Scraps of yellow paper, old beer cans, muddy ditch water, sunrise on the mountains, a deer at the edge of the highway, rain, the rush and howl of a nation blasting past us as we stand at the side of the road, waiting to be chosen.
Sounds Like
Wolves howling in the forest and a semi bearing down on a blind curve at midnight.
From Dawson City to the Baja Peninsula, from Haida Gwaii to the Cape Breton Highlands, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Jeff Andrew and spoken word-artist shayne avec i grec have trekked tens of thousands of miles by thumb, rail, bus & foot, chasing minstrels, miscreants and mysteries along the way. In the spring of 2008, these ragged wanderers joined forces as Ghosts of the Highway to hitchhike from Victoria, BC to St. John's, NFLD. Along the way the pair sold copies of their self-produced album "Road Warriors Unite" and performed a mix of original and traditional folk songs, spoken word, Celtic ballads and fiddle tunes to audiences in nearly 50 different bars, cafes, kitchens, art galleries, bookstores and back-alleys across Canada.
With a voice like rusted steel creaking in the wind, Jeff performs on a pawnshop's worth of instruments (though he limited himself to guitar, fiddle and harmonica for the hitchchiking tour) and sings road-worn fantasies like a hard-traveling vagabond caught somewhere between a logging camp and the faerie underworld. His songs echo the drama and dust of the old folksingers, filled with stories of heartsick pilgrims and vanishing angels passing through places like Vancouver's Downtown Eastside or disappearing from the Highway of Tears in Northern BC. This winter Jeff released his debut solo album "Vagabonds & Wastrels," available now on Shade Tree Records.
Taking the term rambler to heart, shayne is often seen traveling thru the physical realms of highways and truck stops while rambling his way thru myriad stories of past, present and future. He is prone to outbursts of glee and his poems range from visionary tales to hyperkinetic bursts of abstract wordplay, mixing politics, metaphysics and love. As a performer his booming voice and energetic delivery owes a debt of gratitude to the beats, slam poetry and the open road. Whether speaking softly over the strains of mellow musical accompaniment or bellowing off-mic from the edge of the stage, shayne's voice holds a commanding presence that draws any within earshot into the worlds of his words.
As Ghosts of the Highway, Jeff and shayne bring a show like an old-style revue: a mix of music, storytelling and audience participation. They frequently perform straight from the floor, stomping their boots and belting like born-again carnival barkers. Whenever possible the stage is opened to anyone in the room with a story or song of their own, creating an inclusive, inspiring atmosphere that breaks down the walls between audience and performer. This August they will be appearing at the ArtsWells and Robson Valley music festivals and playing select shows in the interior of BC.
!!We found a Chocolate Factory, like any other from any other city, that throws out chocolate.
Just cause it can't sell.... even though it's still completely edible!! !! an we wrote a song about it, called it "Chocolate Dumpster" and spoofed the tune from Tom Waits track "Chocolate Jesus" take a listen! visit the site if you like what you hear! (you may want to skip through, or listen, our other tracks if your just interested in the Chocolate Dumpster song...)
aw, no worries. i called che's twice and the guy behind the receiver just gave me a bunch of blank 'duuuhh...' noises, and said you weren't playing. i took one down for fate and reveled in the spontaneity that composed that one thursday. Certainly hope the sun sets your cheeks aglow in the days to come. take care for now!
comment ca va guys!! I was just wondering where you were and How things are going for you. I am sending you some sunshine from Powell River!!!And There's also a sea lion thats waving from my back door.. He says Hi.
you are beautiful: the voices of your words is the fluttering wings of freshly freed souls. i look forward to your return. keep your feet dry until then.
hello beautiful souls. thanks again for your words and vibes and soul up on that stage. and for inviting me up there to shed a little soul of my own. thanks for the memories.
Road warriors we are all. It's good to know you brother. Let's keep in touch.
Cheers,
Joe Chisholm host IndieCan Radio www.indiecan.com info@Indiencan.com THIS WEEK: Epsisode 71 starts and finishes in Ottawa with Love Machine live at IndieCan and Donkey Punch chatting about how fans are responding to their use of gig-stick technology. Through the other 35 minutes we go 5 time zones with Pride Tiger in Vancouver, The Golden Dogs in Toronto, Jon Mullane in Halifax and more.
