Rolling Down the Mountain

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Earthy, gritty, rootsy. These are the cornerstones of Dave McCann’s artform, an Americana explosion out of

Alberta. His unique and brilliant blend of blues, country, folk, and goodtime rock and roll is a fantastic and

spellbinding proposition, exceptionally highlighted throughout his Soothsayer’s Blues LP, a collection of nine

tracks released this August. Described as ‘unapologetic’, this album snapshots Dave at his best, not holding

back, journeying along highways of sound at a brilliant pace, bottling the energy and raw spirit of heartland

music, played with soul and a primal intent. And as the buzz and excitement surrounding Soothsayer’s Blues

continues to gradually build, Dave took a brief respite to chat with Aldora Britain Records about his life in

story and song to date. We discussed popular original compositions from his back-catalogue, his growth and

evolution as an artist over the years, current big influences and inspirations, and much, much more. That

exclusive in-depth conversation is published here in full for the very first time.

 

Interview with Thomas Hilton, Aldora Britain

 

Q: Hello Dave, how are you?  I am excited to be talking with such a fantastic artist from over in Alberta.  It is amazing how music can bring us together.  Let’s start off by travelling back in time.  What are some of your earliest musical memories and what was it that first pushed you towards pursuing this passion of yours?

 

Dave McCann: I am getting through this life, and following my vision. So I am good. 

 

My Mom decided to learn guitar when I was around 5 years old. She took some lessons and learned some folk songs. There is a vulnerability when you are branching out and learning something new. I was a safe audience so I was the one who she sang them too. I was kinda the only one that would listen. It was like my own private concert. One of the first songs she learned all the way through was “I Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash. It was certainly a foundational memory for me. A folk song from 1956 that went on to be a billboard country hit. I think great songs have that accessibility, that simplicity that opens people up to the emotional connection of the artist’s expression. They can see themselves in the song. It is about organic connection. It’s foundational to my blueprint.

 

I grew up on 1980’s Metal like most kids of the time. AC\DC, Iron Maiden. The commercial music in that period was pretty useless to my developing sensibilities. Styx “Mr. Roboto” was a number one hit with songs like “She Blinded me with Science” by Thomas Dolby? “Mickey” by Toni Basil. Kinda fun novelty hits. Commercial music started pushing me to search. There has to be something else?  I started exploring acoustic based music in High School and discovered Bob Dylan. That was pivotal for me. That’s what made me want to get an acoustic guitar. You could feel the integrity within the song, the empathy was transparent. It felt life changing. It was a journey that started me digging backwards. Into the Folk Revival, Old Blues, Singer-Songwriters. I admired what these artists could create. It was a spiritual captivation, a deeper transformative appreciation.

 

 

Q: And now, let’s take a leap forward to the present day and your brilliant solo output.  I am definitely drawn in by your songwriting and songcraft.  How do you approach this part of your creative process?  Are you drawn to specific themes or topics?  Perhaps coming from more of a personal, observational, or even fictional perspective or point of view?

 

Dave McCann: Songwriting is magic. I can’t really force myself to write. You have to make peace with the uncertainty of it. It just hits you and bang you have a song. I find it can be trancelike, I kinda get lost in it.

Once it hits you gotta be ready. Responsibilities, Work, Obligations, Life,  they can all spook it off pretty easily. 

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Songwriting is magic. I can’t really force myself to write. You have to make peace with the uncertainty of it. It just hits you and bang you have a song. I find it can be trancelike, I kinda get lost in it.

 

It can start from a line or an idea and then I try to build with a melody and it kinda evolves from that. Mostly feel and emotional association, Once a song digs in a bit, it can open a theme - I like writing thematically. I have some foundational memories of vinyl records. Some of them have that thematic essence. Springsteen’s Nebraska, Dylan’s Times they are a Changing. It’s a more complex process. It’s kinda fun. In the end it is about telling a story or communication in general. Some writers make rules, some break them. As you get older hopefully your expression becomes less about yourself and more about others. I feel called to that. Great artists sometimes make that jump to be less about their own personal expression to an expression that might be useful in a universal way. I like that idea. I am searching for that. In the end I am trying to build songs that have some undeniable strength. When you are an artist with no dreams of pyrotechnics, choreography or stage theatrics the songs are the only thing that matter. 

