David Myles
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David Myles

Halifax, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | INDIE

Halifax, Canada | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2006
Solo Pop Americana

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"David Myles, Alan and Kyle - Wonderful, Wonderful!"

Now the real reason you are getting an E mail first thing this morning – David Myles and Allan and Kyle were WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL absolutely what we had advertised and better. What a great evening – music was great, sound great and his audience presence was amazing. I have never had as many people stop and comment on how much they enjoyed the concert and the “young men”. Please send this to all the others who will fortunate enough to have him. They are a jewel and extremely easy to work with.” – Lynn Kot, Layh Theatre - Layh Theatre


"Another suburb live review"

“David is a marvelous songwriter: his lyrics are funny and poignant and though-provoking and daring. And his rapport with the audience is excellent: his humour and story-telling ability, and his comedic sense of timing had our audience laughing out loud in between songs, and chuckling along during many others. The musicianship of all three men, David, Kyle and Alan, is superb.” – John and Sandra Barth, Lakes District Arts Council - Lakes District Arts Council


"David Myles - In the Nighttime Review"

“Riding on the coattails of his success with Classified, on the wildly successful “Inner Ninja”, comes “How’d I Ever Think I Loved You”, the advance single from Myles’ May 14, 2-disc In the Nighttime set. It’s an instantly hummable track buoyed by a mellow reggae backbeat welded to a pure popmelody. The full release promises to explore various facets to this understated pop maestro. We can only wait, and dream where that may take us.” – New Canadian Music - New Canadian Music


"David Myles - In the Nighttime Review"

"The double album refreshingly confirms that Myles cannot be defined by a single genre, as his unwavering vocals traverse from 1950s do-wop to modern day hip hop, from enchanting folk ballads to crooner jazz, with even some calypso-esque flavours! ... Listeners will never tire from playing “In the Nighttime,” identifying with a particular track for practically every sort of occasion." - ArtsEast - ArtsEast


"L’album de David Myles « In the Nighttime » en magasin dès le 14 mai"

“David Myles is recognizable for his voice which is full of soul, flawlessness and seduction… With In the Nighttime, Myles fully confirms his reputation as an entertainer.” – Info-Culture - Info-Culture


"David Myles puts smooth vocals to good use In the Nighttime"

“sonically gorgeous” – The Daily Gleaner - The Daily Gleaner


"David Myles Live at the Cohn Review"

"Transitioning seamlessly between doo-wop, ballads, and more up-tempo songs, David’s stage banter was impeccable. He joked with the crowd about how difficult it was, as a self-professed nerdy type, to write his first sensual love song, saying with a laugh, “I decided to boldly go where no tall, skinny man had ever gone before, no matter how uncomfortable it made me. Or you, for that matter,” before beginning Turn Time Off; he told stories about being a new father; he reminisced about playing in his elementary school band, calling for a round of applause for school music programs; and he talked about playing with Classified and laughed when talking about the different crowds they attract, and how he’s “terrified of teenagers”." - Jen Ochej, Sea Legs - Sea Legs


"David Myles - In the Nighttime Review"

“The first disc, In The Nighttime, is a delightful eleven tracks that have a distinctively 1950s feel overall. The self-professed “Mr. Love Song”, David has recorded a bunch of pure beauties on this record including the sweet I Wouldn’t Dance, the longing What Would I Have To Do and Kiss You Goodnight, and a really gorgeous cover of En Decembre, in French, natch. … The second disc, aptly titled The After Party, was produced by Myles’s longtime friend and collaborator Classified, and it is FUN. I literally find it physically impossible to hear these six tracks and not dance.” - Jen Ochej, Sea Legs - Sea Legs


"David Myles - In the Nighttime Review"

“Would it be too much to call David Myles one of the most prolific love-song writers in Canada?” - Michael Thomas, Grayowl Point - Grayowl Point


"David Myles - On The Line Review"

You don’t see many singer/songwriters who, besides guitar, play trumpet. That’s just one of the differences that make David Myles stand out on his second release. This is one of the most accomplished discs this critic has heard so far this year. It does everything well. He has an engaging voice, the songs are good, the players are all top flight, the horn section soulful, and the instrumentation and arrangements are imaginative and cleverly put together. If he keeps up like he does here, and avoids the self-destruction trap, this young man is going to the top. You heard it here first: he’s as good as Paul Simon or some other rootsy musical prodigy. Really. A terrific second disc.

