June 21, 2012 Music » Music Feature

Pin It
Share

More by Sarah Mateshaytis

Home is where the heart is 

For Morgan MacDonald, inspiration was close at hand for his new EP.

by
click to enlarge Morgan MacDonald shows love for the locals
  • Morgan MacDonald shows love for the locals

Local. It's probably the best word to sum up country/folk musician Morgan MacDonald. From Chester, Nova Scotia, MacDonald's releasing his debut EP Back to the Wilderness in Halifax on June 27. And he's not short on local influence. "I really enjoy what's happening locally," MacDonald says. "As much as there's bands from all over the place that I really like, I feel like saying that I was influenced by The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Neil Young---even though it's true---might be a little redundant."

Instead he says he's inspired by the likes of Steve Gates, Acres and Acres, Tanya Davis, Amelia Curran and Old Man Luedecke, to name a few, and he's got an EP stacked with Haligonian talent, including producer Paul Aucoin.

"The people that I have the chance to play with is probably my favourite part of music. Other than getting to know people and getting to travel----getting to meet people and listen to such great artists in an intimate environment," says MacDonald. "I've always enjoyed seeing live music---it's kind of hard to beat."

Growing up on the south shore, MacDonald says his parents were both avid music fans. "You know, family events, camping and whatever, there's was always lots of music around." And once he came to Halifax, he definitely got in with the right crowd. Hanging out with Acres and Acres and Caledonia, he says they encouraged him to start developing songs. He started playing at parties and eventually started opening for them, and it's only progressed from there.

Now with a four-track EP under his belt and about to embark on a cross-Canada tour, he says he just wants to play for more people, travel and build up more of a fan base. "To be honest, I feel good about the songs but I'm very much getting started as a songwriter," he says. "Some of the other local artists, like Old Man Luedecke and Amelia Curran, they are really great at using simile and telling stories from different perspectives, which I definitely want to do." --Sarah Mateshaytis

Morgan MacDonald w/ Dark for Dark, Greensleeves, Wednesday, June 27 at The Company House, 2202 Gottingen Street, 8pm

more articles in Music »

  • For Morgan MacDonald, inspiration was close at hand for his new EP.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this thread:
By Email
With RSS

Add a comment

Latest in Music Feature

Events
Music
Film Times
Dining
Locations

Coast Top Ten

Most Read
Most Shared
Most Discussed
  1. Dare to Caravan   (Music Feature)
  2. Counting Sheep   (Scene And Heard)
  3. Ben Caplan’s top 10 HRM haunts   (East Coast Music Week)
  4. Hayden’s family ties   (Music Feature)
  5. Zolkower’s folk hour   (Music Feature)
  6. Bones brigade   (Music Feature)
  7. House of Lancaster strips down   (Music Feature)
  8. Young ones   (Music Feature)
  9. Zac Crouse lets his paddle be his guide   (Music Feature)
  10. Ria’s spark   (Music Feature)

In Print This Week

Vol 20, No 52
May 23, 2013

Cover Gallery »

Guides

© 2013 Coast Publishing Ltd.