflective, and morose imagery. Produced by Brownrigg, this very grass-roots project features many of his friends and some of Canada's finest musicians providing instrumentation and backing vocals, and was recorded in Halifax by Donald Mackay at Spaces Between Sound Studio.

In September of 2007 Wander Songs was released to a crowded and eager Khyber Club in Halifax. Toronto's (weewerk) records re-released Wander Songs nationally in May, 2008.

*****
2008 Music Nova Scotia Award Nominations:
'Best New Artist/Group'
'Best New Artist/Group'

2008 East Coast Music Award Nominations:
'Folk Recording of the Year'
'CBC Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year'.

'The Coast' (Halifax, NS) named Wander Songs as one of their top 50 CDs of 2007.

Exclaim! says "Don Brownrigg lays his old soul to tape on this gorgeous collection that reveals great songwriting craft and taste"

ChartAttack says of Wander Songs: "Brownrigg has created a timeless anthology"

The Coasts (Halifax, NS) says "Wander Songs is a prolific musical anthology of thought"

The Telegram (St. John's, NL) says Wander Songs is a "masterful and enchanting debut"

Eye Weekly (Toronto, ON) says "Brownrigg's songwriting is consistently strong"

Instrumentation

Most often solo but sometimes with a side-player or two.
-lap steel-
-mandolin-
-bass-
etc.

Discography

***Currently recording sophomore album,
'Takes All Kinds (to make this world I find)',
to be released in 2012.

***Wander Songs - 11 song LP - (weewerk) 2008

(Independently Released September 14th, 2007 at The Khyber Club in Halifax, NS; (weewerk) records national re-release May 20th, 2008)--

DON HAS GUESTED ON:
Dance Movie (Interlopers) TBA
Heather Green (Untitled) TBA
Rich Aucoin (We're All Dying To Live) '11
Steve Gates (Hello Jesus) '11
Zac Crouse (You Plan to Do Nothing) '10
Caledonia (We Are America) '10
Rose Cousins (The Send Off) '10
Kev Corbett (Son of a Rutterless Boat) '10
Jon Bryant (Two Coasts for Comfort) '10
Acres and Acres (All Nations) '09
Tanya Davis (Gorgeous Morning) '08
Benn Ross (Le Nose) '08
Jesse Dangerously (Verba Volant) '07
Vanessa MacArthur (MacArthur Drive) '06
Tanya Davis (Make a List) '06

AND HAS BEEN FEATURED ON:
Take It In: A Tribute to Sloan '09
(weewerk) is 6! Compilation '08
CKDU Confluence Live Radio Compilation '06
Codroy Valley Come Home Songs '07

Links

• MySpace
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• Facebook

Audio

• In It
  Listen  
• These A.M. Times
  Listen  
• Eggs
  Listen  
• The Wander Song
  Listen  
• Along Too
  Listen  
• Along Too
  Listen  
• Nowhere At All
  Listen  

Lyrics

• In It
• Eggs
• The Wander Song
• Along Too
• Along Too

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Don Brownrigg Wanders With His Music [+ Show ]
  

  Brownrigg has created a timeless anthology...Wander Songs is a winding soundscape of thought, as the...Brownrigg has created a timeless anthology...Wander Songs is a winding soundscape of thought, as the album is a personal passage through the roots of friendship, the yearning for love and growing into oneself. Brownrigg is a self-proclaimed thinker, observer and creator. His soft-spoken pensiveness reflects the precision and artfulness of his music.

• A Sense of Wander [+ Show ]
  

  Wander Songs is a prolific musical anthology of thought and needs time to steep, like any good cup o...Wander Songs is a prolific musical anthology of thought and needs time to steep, like any good cup of tea. With each metaphorical sip, every individual song trickles down your gullet, filling your belly with warmth, eventually settling and soothing your heart...
  
  As a collection, Wander Songs seems to be a quest for self, love and friendship. Brownrigg muses about the conversation sparked over breakfast on "Eggs," the logistics of moving "Bags and Boxes," the measurement of the passing hour "Time Moves On," which features a fierce poetical appearance by [Tanya] Davis and a rendition of his uncles' traditional Newfoundland ballad "Remember Home."
  