 

 

Q: You are fresh from releasing a superb new record called Soothsayer’s Blues.  This was also my introduction to your music, so it already holds a special place in my record collection.  What are your memories from writing, recording and releasing it, and how would you say you grew and evolved as an artist throughout this process?

 

Dave McCann: I had this batch of songs that had some association with the mythology of the American South. They kinda hit me and I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I knew I wanted to find a historic place to record them. I had sent a few messages to John Carter Cash about recording at the Cash Cabin, and reached out to Rhiannon Giddens to see if she would produce the project somewhere. When Jimbo sent word out he was taking over the Helm at the Zebra Ranch I sent him a message and he got back to me with some ideas and some interest. I sent him the songs and we hammered out a date. ​

 

Mississippi was beyond intriguing to me. The historic aspect and creative contribution of artists and music from Mississippi is foundational to the origin of North America Roots Music. Black Expression is foundational. I mean Dylan started emulating that. The Folk revival was college kids trying to emulate that. I wanted to know what inspired those artists and when you dug backwards you came to the Blues and beyond the Northern escapes of Chicago and other cities you can trace it back to origins in the Southern States. Mississippi played a major role. Jim Dickinson not only understood the connection, he embraced it. So yes, I was beyond grateful to build the project at the Zebra Ranch and Mississippi.

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“It’s all feel and no fuss ... I had to learn that the first day of recording and pivot a bit indirection. I had to lean into the experience and just kind of surrender to the songs. It was a beautiful process.”

 

Jimbo understands the connection. He honours it - the Mississippi Hill Country, the Memphis Sound and Jim Dickinson’s Legacy.  His production process is salt of the earth. It’s all feel and no fuss. He’s guided by the expression and he kinda lets that lead. I had to learn that the first day of recording and pivot a bit in direction. I had to lean into the experience and just kinda surrender to the songs. It was a beautiful process.

 

Mississippi has a strange magic. It’s an economic underdog and It has this incredible humble integrity wrapped in rustic simplicity and spiritual genius. No contest when it comes to superstition, folklore and mythology - Mississippi leads with that and you’d be hard pressed to find that kinda song lore substance anywhere else in today’s world. It can feel a bit out of time - In a lot of ways we were chasing what music has kinda lost with commercial ambitions as its primary focus. Jimbo has been following those breadcrumbs, he is a good guide to that folk process.

 

 

Q:  I would like to pick out two personal favourites from the record now.  These are ‘Yonder’ and ‘When the Crows Come to Carry Me Home’.  For each, what is the story behind the song, and can you remember the moment it came to be?  Did anything in particular inspire them and what do they mean to you as the writer and performer of each?

 

Dave McCann: When the Crows Come to Carry me Home was inspired by a conversation with my Dad. His Mother was from the Six Nations in Southern Ontario. He had mentioned he always felt connected to the Crows. When he crossed over I could feel that energy, it made a striking visual.

 

I was also thinking about artistic intentions. I had read this story about Pete Seeger’s experience at the Peekskill Riots in New York State in 1949. The Great American Singer Paul Robeson was scheduled to give a Concert for Civil Rights. There was a clash with some violent white supremacists. The concert was cancelled and word was sent out to the Unions in New York City. They provided personal security for the rescheduled event and the concert went ahead. The Klan had stashed piles of rocks at the site entrance and used them to attack cars as they left the site. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, and Lee Hays drove through the chaos in a car. The windows were shattered by stones - inside were Pete’s young children, his wife, and elderly father-in-law. Pete kept the rocks that smashed through the windows and used them when he built the chimney of his cabin in Fishkill, New York. His work is a lasting symbol of resilience for those times. It really wasn’t that long ago. Seems angry patriots are nothing new. History keeps looping, but the blueprints left by the artists who came before us shows us that songs have power. That power lies in connection, in inspiration, and in community. It’s a path that leads through our strange dark times.

 

History keeps looping, but the blueprints left by the artists who came before us shows us that songs have power. That power lies in connection, in inspiration, and in community. It’s a path that leads through our strange dark times.