- Barry Hammond


"David Myles - Live at the Carleton Review"

Note to every band or solo artist who has yet to record and release a live album: this is the way to do it right.

David Myles, the man behind last year’s well-received Turn Time Off, played four shows at the Carleton Bar in Halifax. Little did he know, all four shows were recorded and he decided to release his live album based on that.

Myles really does have it all as a musician. He’s got great vocal control and great musicianship and is also extremely humble and witty. Not to mention his kickass backing band of Alan Jeffries (lead guitar and harmonies) and Kyle Cunjak (upright bass and harmonies).

His banter with the audience in between songs is always hilarious to listen to. His first bit of banter is after the opening song “Need A Break.” The song itself is really bluesy and showcases the vocal control that makes Myles such an incredible singer to listen to. But anyways, after the song Myles comments that it’s nice to not have to drive around for new shows since he had four shows in a row in the same place. “We feel like ninjas,” he said.

He goes on to talk about how he wanted to be like Bruce Springsteen, how he’s great Facebook friends with David Suzuki and how he was doubtful that “a tall, skinny guy with glasses” could write a hot and steamy love song (turns out he could, the song “Turn Time Off.”)

Humbleness aside, the chemistry that Myles, Jeffries and Cunjak share on stage is rare. The three harmonize flawlessly on almost all the songs, and the simple combination of just rhythm guitar, lead guitar and upright bass create the perfect folky and bluesy sound that Myles is known for.

This great sound also elicits many cheers from the audience, and perhaps the peak of the audience’s love for Myles is in the album’s second-last song, “When It Comes My Turn.” The audience actually sings the last part along with him. Other great songs include “Drive Right Through” which is a tribute to basically New Brunswick as a whole (in other words, do not drive right through New Brunswick or you’ll be missing a lot) as well as “Turn Time Off” which, as mentioned earlier, is a very sensual song that Myles never thought he’d be able to write.

Live albums with great atmospheres are always a pleasure to hear and it was even better that Myles knew nothing about the recordings beforehand.
- Grayowl Point


"5/5"

If I called it music for a rainy day, that would be selling it short, although these wistful tunes mimic the feel and sound of rain on the eaves. If I said it was the soundtrack for a bold adventure, you'd get the wrong idea, although the lyrical sentiments journal the reflective moments of a rugged journeyer on the highway of life. If I said the style was familiar but uncharted, I would be shortchanging you with an oxymoron, perhaps cheating you into accepting my words instead of the remarkable music of David Myles.

Raised on jazz, Myles may have been attracted to this simple, open roots sounds because it reflects the directness and honesty of his lyrics. There is no artifice here - the music is airy without being artsy, soul-filled without becoming megalomaniacal. Costumed in the gladrags of roots, jazz, blues and ragtime, the songs capture that familiar feeling of unnameable longing that we so seldom allow ourselves the time to feel. Music for a rainy day? Then let it pour.

- FFWD


"David Myles - Turn Time Off Review"

On his fourth record, Myles has found the recipe that works best for him. With some excellent production from Polaris short-lister Joel Plaskett, Myles has delivered a rock solid collection of warm, soulful pop songs that warm you with each and every listen. Myles has always been a whip smart song writer; as accessible and his is enjoyable and over the last few years he's been leaning more on his electric and full band compositions, but Turn Time Off shows him standing front and center with a well earned confidence, trusting a collection of musicians moving perfectly in time behind him.

From the opening moments of the melancholic Out of Love, Myles owns each and every song. He fuses the tracks with emotion without losing the listener. His thoughts could be yours, and as the warm melodies make you sway in time you get lost in the record. Gentle picks and touching harmonies fit perfectly beside experimental sounds (he drifts into a reggae feel on Run Away and even adds some spacey fuzz and dub to the quizzically titled Peace of Mind), subtle textures and even some Chuck Berry inspired electric chug. It's easy to hear this record and say that Myles has written his strongest hooks to date, but also challenged himself with bolder sounds and bigger goals.

It's very fitting Myles decorate his record with a simple picture of him wearing a sharp suit and tie. A cover like that could have been pulled from a stack of vinyl at a yard sale as easily as it could have been uncovered on iTunes or the Web, and it suits Turn Time Off to a tee. The songs and emotions stay with you for much longer than its 36-minute run time; in fact, like a well tailored suit, Turn Time Off will never go out of style. If that doesn't refresh your love of music, I don't know what will.