• Exclaim! Review [+ Show ]
  

  Newfoundland’s Don Brownrigg lays his old soul to tape on this gorgeous collection that reveals grea...Newfoundland’s Don Brownrigg lays his old soul to tape on this gorgeous collection that reveals great songwriting craft and taste, in terms of production. A young man who now calls Halifax home, Brownrigg enlists some top-tier (though unheralded) talent like Benn Ross, Jim Bryson and Jenn Grant to bolster his music, but he really didn’t need to. There is enough promise and talent in Brownrigg’s voice to hold his own, as he comes across as a less oblique M. Ward, writing pensive, introspective songs that contain a quiet dignity. He sounds wise beyond his years on “In it” and “These A.M. Times,” recalling a ghostly Daniel Lanois, both as a singer and as a sonic manipulator. The phrasing on “About Her” is gorgeous, tapping into the precise atmosphere of a multi-layered mix of accompanying music and “Time Moves On” plays at the stern romanticism of Gordon Lightfoot before Tanya Davis sets the record straight with blunt, comic rhythm. A pleasant surprise, Don Brownrigg has gracefully composed a wonderful album with Wander Songs. (Weewerk)
  -Vish Khanna

• Unknown no more [+ Show ]
  

  With a debut CD that attracted two ECMA nominations, Don Brownrigg is coming home for the holidays ...With a debut CD that attracted two ECMA nominations, Don Brownrigg is coming home for the holidays
  
  SEAN RIDGELEY
  Special to The Telegram
  
  
  If you haven't heard of musician Don Brownrigg, it might be because he's been living in Halifax for the past few years. But his home is in Newfoundland, and he'll be travelling back shortly for a quick visit, playing tunes from his masterful and enchanting debut "Wander Songs."
  
  Admittedly, I receive a lot of records to review, and a good portion of them end up sort of sitting around afterwards, not because they're poor, just because they're not entirely my thing, or don't really strike me as something I'd get in the mood for.
  
  "Wander Songs" is an exception. It takes the listener in instantly and, like a good novel, keeps you captivated from beginning to end. Acoustic based, the songs don't try too hard and aren't intimidating in any way - it's just beautiful, truthfully written music. It feels very naturally composed, as though, aside from some solitary moments ("About Her"), it all came from one good livingroom session, especially minimalistic tunes like "Bags & Boxes."
  
  "It's all done pretty grass-roots style and there's no machine behind it," Brownrigg elaborates.
  
  It took about a year and a half to make, and two weeks to record, though he notes that really, it's been a lifelong process.
  
  "I'm young and I got to learn a lot of things along the way. I've already grown a lot since recording the songs. I can still stand behind it however, and I think I'll be able to stand behind it for a while."
  
  "Times Moves On" is one example of the communal efforts on the album, featuring some spoken prose from Tanya Davis (another Halifax musician), much in the vein of similar ventures by Ani DiFranco. It's inventive and beautiful, so much praise to Brownrigg for knowing to try something collaborative and different.
  
  The strongest point of the record has to be the vocals. They're influenced by a lot of great musicians, you can tell, and stylistically, meander all over the map. "Remember Home," for example, is blatantly influenced by traditional Newfoundland music (especially with the accordion), but it's so notable because it does an amazing job of expanding the perception of what Newfoundland music is and is about. And though it stands out, Brownrigg makes the song all his own, allowing it to feel welcome with the others.
  
  The future sees touring in Quebec and Ontario for Don, with the Rose Cousins (yet another source of great Halifax music), organizing the In the Dead of Winter Festival, and possibly picking up some wins at February's ECMAs. On his two nominations (CBC Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year, Folk Recording of the Year), Brownrigg is both honoured and humbled.
  
  "It's the second most notable music awards show in the country. I am a working musician, I can't say it's not pretty cool. I don't think I'll reach the ol' Great Big Sea status or anything, but people home are really proud, and that makes me way more proud. It's a validation process for that passive music fan - for that, I am lucky and grateful to be nominated."
  
