“It’s the only thing that helps me make sense of life in general,” says Spencer Burton, of the sad songs for which the musician is best known. “Everybody has something, and music is definitely my go-to. It’s how I get through the day.”
Burton brings his melancholic and haunting tunes to Yonge-Dundas Square on September 14 in support of his latest album, Don’t Let the World See Your Love.
The concert will also feature a number of new songs from a new album the Welland-area singer-songwriter is currently recording for a new record. And, stop the presses, it’s the happiest music he’s ever made.
“It’s a nice mix of everything,” he says. “It’s the times, people change over the years, become different people. I’m finding a little more happiness these days. But don’t get me wrong, there’s still a ton of sad s**t.”
Burton is also a new father, which explains all the good times and happiness that inform the new album. A quick look at Burton’s Twitter feed and the little guy is hard to miss, making appearances in many photos.
His new family life has kept Burton closer to home, which is also a change for the well-travelled performer used to travelling coast-to-coast on his motorcycle.
“I just could never seem to find myself staying put for too long,” he says. “But now with my son and the family, I’m home more and more. It’s different, not better or worse. I moved back to the Niagara region, to a farming town called Ridgeville. Now, it’s just me, the family and a bunch of chickens.”
Burton lives next door to musician Daniel Romano, who was a member of the band Attack in Black along with Burton. But, he’s better known for his accomplished solo work both as a Juno-nominated musician and a sought-after producer for artists such as City and Colour and the Weather Station.
Romano also produced Burton’s new album.
“Dan’s kind of like a brother to me,” says Burton.
“It’s like working with a part of your family when it comes to music with him.”
Burton was also a member of the band Grey Kingdom before deciding to go solo. And, the group dynamic is something that he says he’s missed.
“Just recently, I started playing with a great group of guys out of Toronto who are now my backup band,” he says. “I did miss that sense of camaraderie, that sense of sharing with a bunch of friends. It’s a good feeling.”
The new outfit will be on hand when Burton takes the stage in Toronto next week.
Burton played his first gig when he was just a teenager in Welland. He’d learned to sing and then struck upon the idea of getting a guitar and writing songs.
When a promoter at a local club found out, he asked the young ginger-headed singer to take the stage to open up a show alongside drummer Ian Kehoe, who he’d just met that night.
“We played a set’s worth of music right on the spot,” Burton says. “But we were probably the best band of the night for sure, the two of us.”
For more information about his work, visit spencerburtonmusic.com.