- Herohill


"Enjoy a ‘full meal deal’ with David Myles’ latest album"

In a few short years, David Myles has gone from being a bright shining light on the local music scene in his native Fredericton to being one of Atlantic Canada’s most highly regarded singer-songwriters.
If you’ve had the opportunity to see this lean, lanky, be-suited troubador in concert, you’ll have no difficulty understanding why.

Myles is the musical equivalent of the full meal deal. He writes interesting songs that appeal to a broad cross-section of people, he has a voice that lends itself easily to a number of different styles of music, he plays respectable guitar and, as if that weren’t enough, literally oozes charm. Myles can be so engaging on stage and so disarming that people sometimes fail to appreciate just how good a songwriter he actually is.

Myles’ 2008 release, On The Line, should have erased any doubt as to whether he has what it takes to go the distance.But if you still need to be convinced I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of Myles’ latest offering, Turn Time Off, when it hits the streets April 20. Helmed by award-winning artist/producer Joel Plaskett, who also co-wrote one of the album’s 11 songs, Turn Time Off is one of those records that had me from the minute I popped into the slot. And it’s not because he was offering up more of the same stuff that first aroused my interest in Myles in 2006 when he released Things Have Changed.

Turn Time Off is in fact a different kind of record for Myles. This is essentially a pop record, albeit a pop record with a healthy injection of soul, a little dash of folk and a smidgeon of bluegrass. Think smooth. Think soulful. Think wonderful. Think Stephen Bishop meets Sam Cooke. Turn Time Off is a very personal record and a very insightful record. It’s about self-examination and putting things into their proper perspective. It’s about discovering what you need to give life meaning. It’s about the importance of love and building relationships.

It’s about how we view change and how we deal with it or, as the case may be, don’t deal with it. These are passionate, heartfelt songs but they are neither mushy are overly sentimental. Turn Time Off is a handsomely crafted record, with arrangements that serve Myles’ music but do not overpower it.
Myles wrote nine of the songs and co-wrote the remaining two.

Out of Love was co-written with Plaskett, while So Far Away was written with bluesman Garrett Mason. The story behind the album is in itself interesting.
The seeds for the record were sewn during the summer of 2009 while Myles and his band were on a European tour opening for U.K singer Jools Holland.
During a break in the tour they rented a houseboat in Amsterdam and spent some time on-board playing around with some song ideas. When Myles completed the songs he and Plaskett set to work building the record in Plaskett’s studio where they recorded on a 16-track, two-inch tape machine that gave the songs a rich, analog sound they felt captured some of the spontaneity and joy of a live performance. Myles was joined in the studio by long time band mates Alan Jeffries (guitar) and Kyle Cunjak (bass) as well as a number of special guests, including keyboard player Joanna Borromeo and drummer Joshua Van Tassel. Plaskett also played some guitar.

It’s a little early in the year to start making predictions about how this record may fare when next year’s ECMA and Juno Award nominations are announced, but I suspect it will fare very well. Choice cuts on this set include Out of Love, People Don’t Change, Turn Time Off, Pair of Shoes and Gone for Long.
- The Guardian - Doug Gallant


"David Myles - Turn Time Off Review"

The fourth full-length release from Canada's David Myles. While this fellow is already well-known in many musical circles, for us Turn Time Off serves as an introduction. Wow. This guy is good. Damn good. David Myles writes and records soothing mid-tempo pop injected with a heavy dose of modern soul. Produced by Joel Plaskett (a real favourite here in the babysue office suites), Turn Time Off hits the target with each and every track. The arrangements are sparse and appropriate...which allow the listener to focus on Myles' super smooth, understated voice. There is already a strong word-of-mouth buzz about this guy's music. Time Off will no doubt be the album that will transfer some of that Canadian success to the United States. Many of these tracks remind us of Ron Sexsmith...but only slightly. Killer tracks include "Out Of Love," "Run Away," "Gone For Long," "Lean Into The Wind," and "I Will Love You." Smart and sincere.”

- Baby Sue


"David Myles’ everyday brilliance"

David Myles, a self-described “tall, skinny dude with glasses,” doesn't think of himself as skilled in the art of seduction. But he's selling his musical talent way short, as he proves in this live set.

Myles himself is a dab hand at rhythm guitar, but it's this New Brunswicker's aw-shucks stage patter and honest, witty lyrics that seal the deal. From the opening “Need a Break,” these boys — including crack backups Alan Jeffries (lead guitar) and Kyle Cunjak (double bass) — use their mastery of old-fashioned blues, bluegrass and roots-pop to pierce the truths of contemporary life.