  While he thinks shows like this are necessary (at least from a career standpoint), conversely, he finds more commercial events aggravating.
  
  "The fact such a huge portion of our society thinks the latest 'Idol' trend is what's going on is frustrating - but it's the unanswered question of how to get Joe and Jane Schmo out to realize what's going on because it's not on commercial radio or television. People are getting sick of the crap though - there's a slow change for the good."
  
  Don will be playing Dec. 27 at Club Vertigo in Corner Brook, 8 p.m., and possibly Codroy Valley around the same time.
  
  Check www.donbrownrigg.com for updates.

• Penguin Eggs [+ Show ]
  

  Newfoundland's Don Brownrigg is true to his ways. Hailing from the Codroy Vally, the self-professed ...Newfoundland's Don Brownrigg is true to his ways. Hailing from the Codroy Vally, the self-professed musical stray independently released Wander Songs, an 11-track timeless collection of songs last fall. While he was roaming around his new-found Halifax-base, playing shows and testing the musical waters, Toronto's Weewerk Records took notice and has issued this re-release.
  Wander Songs is a quest for self, love and friendship. Brownrigg muses about conversation that is sparked over breakfast on Eggs. He measures the passing of an hour in Time Moves On, which features a fierce poetical appearance by Tanya Davis, and covers a rendition of his uncles' traditional-based Newfoundland ballad, Remember Home. If Brownrigg's debut release is any indication of what this rover is capable of, he's sure to go far. The album navigates through layers of
  emotions, from love to loss. Along Too could very well be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Brownrigg and Halifax songbird Jenn Grant's duet literarily takes my breath away: "If things were up to me to start going right for me. I'd go far and you'd be along too." Grant's
  ethereal accents wrap around Brownrigg's hopeful voice with an embrace akin to lovers.

• Top 50 CDs of 2007 [+ Show ]
  

  Equally as comforting as a cup of tea, Wander Song’s coats listless souls with love and warmth. Don ...Equally as comforting as a cup of tea, Wander Song’s coats listless souls with love and warmth. Don Brownrigg’s soft vocals spill tales of love, longing and insightful introspection. Guest appearances by Jenn Grant, Rose Cousins and his poetic platonic lover Tanya Davis on “Time Moves On” merely accent his timelessness.
  
  categories: Best of the year (2007)
  Don Brownrigg
  Wander Songs
  Indie

• Don Brownrigg [+ Show ]
  

  The mighty Weewerk has issued a flurry of great releases this spring, the loveliest of which is youn...The mighty Weewerk has issued a flurry of great releases this spring, the loveliest of which is young troubadour Don Brownrigg's Wander Songs. Lilting and melancholy, the album chronicles the push and pull of itinerant life, from the artist's search for cheap rent ("Bags & Boxes") to love affairs that straddle the east and west coasts. Brownrigg himself is transplanted to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland, and vagabond imagery abounds on the album, which was hailed as a top release of '07 when it was issued locally in Halifax last fall. Brownrigg's songwriting is consistently strong, and he solicits contributions from Halifax locals (vocals by Jenn Grant, mandolin by Donald MacKay) as well as those further afield (gorgeous guitar work from Jim Bryson throughout). His subtle tugs at your heart are never overwrought, but try listening to the ode penned by his Newfoundland uncles on the eve of his departure and not feel a lump in your throat.
  -Helen Spitzer
  
  

• Herohill.com Review [+ Show ]
  

  Don Brownrigg's debut album Wander Songs is an album I meant to discuss here on the hill late last y...Don Brownrigg's debut album Wander Songs is an album I meant to discuss here on the hill late last year when it was released. As you might be aware if you were on the hill at all last year, '07 was plenty busy around here, and unfortunately I didn't get to it. That's a wrong I'm happy to right with a review of his thoughtful and understated album.
  
