Greg MacPherson

December 2nd 2024

Somehow 25 years have passed since Balanced on a Pin was released, December 1999. I did my first real tour across Canada the next month, solo by train from Winnipeg to Nova Scotia. I booked that tour mostly by mail, cold calling venues and sending cassette tape demos in little envelopes with a hand written note asking for an opening gig. I had an email address but we all used landline phones and Canada Post back then. 25 years does seem like a long time when you put it that way.

We recorded that album in Winnipeg’s legendary Private Ear studios on Dagmar Street. The owners, Neal and Lloyd, held that place together with late night repairs and years of hustling. Two inch tape, huge live room with hardwood floors, big warm control room, old video games, Lloyd’s old telecaster, I loved that place. Lloyd recorded it, Paul James mixed it, Barry Mirochnick flew home from BC to produce it, and my band around that time had Rod Hussey on bass, Christine Fellows on guitar, and Jason Tait on drums. I gave people haircuts between takes, people’s marriages began, other people’s marriages ended, the 90s were drawing to a close and we managed to document what that sounded like from downtown Winnipeg.

To commemorate that occasion I am organizing an anniversary show, December 20th at Public Domain in Winnipeg. It turns out my Night Flares album is turning 20 in a couple months as well so we’ll be playing Balanced on a Pin in one set and then Night Flares in a second set. Hope to see you.

May 8th 2024

My friend Eddie Young in Fredericton reached out last year asking if Rob and I could play his festival this summer. We love festivals, we love Fredericton, and we love Eddie so we said yes. We’re playing Living Roots Festival on June 8 and we built a tour around it, with help from a few of our closest friends. There is love and empathy in this world, justice and hope too if you seek it out.

March 30th 2024

Growing up largely on the east coast of Canada, my father and brothers were big Montreal Canadiens fans. Hockey is an incredible sport to watch and to play but there’s a lot wrong with the NHL so I don’t talk much publicly about being a hockey fan. That said, I follow the Canadiens closely and I find myself enjoying what is written and said about the team even more than I do watching the games. Two of my favourite sports journalists are Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin, formerly of Le Support Athlétique and now of the Basu and Godin Notebook.  On a recent episode of the latter, they mentioned needing some theme music for one of their segments, I hurried something together for them, and to my delight they are using it. These are quality human beings, if you enjoy sports-journalism I recommend their podcast and their writing.

March 12th 2024

Dark times in the world. I have found this podcast useful over the past few months. I also find it useful to play music. Stand by for show announcements – late April in Hamilton and Guelph, Ontario, and a week of shows in Quebec, New Brunswick, and possibly elsewhere in early June. In the meantime, life and justice are precious – stay informed and stay safe everyone.

February 18th 2024

I have some solo shows coming up in Ontario, including this one on Saturday, February 24 at the Broom Factory in Kingston. See you soon.

January 6th 2024

NEW –  GM Band (the Gardiner brothers, Michel Germain and Steve Bates) At the Good Will Social Club January 27 – 2pm doors 3pm us

 

February 16th 2023

GM Band featured on Argyle Studio’s first episode of In the Attic

 

February 13th 2023

Been too long. The world feels different. Time to make music. New recordings and shows coming soon.

July 16th 2019

I’m playing a couple of solo shows in PEI and New Brunswick at the beginning of August, see the ‘Shows’ page for details.

January 27th 2019

Figure Walking has recorded and mixed a new album. Vertical/Horizontal will be released in late summer 2019 on Disintegration Records. Stay tuned for tour details.