Artist of the Day | BRYCE CLIFFORD & BROTHER SUPERIOR
ARTIST OF THE DAY
19.02.2022
BRYCE CLIFFORD & BROTHER SUPERIOR
LOCATION
Hamilton, ON, Canada
GENRE
Indie-Canadiana
CURRENT MEMBERS
Chris Altmann (pedal steel)
Robin Pirson (drums)
Greg Brisco (piano)
Andrew Marshall (bass)
Bryce Clifford (guitar/vox)
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
Hey, thanks for having me.
Pre-pandemic I was living in Austin Texas and had been bouncing back-and-forth to Ontario to make a new record (the album just came out - named 'Rebounder'). I was packed up and ready to go back down south when the world began to close. When I heard that SXSW was cancelled (behemoth music fest in Austin) then I really knew we were experiencing a seismic shift. That seemed impossible.
At first the lockdown seemed a welcome reprieve from the hamster-wheel life that we all were accustomed to. I had been planning to release a series of 6 singles with music videos, so I delved into working on that.
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
Sure, everything was turned upside-down. As a silver-lining, I formed a new band in Canada during '20. I spent most of the year in Hamilton, a place where I didn't know many people yet. Luckily, when I reached out to some local musicians about jamming they were readily interested. Everyone's schedules had abruptly opened up during first lockdown and suddenly these great musicians had a lot of availability. Not to mention, we were all dying to play. That winter I arranged a livestream, produced by Steady Canoe at the Cotton Factory, and that turned out to be our 1st 'gig'.
More recently, in September we started playing a weekly residency at my brother's brewery in Hamilton, 'Clifford Brewing'.
We'd been growing a bit of a scene since the Fall and attendance was taking off. I'm looking forward to getting it started back up. I've also been booking lots of others in there, so it's a great way to get to know the songwriters and bands in the area.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
I'm working on the next record. Fortunately songwriting can be done anywhere and anytime. No office required. And there's lots to be done online and behind a computer. But eventually you just want to throw that computer in the snow. Music is at it's best when it's communal. I'm getting-by but I know many musicians who aren't, financially and mentally. Gigging is an important outlet for players, like a built-in-cure. A release valve.
How are dealing with the Covid fifth wave? Have things locked down again in your region? Have you had to cancel gigs, tours, etc.? Are things reopening & restrictions are lifting in your region? Have you booked any new gigs, tours, etc.? What are your plans for 2022?
Here in Ontario we're coming out from under another lockdown. Planning events takes tonnes of time so everyone's been reluctant to set anything up. Anyone in the live-music sphere was feeling kicked off their bike again. But the pendulum has swung and now there's a frenzy of bookings. I'll be making the next record and playing weekly in Hamilton. I'm always eyeing another run of shows with my bandmates in Austin too, when logistics are right.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
I've never been to the Starlite Room, but Corb Lund is one I'm sorry to have missed.
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
I would proffer that my new record might serve your readers as 'escapism-art'. It was hand-built to get me out of a funk, and hope it can do the same for others. 'Rebounder' is 12 songs based upon a pre-pandemic breakup; one that spurred me to drop everything, drive across the country to self-isolate (before that was a thing) and make a record about it. That felt like a simpler time through today's lens: when love-forlorn was among our deeper troubles. In all seriousness though, I think it's a great-sounding eclectic record, with songs that work in any era. It can be found streaming and at www.bryceclifford.com Thanks, cheers.
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