Glen Burg

Since a very young age, Glen Burg's identity has been equally divided between a classic rock record collection and computers. While modern styles have always had a place in his ear, it was the '70s musical aesthetics which stayed closer to his heart: music as art, catchy musical hooks, and creative ideals... but on a shoestring budget. His love of technology made him a natural to indulge in home recording and digital editing, giving him an outlet for his muse similar to Tom Scholz (of Boston) or Todd Rundgren, back in the day.

Through the years, Glen has been involved in traditional Scottish and Acadian music, French singer-songwriter folk stylings, and the occasional progressive rock foray. More recently, he has collaborated in retro-garage rock with Moncton's Purple Knight, Dave Matthews Band-style jazz-pop fusion with Wescut, and an alt-folk sound with the Mike V Band which has been described as "the Velvet Underground transformed into an Irish pub/dance band". And should that sound as eclectic, it pales in comparison to his archives of personal recordings jealously guarded.

Glen Burg continues to call two places home, both seemingly polar geographical and musical opposites. On one side, the rural and woodsy Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia teems with tradition, as its aging population holds onto many musical traditions from Acadian and Scottish ancestries. On the other, Moncton, New Brunswick sees a thriving youth-oriented alternative scene which breathes life into varying musical styles, including several forms of folk and popular music. Both have influenced Glen throughout the years, leading to several recordings in varying styles.

Glen Burg's first forays onto the stage resulted from work in dinner theatre. This may seem to be anathema at first glance, but in the case of Le Théàtre des Moineaux, resulted in a relatively successful CD release in 1995 and a nomination at the Gala FM en Acadie in 1998. Soon after came recorded collaborations with Acadian artists such as Sylvia LeLièvre, le Groupe LeLièvre and Entourage. While Glen was better-known on the Acadian scene, his own recordings remained in the English language, for no other reason than the fact his first musical loves were mostly Anglophone in nature. Recorded demos flirted with alternative rock, progressive rock, New Age and oblique folk-pop relying on influences from the previous three.

A chance suggestion by a friend to check up on the RPM Challenge (where participants are encouraged to record, mix, and digitally release an album within the month of February) led Glen Burg to record what became the defining sound in his recording career so far. While the original intent for the project was to record something "accessible", his "Newsound Same" folk-pop songcycle (admittedly an anachronism in today's recording industry) surprised Burg with its easy yet satisfying hooks and choruses. In an accessible singer-songwriter style, "Newsound Same" melds the sound of '70s Eagles, Fleetwood Mac & America with the modern stylings of Jason Mraz & John Mayer. Glen's voice, often referred to as "unique" or "unexpected", sounds like an Eagle at times emulating Jann Arden or Todd Rundgren, His music is familiar yet edgy, pop with bite. What's more, the album's songs were also mostly easy to perform live, whether solo acoustic or with full band. The result was an album that was both easy to listen to and fun to play.

While Glen still indulges in the occasional New Age instrumental recording or retro-pastiche project (such as the work-in-progress "Pacific Atlantic"), he feels it is the commercial appeal of "Newsound Same" which suits him best in a live setting, and may very well become his benchmark for future recording projects and overall live presence. What remains most important to Glen's craft is his eternal question: "Would I enjoy this just as much had someone else written and recorded this song in this manner?" When the answer is "Yes," that's all that matters.