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Yonder hit me fast. It was written in one sitting and it has a similar sentiment to Crows. It came from the Folk Process and the idea that we are all just links in a chain. I referenced legendary icons that are kinda lost to modern times. I was thinking about why artists rise up with their guitar to sing their songs. Many before the idea of commercial success was a dominant blueprint. Before commercial pressures created the idea of missed opportunities or being left behind despite being ready or willing to go. The drive for ideal success hurts a lot of artists, on the other hand there is not much comfort when you realize you feel a kinship with the lost, the wandering, the forgotten. In my case it’s where my favourite songs exist. It leans on that classic existential-folk perspective - We Need Each Other - we are here to share the human journey, but ultimately face death and meaning as individuals. The human spirit has this amazing capacity to move forward through the chaos into whatever lies ahead. Craving connection and community in a world of impermanence.

 

 

Q: When I listen to the record, I definitely get the impression that you would put on a captivating live show.  I am picturing an immersive performance of story and song, for sure.  Is this something that you do?  If so, what do you aim to bring to the stage as an artist and what can a fan expect from their very first Dave McCann live experience?

 

Dave McCann: I’m always trying to evolve as an artist. Like anyone in this craft, I sometimes hit plateaus in my performance, and I have to push myself to break through them. I’ve been fortunate to work with a core group of players early in my career who taught me so much about music and collaboration. I also had some incredible mentors in the Calgary scene who were pure magic - people like Jenny Allen, Scott Parsons, and Tim Williams.

 

One of my first paid gigs was with Scott Parsons. He’s originally from PEI but was living in Calgary in the ’90s when I moved there. Those artists were deeply immersed in their music, and they gave me a window into the creative process. That’s where I really found my footing and started my first folk band, Dave McCann and the Ten Toed Frogs. We made three records together before evolving into Dave McCann and the Firehearts. When we went down to Nashville to record with Will Kimbrough, we changed the name to reflect a more refined sound. It was exciting to push the music further - to play louder, dig deeper, and ride that edge.

 

I still love that feeling on stage, the energy that comes from leaning into the sound and connecting with the crowd is pretty great. But I also love the other side of it - solo shows - where I can ditch the set list, tell stories, and draw people in with acoustic songs and pure engagement. There’s something special about the intimacy of a listening room. It creates a different kind of magic than a big, loud show.

 

No matter the setting, my goal is always to build that connection. A great artist once told me, “Get on stage and set yourself on fire.” I think about that every time I play.

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No matter the setting, my goal is always to build that connection. A great artist once told me, “Get on stage and set yourself on fire.” I think about that

every time I play.

 

Q: I have been doing some crate-digging over on Bandcamp, leading me back to 2019’s Westbound Til Light.  This is another strong snapshot of you as an artist.  Thank you for the music!  How do you reflect on this set as a whole now, and is there anything that you would edit or change when looking back with the benefit of hindsight?

 

Dave McCann: I feel it’s important to have clear vision right out of the gate. I go into projects with a pretty strong intention set on what I want to accomplish. It can lead to disappointment or a complete welcome surprise. I am aware of my limitations and my expectations so I can intuit pretty good. Westbound was a collaboration with the Firehearts and the Mayhemingways from my old hometown of Peterborough Ontario. A great group of players and the kind of musicians every band wishes they could play with. I had the songs and wanted some traditional style instrumentation for them. I kinda just know what tones might emote best or complement the sentiment of the song. The Process for Westbound was more strategic.

 

Soothsayer’s Blues was a different experience. I feel the songs themselves were kinda the reward. They all kinda worked in congruence for what I wanted to accomplish. Working with Jimbo there was no history between us, so we had to see what the moment of discovery in the studio would bring. Just put the songs out there and see what evolves. I had to abandon expectations - that kinda creative growth is uncomfortable, possibility over probability. It is a beautiful way to work. Jimbo goes by feel. He has his skills and very little pretence. He throws it out there to see what happens. There is a spirit in the room that kinda takes over. The Zebra Ranch has a different kinda pulse. We were out there chasing ghosts. 

 

 

Q: As you well know by now, I love that McCann sound and your approach to making and creating music.  That rootsy, Americana, folky, earthy foundation.  How would you say this style of yours came about, what goes into it for you, and who are some of your biggest influences and inspirations as an artist currently?

