New Year, New Project… The Durham County Band is Born!

Well, we’re barely into 2018 and I can hardly contain my excitement about what the year might hold!

Last summer, a group of friends gathered in rural South Western Ontario. A campfire was burning (hint: forget about the yellow birch… just move on to more cooperative woods), some guitars were being strummed, some songs were bing sung, and probably a few drinks were enjoyed, too.

We talked about friendship. We talked about love. We talked about joy. And we talked a fair bit about pain and regret.

We talked about how music can capture the essence of these in ourselves, and convey it in a way that those around us can share in that feeling – something, perhaps, beyond simple comprehension. And we talked about how music is such a big part of who we are as individuals, and how it has supported and defined our friendships with each other.

And we talked about how little time we seem to have in our busy lives, and how much of it we contribute to mundane pursuits that do little to expand our joy, express our love, and grow our friendships. As you get older, you start to think a bit differently about your time, and what you do with it. You start to take stock of how you’re spending it, on what, and what you get out of it in return.

We decided that we wanted to spend more of our time doing what we love and what brings us joy.  Essentially, we decided that we have no time for regrets.

And so, a new musical venture was born – the Durham County Band! For those of you who’ve been following my own musical journey, this group of friends is a familiar bunch. Mark Smith and Emmanuel Brown can be heard on my recordings, and share the stage with me in the James Downham band. Peter Boshart is no stranger to my music, as my producer extraordinaire.

Together we’ve decided to expand the scope of what we can do together. Durham County Band, named after the rural place where friends first gathered and hatched a plan, is country rock, Canadiana, no holds barred rollicking fun. And we’re off to a quick start. We’re about half-way through recording our debut album, and we’ve just sent out irst single, Valentine’s Day, to wide release on Canadian radio.

Who knows where DCB will take us, and what 2018 has in store. But this group of friends is going to have a blast finding out…