  A native of Newfoundland's Codroy Valley, Don made his way here to Halifax where he subsequently made a name for himself as a proficient guitar and piano player. Once he decided to work on a solo album, he enlisted the help of his talented friends and neighbors, people like Benn Ross (drums, ex. Thrush Hermit), Kris Pope (lap steel, Down With The Butterfly), Jim Bryson (electric guitar), Jenn Grant and Tanya Davis (vocals). These contributions certainly aren't wasted, as for the most part the arrangements on this album are simple, which allows Don's warm voice and clever songwriting to take the lead, while his guests add colorful flourishes along the way.
  
  As a title, Wander Songs suggests an album full of romantic travel songs, and this is true to some extent as many of the songs do deal with that kind of wandering, the actual physical moving we do across distances large or small. But I think, to a greater extent, the title refers to a wandering of a more metaphorical kind. The songs have wistful, day-dreamish quality and they cover the ground most of us tread during our mind-wandering sessions - friends and family (both near and far), love (lost, current, or yet to be obtained), and our place in the world.
  
  Brownrigg opens the album with the upbeat and uplifting In It, which lets you in on his philosophy for life: get out and live it. I'd think the banjo, accordion, foot stomps, and hand claps would be enough to force the most reluctant shut-in out into the light of day. If you were looking for a indie-tinged, non-cliched kitchen party song, this would do just fine. About Her is simply a heartfelt, un-self-concious love song. It feels like it belongs to a generation before our current one, you can almost hear the static from the needle being dropped on the record at the beginning of the song.
  
  The story told in Eggs, of missing someone who's moved to Upper Canada, is familiar and specific to our region, but it could be told from countless places on this continent where people have left smaller towns for big cities. It's a poignant song, made even more so by the addition of Jenn Grant's beautiful vocals and some haunting lap steel. Remember Home is Don's take on a traditional Newfoundland ballad written by his uncles, Peter and Donald Brownrigg. This one will resonate with you if you happen to be a son who has moved away from home, or you have a son that has or will likely move away. I am both, so I'm an absolute sucker for this song.
  
  The force of Tanya Davis' spoken word piece in the middle of Time Moves On contrasts with the ease of Brownrigg's delivery, and it's that contrast that makes this song about trying to forget the past so effective and interesting. The Wander Song is the album's appropriately named, mandolin-laced finale. It's an ode to dreamers and wandering souls that builds into a gallop by the end of the song and features another welcome assist from Jenn Grant on the vocals (I think, not actually sure about this one). It's also a great way to cap a really enjoyable album.
  
  Every now and again I use the phrase "rewards repeat listens" to describe an album, and this album is one the most appropriate uses of that phrase I've come across in a while. Don's songwriting is honest and vivid, so no matter what the subject, you'll find yourself immersed in the song. I know I slept on this album for far too long, so I'd suggest that you have a listen if you haven't already.
  
  -Shane Nadeau, Herohill.com

• Wander Songs Review [+ Show ]
  

  Don Brownrigg is a breath of fresh air. He is a young and extraordinarily talented singer/songwriter...Don Brownrigg is a breath of fresh air. He is a young and extraordinarily talented singer/songwriter hailing from Newfoundland, currently living and working in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He's got the kind of voice that draws you right in and keeps you riveted. And he wraps that engaging voice around some beautifully crafted melodies and lyrics. Each song unfolds like a perfectly wrapped chocolate truffle. You can enjoy each morsel, and the wonderfully sweet taste lingers long after it's gone…
  
  Wander Songs opens with the upbeat In It. The melody is driven by a strong, percussive beat, a banjo and an accordion. Zac Crouse plays the banjo and Brownrigg plays the accordion. The singer urges the listener to "heave away/ haul away yourself for a minute/ don't be afraid of the world/ if you ain't out there in it."
  
  Every good songwriter has a love song or two up his or her sleeve, but only Brownrigg has About Her. It has a haunting, hushed quality about it, backed by Brownrigg on acoustic guitar and Jim Bryson on electric guitar. It completely captures the listener as you hang on each and every word.
  
  And then there is the lively, jazzy, Little Black Bird, which takes you in a completely different direction. Zac Crouse picks out the notes on banjo, with Donald MacKay picking up the pace on mandolin.
  
  The recording closes with the dreamy, hopeful The Wander Song. It has all of the best elements of Brownrigg's craft: a lovely, captivating melody, a story to tell, some wonderful backing instrumentation (especially on acoustic guitar and mandolin), and then there is that voice.
  
