Connor McGuire
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | SELF
Music
Press
I was blown away by the sound of these guys. Total professional stage presence. Killer structure, great lyrics and amazing solos. They seemed very authentic about their music. As if every song was a story and each band member took a turn speaking. I will definitely try and find these guys again. - Hammer Records
I sifted through a few submissions today and declined about four or five groups based mostly on their lyrical content, or lack thereof, rather. As a songwriter, the difference between hiding behind poorly-constructed metaphors and creating phrases that strike from the bone and come right from the heart is like night and day. There’s poetry in the day to day and honest simplicity will always trump complicated purple prose. That’s why Connor McGuire is our Band You’ve Never Heard of Band of the Day.
British Columbia singer/songwriter Connor McGuire’s songs take a road traveled by the likes of Mason Jennings and Jason Collett , built around acoustic instruments, peppered with non-obtrusive arrangements of mandolins, strings, horns, organs and electric guitar. His lyrical couplets follow ideas to their full conclusion (see “The End of the Line”), blending axioms and blunt moments into a seemless earnestness. You can purchase his album Different After Dawn here. - Synthesis Magazine
“Connor's restless energy and perfectionism ear-mark him, to my mind, as one of those talents to watch for on the Canadian music scene.
- Alex Browne - Peace Arch News
- The Peace Arch News
“He's intelligent, observant and imaginative - all talents that he has brought to bear in his writing.” “The early results [of his solo songwriting] are thoughtful and provocative and he is only getting started.”
- Tom Harrison - Vancouver Province - The Vancouver Province
Discography
Different After Dawn - September 2007
Photos
Bio
"His lyrical couplets follow ideas to their full conclusion, blending axioms and blunt moments into a seemless earnestness.
- Synthesis Magazine
Connor's restless energy and perfectionism ear-mark him, to my mind, as one of those talents to watch for on the Canadian music scene.
- Alex Browne - The Peace Arch News
He's intelligent, observant and imaginative - all talents that he has brought to bear in his writing. The early results [of his solo songwriting] are thoughtful and provocative and he is only getting started.
- Tom Harrison - The Vancouver Province
March 2011
Connor McGuire is a 23 year old singer, songwriter and guitar player from White Rock, BC, Canada.
McGuire recorded his first album at the age of 19, the solo acoustic Different after Dawn was co-produced by Connor and his father Ra, singer and song writer for Canadas legendary rock band Trooper. The spare arrangements and minimal instrumentation of his 2007 debut album served as a showcase for the day to day and honest simplicity that led Synthesis Magazine to feature McGuire and describe his song writing as lyrical couplets [following] ideas to their full conclusion, blending axioms and blunt moments into a seamless earnestness. Different after Dawn played chiefly on North American college radio and charted on University of Albertas top 10 folk/roots albums.
After a year and a half of solo performances, McGuire found he wanted to expand his musical possibilities with a full band featuring some of the best young musicians in Vancouver - Jim Black on lead guitar Jay Benison on drums and Ross Jenkins on bass. Together, they became Connor McGuire + The Lives of Others
Connor McGuire has performed with Dan Mangan, In Medias Res, Jordan Carrier, and Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason fame and has taken the stage of such notable venues as The Bell Performing Arts Centre, Red Robinson Show Theatre and Vancouvers legendary Commodore Ballroom.
Last summer, McGuire challenged himself to write a song a week for 3 months. This 12 part Song a Week project was covered by local media and well received as an experiment in the role of social media in music. The YouTube hosted video series combined traditional song-writing techniques with an innovative online crowd-sourcing element which allowed McGuires fans to offer feedback on songs in their early stages. The Song a Week Project can be found on YouTube at www.youtube.com/connorjmcguire.
Connor is currently writing new material for an upcoming EP, to be recorded in Vancouver at VanHowes Studios with engineer Joel Stratton.
The Album will be released in the summer of 2011.
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