After all, who doesn't dream of a few days' break from work, family and all the other stresses of daily life? “Turn Time Off” and deep-blues “Give You Up” are the finest love songs I've heard in ages. There are plenty of smiles to go around this short-and-sweet set, but the wittiest is Myles' home-province-touting “Don't Drive Through,” something anyone who has taken the Trans-Canada Highway down the St. John River Valley can relate to.

Myles claims he had no idea sound guy Jonathan Cornwall was recording this talented trio's four nights of song in Halifax at the Carleton, which makes these flawlessly polished performances on this album all the more noteworthy.
- toronto.com May 23, 2011


"Fredericton's David Myles returns"

David Myles

On The Line

(Little Tiny Records/Fontana North)

(****)

Fredericton native David Myles delivers his third album, another enjoyable, laid-back collection of sparse, easy-going folk tunes.

He is joined by a great cast of East Coast talent, including Matt Mays, Old Man Luedecke, Garrett Mason and Hot Toddy's Tom Easley (whose upright bass playing really lends a great feel to many of the songs).

From moody jazz ("When Will We Learn"), to upbeat country ditties ("New Friend") to catchy Matt Mays-ish folk-rockers ("I Don't Want To Know" featuring Mays himself) this album has a lot to offer.

Myles is a charming songwriter who writes tunes of love, life's troubles and hope that are easy to relate to.

The various guests each offer a taste of their own styles as well and enhance each song here and there, but this is really Myles' show. A really enjoyable album.



- Times Transcript


"United by Myles - Stephen Cooke"

Singer-songwriter has one of the biggest "sleeper" albums of the year

HALIFAX-BASED singer-songwriter David Myles is a uniter, not a divider.

On his latest CD, Things Have Changed, Myles’ warm, modern folk songs are augmented by an intriguing mix of seasoned roots musicians like Hot Toddy’s Tom Easley and percussionist Geoff Arsenault and alternative scene players like Dale Murray, Gabe Minnikin, and Super Friendz’ Matt Murphy and Charles Austin, who also co-produced.

The result is a record that is much more than the sum of its parts, one that worms its way into your memory on repeated listens, and makes it one of the biggest ""sleeper" albums released in this region this year.

"That’s probably the coolest thing about the disc, bringing these two worlds together," says mild-mannered New Brunswicker Myles, who opens for Sarah Slean on Friday night at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. "Charles hadn’t worked with Geoff before, but he was totally into it. And Geoff loved it, because it’s this totally different community. I mean, he plays with people like Rita MacNeil and Mary Jane Lamond, and Charles works with mainly indie artists.

"It was great to be able to get a little bit of everything, because all of those people are extremely musical. Dale is the most musical guy, and it’s really an experience to combine him with people like Tom and Geoff, who you give an idea to and they just take it somewhere beyond your expectation. Dale has that ability, and at a young age too."

But Myles himself has feet in both worlds, having started out as a trumpet player in jazz and soul bands in his native Fredericton, gravitating towards the guitar and writing songs during a stint living in China.

Myles’ musical passions, from Miles Davis to Bob Dylan, have resulted in music that’s emotionally direct while having a stylistic will o’ the wisp quality that’s really at home in any venue, and on any stereo.

"I’m trying to keep it that way," he laughs. "I kinda feel like either it doesn’t fit in anywhere, or it might fit in a little bit everywhere. I think a lot of it is psychological. Sometimes if you play finger-style guitar, and you play solo, people will say that you’re a blues guy. Or if you play in certain clubs and dress a certain way and promote yourself in a blues context, then it would seem like a given.

"But if you don’t, then people don’t even ask questions. It’s a kind of a weird thing, but I’m hoping I can keep it up. My goal is to play music to everybody; ideally I would like to be just as at home in small towns as big cities."

For now, Myles is happy to call Halifax home, and has broadened his circle of friends in the local music scene, including fellow singer-songwriters who’ve taken him on tour across Canada, like Catherine MacLellan and Jill Barber, who also performs on two numbers on Things Have Changed.

"I feel like I’ve been really lucky, getting to do these amazing tours," he says. "My last trip with Jill was just phenomenal.

"It started with playing out west; I think the way you learn to be a performer is by connecting with an unknown audience. It’s the most exciting thing about playing music, playing to new people who don’t know your music and then trying to convert them. When you get them on side, it’s magic."
- The Chronicle Herald (Halifax)


"Daily News - Jerry West"

Myles's latest CD a mix of influences
By Jerry West - The Daily News

Some things surprise you when you first learn them, but later they make sense. Things like singer-songwriter David Myles's relationship with the trumpet.

