Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
* Small Town van Gogh (Released 2007)
* In My Rearview Mirror: A Story From A Small Gaspe Town (Released 2004)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
"CRUSADER FOR THE SMALL TOWN 'UNSUNG' HERO"
- Jennifer Coutlee (SPEC)
Growing up in the Gaspé region of Quebec, Canada meant growing up with county music. In Dale's hometown (Belle Anse), every local singer and radio station was dialed in to country. The songs of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and George Jones were everywhere, like a backdrop to small town life.
Like others in his family, Dale learned to play the guitar, and although he'd explore a range of styles, he gravitated to roots music, particularly folk, blues, and the country music he grew up with. Historically, these genres told the stories of common everyday people and this would prove to be a huge influence on Dale's own songwriting, as would the Gaspé itself.
His 2004 debut album, In My Rearview Mirror: A Story From A Small Gaspé Town, is testimony to the impact of his home region on his songwriting.
The album includes The Wilbert Coffin Story, a song rooted in the Gaspé that tells of the infamous 1950s murder case. The song gained press coverage in a number of newspapers and magazines, and Dale was featured performing The Wilbert Coffin Story for a CTV Montreal News special as well as the CBC ENJEUX documentary film (View at www.youtube.com/daleboyle).
In My Rearview Mirror was listed among the best albums of the year in the Journal Cultural Graffici, and following its release Dale won two consecutive "Lys Blues" Folk/Blues Artist of the Year awards in 2005 and 2006.
2007 brought forth Dale's sophomore release, Small Town van Gogh, the title track of which is a tribute to Gaspé (Bougainville) painter Tennyson Johnson. In addition to songs that touch on the economic uncertainty (Nowhere Town) and changing demographic (No One Lives Here Anymore) of the Gaspé, Dale also tackles stories rooted elsewhere in Canada. Case in point is Over 100 Years: A song about William "Duke" Proctor, a Canadian WWI veteran who passed away in December 2005 at the age of 106.
Small Town van Gogh delivers a range of sounds, from the guitar driven Sun Records vibe of If I Come Back, the mandolin instrumental At The Kitchen Table, and the contemporary country flavoured and tongue-in-cheek lyrics of Send Monica Away.
The album has received rave reviews internationally, from Belgium's Ctrl. Alt. Country E Zine to USA's Americana Homepage. In October 2007, Small Town van Gogh debuted at number 15 on the Euro Americana Chart.
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