After nearly 20 years with Great Big Sea, founding member Alan Doyle recently released his first solo album. He checks into Hugh’s Room for two shows this week, starting tonight.
What inspired you to make a solo record after so many albums with Great Big Sea?
I really wanted to make music in a completely different way. Over the years, I’ve always made music the way GBS does or the way I do it when I’m hired by a production client or a film or whatever. I really wanted to learn how heroes and friends of mine did it in their own backyard.
Is it enjoyable to revisit the more intimate venues and get that connection with the fans?
I’ve always been a fan of a full room. If full means 50 or 5,000, that’s fine with me.
What can we expect from your show at Hugh’s Room this month?
Mostly stuff from Boy on Bridge with a few GBS songs and tunes I’ve written for other bands, etc. There’s always a fun cover or two as well.
Tell me about your first gig with Great Big Sea.
The first gig Bob and Séan and Darrell and I played together was March 11, 1993, opening for the Irish Descendants at the Thompson Student Centre at Memorial University. I had seen so many concerts in that venue. Blue Rodeo, Kim Mitchell, Colin James, BNL, and I could not believe I was going to play in one and go backstage. We played 10 songs. “Home for a Rest” by Spirit of the West was first. I broke a string. It was amazing. I had no idea that this would lead to two decades of breaking strings.
Who inspired you to get into music?
My parents are musicians, and I always played with my dad and my uncles in their bands as a kid. Just came with the birth certificate where I grew up. From them, I loved both Irish and local trad music but also loved Def Leppard and Van Halen like every other kid in the early ’80s.
What was the first album you purchased with your own money?
Me and my brother and sister pooled our money to buy the Grease soundtrack. It had Olivia Newton-John on the cover and had a song in there where they sang, “tit.” Nuff said.
You seem to be good buddies with Russell Crowe, is he a decent singer or do you prop him up a bit?
Russell is not the most versatile or rangy singer in the world, but his voice is very compelling in certain applications. Check out his version of a tune we wrote called “Testify”; or the beautiful title track on My Hand My Heart. He is an amazing lyricist which makes writing tunes with him a blast.
What's next for you and for Great Big Sea?
The book and another solo CD for me along with the release of a film I worked on called Winters Tale. For Great Big Sea, we roll hard till 2014 on the XX Tour, then take an extended break.
Alan Doyle plays at Hugh’s Room on May 14 and 15