Myles has been playing the trumpet since he was 10, because at the school he went to in Fredericton, playing in the band was considered cool. It was his introduction to music, and he lugged the horn back and forth to band practise every day throughout junior high and high school.

Now, it's getting him recording work with the likes of Buck 65 and The Superfriendz.

But after a handful of listens to Myles's second album Things Have Changed, the trumpet isn't likely to be the thing that stands out in your mind.

The music is powered by Myles's acoustic guitar, with the upright bass of Hot Toddy's Tom Easley and Geoff Arsenault brushing on the drums. Between them, they create an often driving rhythm, to offset Myles's smooth voice.

"The last thing I wanted to do was put trumpet in a song just because I could," said Myles, who moved to Halifax from Toronto last September. "I tried to find places where it really belonged."

And he found such places in six of the 10 tracks on the album.

The horn follows Myles and the velvety-voiced Jill Barber as they float down the languid romantic stream of Love Again, with lines such as "Please tell me why you won't believe, that I'm the only one for you and you're the only one for me."
And it provides a quiet rise above his voice, as he channels a jazz-inflected Leonard Cohen on Last Night, with bawdy lines such as "Well I may be strong and able, but my discipline is shameful, and I can't say no to a night that calls my name."

But just as important to the album is the haunting pedal steel behind Take Your Bow or the banjo on When it Comes My Turn. The latter is a raucous tune with a loose chorus of voices singing "I want to die with a smile when it comes my turn."

It�s the kind of joyful song that could pull you out of the crankiest of moods.

Myles came to singing because of his fascination with trumpeter/singer Chet Baker, and only took up the guitar so he could have something to accompany himself with. Songwriting came, he says, because it seemed easier than learning to cover other people's tunes.

He mixes all of his influences together on Things Have Changed and comes up with a hybrid roots-and-B style with intelligent, complex lyrics and a musicality rich in subtle emotions. And above all, it's a lot of fun.
- The Daily News (Halifax)


Discography

Real Love (September 2017)

Here Now (April 2016)

So Far (September 2015)

It's Christmas (October 2014)

In the Nighttime (May 2013)
Into the Sun (October 2011)
Live at The Carleton (April 2010)
Turn Time Off (April 2010)
On The Line (May 2008)
Things Have Changed (2006)
Together and Alone (2005)

Photos

Bio

Rock ’n’ roll’s diverse, electrifying roots dig deep into David Myles’ tenth album, Real Love. You can hear them in the old-school Johnny Cash shuffle and lightning-in-a-bottle twang of “Night And Day.” They pull you by the hand and dance slowly to the swingy drums and ‘50s-era, Roy Orbison croon of “Easy.” With the rousing orchestral thrill of “Night After Night,” they sprawl out into simmering soul as Myles seethes at a lover who’s been running around with another. Over Real Love’s 13 tracks, written as razor-sharp as Myles’ signature suits, those roots grow into a spectacular family tree of American musical tradition—with all its blood, sweat, and tears—that’s as endlessly entertaining as it is riveting.

When you hear the shuffling hip-swivel of “Cry, Cry, Cry,” it’s clear Real Love is the album Myles was built to write. Since before competing in a lip-sync contest at seven-years-old by faux-belting “Heartbreak Hotel,” he’s been honing his skills, learning his way around the clash of country and R&B Elvis shook the world with in 1956. Real Love’s tendency to mix lush arrangements and danceable rhythms with timeless rock ’n’ roll structures has led some early listeners to dub the album’s vibrant sound “Elvis in Motown.” It’s easy to see why on the tambourine dance floor dream of the title track or the soulful, lonesome balladry of “Crazy To Leave,” a tune that re-confirms the magnetic Myles’ status as an unrivalled romantic.

All this new music injected with rhythm and groove will certainly be shakin’ up Myles’ already enthralling live performances. Even more toe-tapping, more head-nodding, and yes—more hip-swivelling—is coming to the David Myles Road Show with Real Love added to the band’s repertoire. It was written to achieve maximum entertainment, and the gorgeous three-part harmonies of “Dreaming” or the deliriously giddy bounce of “Everybody Knows” will be flooring crowds across the country this year and beyond. Real Love is an absorbing rejuvenation of rock ’n’ roll’s dramatic power—it will make you dance, weep, and never forget where you were the first time you felt it. That’s how you know love is real, after all.

Band Members