 

Dave McCann: Once I dug in on acoustic music I found the typical acoustic based songwriters from the sixties and seventies, that path eventually led to Bob Dylan, that spark led to the early Folk Revival in New York, Cambridge, and The Yorkville Scene in Toronto. I was chasing that and reading all I could about that and seeking the I records I could find, pre-internet. Dave Van Ronk, Patrick Sky, Phil Ochs, Peter Lafarge, Odetta, Buffy, Karen Dalton, Mark Spolestra, Eric Von Schmidt, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez. When you dug back from there you found Stefan Grossman taking lessons from Reverend Gary Davis and it just rolled back into the Blues. When I got to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee I was floored. I found some Smithsonian Folkways releases and It hit me like no other music had. It was transformative but it was also fun. When I got there I read as much as I could about the Blues. The Name Robert Johnson came up and I bought the entire box set on vinyl and that sunk the hook in. It was electric. I was mesmerized. “Hellhound on my Trail” was unforgettable. I think I dropped the needle on that one 20 times in a row.  As I was digging backwards I could kinda grasp the traditional elements to song craft. With folk music you could emulate the basics and feel like you were progressing, at least I could in my limitations. I started to understand the importance of the Blues to the entire body of North American Music.  

 

For me, The Band played an important role. My Introduction was through the Basement Tapes with Bob Dylan. The thing that highlighted it for me was the fact that the guys in The Band were from Ontario, Robbie Robertson had roots in Toronto and The Six Nations Reserve. That was my Grandmother's story. It felt close to home -  an access point for a kid from Ontario. I was already chasing down any kinda music I could find with traditional based instrumentation. The Band managed to weave that spirit into their commercial work. It seems to keep the songs timeless. I was leaning into that as much as I could.

 

 

Q: A broad question to finish.  There have been a lot of changes in the world in the post-COVID era, both throughout society, with political turmoil and even bloodshed in Ukraine and Palestine, and within the music industry too, AI for example.  How would you say these several years have impacted you, both personally and as an artist?  How do you think this time has changed the music industry, both for the good and the bad?

 

Dave McCann: North American Roots music is what lights up my brainstem. Unfortunately commerce has really hijacked the music industry. All the writing for mainstream is pretty engineered towards financial probability. The evolution of that commercial appeal will be AI based publishing, As publishing is already awash in layers of extraction, why would that value system want to pay writers to write songs for that appeal when they can prompt them within seconds - beer can, bikini, tailgate, Friday night - it will write itself and the glitter clones will line up to deliver it to the fans. Most entertainers want to be famous, they are motivated by celebrity, they don’t want to be tormented by some writing process. The industry equation is Fame and Extraction. I crave something deeper.

 

Most entertainers want to be famous, they are motivated by celebrity, they don’t want to be tormented by some writing process. The industry equation is Fame and Extraction. I crave something deeper.

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The kinda music I love is deeply rooted in community and inspired by the human spirit. You can’t really emulate that. There is a recognizable ick factor to any synthetic version. Great songs are always gonna require work. I still believe rent struggle and ten dollar bread fuels better songs than the promise of champagne and caviar. It’s just my thoughts, there is room for all of it, but yes Milli Vanilli were pioneers for today’s music world. 

 

The kinda music I love is deeply rooted in community and inspired by the human spirit. You can’t really emulate that. There is a recognizable ick factor to any synthetic version. Great songs are always gonna require work.

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Quickfire Round

 

1.      Favourite artist or band? Mavis Staples

 

2.      Favourite album? Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes

 

3.      First album you bought with your own money? AC/DC Back in Black

 

4.      Last album you listened to from start to finish? James McMurtry - The Horses and the Hounds

 

5.      First gig as an audience member? Bob Dylan - The O’Keefe Centre, Toronto, Ontario, 1990 - Never Ending Tour

 

6.      Loudest gig as an audience member? Daniel Lanois - Calgary Folk Festival. 1993. Gibson Firebirds and Goldtops into a VOX AC30 fed into 2 Marshall Stacks, BG Vocalist on Bass Pedals, and a Drummer.

 

7.      Style icon? Not sure Denim and Flannel has a leader?

 

8.      Favourite film? Gangs of New York

 

9.      Favourite TV show? Atlanta

 

10.    Favourite up and coming artist or band? KIRBY - Miss Black America

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