  If anyone out there is listening, there is a new talent on the rise in Nova Scotia, and his name is Don Brownrigg. And I think the kind of music he is writing and performing is so good that it will turn heads both in the United States and Canada, as well as around the globe. This is one of the best recordings of the year.
  
  Edited by: David N. Pyles
  (dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)
  Copyright 2008, Peterborough Folk Music Society and Roberta B. Schwartz.
  This review may be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.

• Listen to the Wanderer [+ Show ]
  

  More than any other provincial Canadian population, Newfoundlanders can be found in every corner of ...More than any other provincial Canadian population, Newfoundlanders can be found in every corner of the country; they know what it means to leave home, they know what it means to have your life packed in a suitcase, and they know the pull that the motherland has on their cultural consciousness.
  This Newfoundland songwriter opens his astounding debut album, Wander Songs, by advising the listener: "Don't be afraid of the world if you ain't out there in it." Halfway through, he covers a song written by two of his uncles, who impart similar worldly wisdom: "Remember, fights and people's wives are to be left alone/ and if all else should fail you/ please remember home." Throughout Wander Songs, Brownrigg sings about leaving home for a transient life of "bags and boxes." He does so in an old soul's voice that's perfectly suited for what he calls "these A.M. times."
  Befitting a child of such a strong oral culture, Brownrigg writes melodies that barely need any ornamentation at all--and yet the expert production work of mandolin player Donald McKay allows space for subtle shadings of banjo, lap steel, spoken word interludes, guest guitar from Jim Bryson and backing vocals by Jenn Grant. Between McKay's sonic touches and Brownrigg's haunting voice, there's an enchanting sense of mystery heard on every one of these 11 songs, which fall somewhere between the sparse atmospheric beauty of Daniel Lanois and the masterful storytelling of Newfoundland songwriting legend Ron Hynes.
  Wander Songs was released quietly in Brownrigg's adopted hometown of Halifax late last year; it's now being re-released by Weewerk, the label that brought the not dissimilar Great Lake Swimmers to global attention. Naturally, Brownrigg can be currently found hitting the highway; his June 28 appearance at the tiny Cornerstone Cafe in Guelph is not to be missed, because a talent like this won't be confined to such cosy quarters for long.
  -Bill Adams
  
  WANDER SONGS (WEEWERK/OUTSIDE)

• Songwriter Spotlight #001: Don Brownrigg [+ Show ]
  

  Halifax-based Newfoundlander Don Brownrigg has been dubbed “Hayden meets M. Ward” but I’d correct th...Halifax-based Newfoundlander Don Brownrigg has been dubbed “Hayden meets M. Ward” but I’d correct that as “Dan Mangan meets Bahamas.” Not that I like the whole comparison thing. The idea is to have your own sound, and this guy does. And it’s great. Hands down, he’s as one ofthe best songwriters in Atlantic Canada right now.
  
  His latest album, Wander Music, features guest appearances from Tanya Davis, Rose Cousins, Jim Bryson, and Jenn Grant, and, as The Telegram‘s review said, “takes the listener in instantly and, like a good novel, keeps you captivated from beginning to end.”
  
  Click here to watch Don and Tanya Davis (of “How to be Alone” viral video fame), perform Don’s “Time Moves on.”
  
  Click Play to hear “Remember Home.” One of many fabulous songs on the album, that probably best represents the album.
  
  - In 2008, Don was a finalist for the ECMA’s Folk Recording of the Year, and, the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year.
  
  - CD BABY named Wander Songs their #1 Editor’s pick for ‘Folky Pop’ albums.
  
  - “Don Brownrigg lays his old soul to tape on this gorgeous collection that reveals great songwriting craft and taste” - Exclaim!
  
  Enjoy the video below for his song “In it.” (You might also like to add the line “You don’t need to own the world if you’re right there in it” to your ruminations on 2011 resolutions?)
  

Setlist

Set-list would include one or two sets of original material with minimal covers.

Basic Requirements

Calendar