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Gigs This Week: Jim Bryson at Kops Records Oshawa Thurs Nov 17

Will McGuirk November 15, 2022

By Will McGuirk

Singer slash songwriter slash producer slash hired hand Jim Bryson heads to Oshawa for a rare gig. He will be playing in-store at Kops Records in Oshawa Thursday Nov. 17 2022. Sagen Pearse of Hollowsage will open. The gig runs 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m.

Bryson has released several albums since he departed the band Punchbuggy in the late 1990s, the most recent one is ‘County WiFi’, recorded at his own Fixed Hinge studio. has worked with many artists including The Weakerthans, Kalle Mattson, Kathleen Edwards; he is the subject of Edwards's song "I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory." Edwards album ‘Total Freedom’ was produced by Bryson.

Slowcity.ca reached out to Jim by email for a catch-up.

Slowcity.ca: As you haven't played Oshawa before can you pinpoint some of your career highlights for the good folks here, and tell me why you chose those highlights?

Jim Bryson: “I have actually played here. . . in the 90's at the Moon Room but more recently somewhere like 2014 with Jenn Grant. . . Career Highlights? Hard to say. . . Had a song on the CBC top 5. . . have an old record recently mentioned in the UK as a top record of the 2000's in the Americana Genre. . . helping others make records and doing my own is a nice balance for the most part. I find myself feeling a sort of personal return in that I think my shows are better, I think I'm finding ways to be more consistent with the shows and just finding this community and friends are all coming out of the caves of Covid and looking for connection.”

SC: Country WiFi, what a fab little album, and I mean that in the intensity of its intimacy - tell me about the production on it and what you were trying to capture?

JB: “I think the idea was to make compact songs that carried their power in a subtle way vs yelling from the hilltops. I was making songs over last year's winter when the lockdown had us mostly home and no one on the songs were actually ever in the same room with me. . . it was all remote collaboration.”

SC: I hear something similar to Steve Lambke in your work; very personal, great beauty, - have you worked with Steve at all and is there any cross-over in your work and his?

JB: “I adore Steve and his Baby Eagle songs and way of presenting songs and kind of have always thought I'd be nice on his label, but I never asked except once a 1000 years ago. Hehehehe.”

SC: There are habits which built up during the lockdown for all of us, some of us were happy to withdraw, how have you been moving from the shut-down, in a certain isolation, and now being back on the road in front of people?

JB: “It was and is def a transition to be out in the world as I found myself, despite the public idea of me being very outgoing, of not being that way. . . texting and messaging friends but talking to people face to face much less and not meeting up or being out def had an impact on me where I find it a little harder to get the energy going, but I'm always up for some shows and moments like this. . . then I can just go back inside after hehehe”

SC: Tell me about some of your projects over the past couple of years as things were disrupted - you worked on Kathleen Edwards' Total Freedom, how was that to facilitate?

JB: “Kathleen was interesting because I wasn't initially involved, but got brought onboard when her initial Nashville sessions weren't exactly the sound that maybe she was seeking. . . I think it was easier for her to come over and work out ideas and such here and bring her dogs and leave when wanted etc. to get back to feeling more motivated to get the songs done.”

“Super happy with records from Ken Yates, Caroline Marie Brooks (The Good Lovelies) and Suzie Ungerleider which were made in a strange and different ways due to the constraints of the lockdowns, but oddly, they feel really refreshing to me in that they were made in a less tradition beginning / middle / way of working.”

Kops Records is located at 156 Simcoe Street South in Oshawa. This is an all ages show with a suggested donation of $20.

Below for your further edification is a fab long form interview Jim did with David Myles.

Tags Jim Bryson, Kathleen Edwards, Strombo Show, David Myles, Gigs This Week

Gigs This Week: Tania Joy, Jim Bryson at Muskoka Music Festival

Will McGuirk August 16, 2022

By Will McGuirk

Ok, being a bit of a homer here but apart from Tania and Jim this is a swell line-up and although Whitehorse had to cancel having Terra Lightfoot step in IMHO is a win win, plus AHI has been added. AND I, The Mountain are here too. :)

Tags What's The Story, Tania Joy, I The Mountain, Jim Bryson, Muskoka Music Festival
Jim Bryson

Jim Bryson

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Jim Bryson, Oh Susanna, Andrea Nixon, Terra Lightfoot, Julia Stone, Speaker Face, Sigala +James Arthur,

Will McGuirk September 4, 2020

By Will McGuirk

Today in the city a neighbourhood mourns a family shot dead. On the other side of town a young boy squeals with delight and rushes to greet his father coming home carrying a package of food from a mobile charity kitchen. This is a city with all its horror and all its hope.

“I heard the not so distant screams
That broke the silence of a summers eve
But Soon all those kids will leave
And we'll be here just listening, not listening.”



“'Blind Spot’ asks listeners to consider their own blind spots, both when they have felt unseen and unheard, and all the diverse voices that are currently muted in popular culture.” - Andrea Nixon




Speaker Face · Work Friends

Tags Speaker Face, Auteur Research, Andrea Nixon, Jason Schneider Media, Indoor Recess, Sigala, Oh Susanna, Terra Lightfoot, Killbeat, Julia Stone, Jim Bryson, Whats The Story

Kalle Mattson and Jim Bryson make stop at Uxbridge's Springtide on the Road to Riverfest tour.

Will McGuirk March 31, 2019

By Will McGuirk

Ottawa-based artist Kalle Mattson has been pushing the boundaries of what this whole singer/songwriter moniker is since the get-go. He started out as folk singer, moving into folktronica and now full-on techtronica with this remix from Rainer & Grimm, folks have worked with Drake and The Weeknd. Mattson will be playing the Springtide Fest in Uxbridge Apr 26 2019. Its a stop on a roadtrip to Elora’s Riverfest. Jim Bryson will be onboard.

Tags Kalle Mattson, Killbeat, Youth, Jim Bryson, Springtide Music Festival, Uxbridge
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