Connor McGuire is my son.
For starters, here’s his current bio:
CONNOR MCGUIRE & THE LIVES of OTHERS
Earnestly passionate and driven, Connor McGuire is an urban troubadour. Contemplative lyrics full of vigor and wisdom suggest a life that has been, if nothing else, lived to the fullest. Connor uses melody and clever guitar work to create auras of uncertain hope and delicate despondency.
The product of a musical upbringing in White Rock, B.C., Connor began writing his own songs at the age of twelve. He wrote and played with a few bands that were over before they could get off the ground, and eventually found solace in writing solo material. He used his proficiency with multiple instruments to create spare songs that were also multifaceted and thought provoking. After a few years of writing, home-recording and playing live shows, Connor was ready to record an album.
At the age of 19, Connor recorded Different After Dawn. He and his father, Ra McGuire, co-produced the album. Ra brought additional experience to the recording process, stemming from his own musical career as lead singer of Canadian rock band Trooper. The album was engineered by Pat Glover (Paul Rodgers, Bon Jovi) and recorded at Whitewater Productions/Liberty Studios. Connor worked as a solo artist on the record. With the exception of a sparsely used string section, he played all the instruments himself. Music and message come together seamlessly. An effectively minimalistic musical approach, combined with honest and fearless lyrics, create a true work of heart on Different After Dawn.
The album was critically received and charted on Canadian and US college radio and the CBC’s Radio 1, but Connor was already missing the power and creative collaboration of a band. He searched for a year, and by early 2009 had enlisted three of the city’s finest young players: Jim Black (The Jim Black Collective), Ross Jenkins (There, There) and Jay Benison (Econoline Crush, Veer and Brian Howes).
With the new band came a new, more powerful direction. Intense and concentrated sessions at White Rock’s Rock Beach Studios captured an entirely new crop of songs. The new direction has fueled a new beginning for McGuire’s songwriting and the songs are coming faster than rehearsals can be scheduled.
Connor McGuire and The Lives of Others are becoming a staple on the west coast music scene, their fan base is growing and Connor McGuire is in his element and going forward again.
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“Both personal and observant, the sparseness adding to its intimacy… By the next record, McGuire likely will have changed again, but for now this is remarkably confident and sure.”
- Tom Harrison – The Vancouver Province
“Connor McGuire’s songs take a road traveled by the likes of Mason Jennings and Jason Collett… His lyrical couplets follow ideas to their full conclusion (see “The End of the Line”), blending axioms and blunt moments into a seamless earnestness.”
- Synthesis Magazine
“Connor’s restless energy and perfectionism ear-mark him, to my mind, as one of those talents to watch for on the Canadian music scene.”
- Alex Browne – The Peace Arch News
“Connor McGuire is passionate/pissed off, positive/perplexed, political/pacifist all key traits we look for in a troubadour. This is the beginning of something real & great.”
- Dave Chesney – The White Rock Sun
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I’m extremely proud of Connor and the music he’s making, and would like you all to aquaint yourselves with his amazing music.
To see everything I’ve posted about him on this site click here
Check his recent recordings at his MySpace page, visit his “official website; connor-mcguire.com and his Facebook page . Check some videos on his YouTube channel and buy his CD at CD Baby or iTunes. If you’re interested in booking Connor, email him at: connor.j.mcguire@gmail.com.
