Brandon Quigley
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Music
Press
Brandon Quigley is a lovely example of the classic Canadian singer-songwriter; he's lived and worked in Edmonton, Alberta, Iqaluit, Nunavut and Toronto. Like the men who made up the Group of Seven, it's obvious that Quigley has traveled this beautiful country and woven together a lovely debut album inspired by the places he has seen and the things he's experienced. The music is constructed without frills; his band are made up of himself on guitar, Laura Bowman on banjo and Mikey Muscat and drums (and melodica in "There's a Thread"). Although the album length is fairly short, coming in at only eight tracks, it's certainly worth a listen. I'm looking forward to hearing more from the charming Brandon Quigley in the future. - Exclaim.ca
There’s always something nice to be said about folk music that feels sharply emotional and personal. Brandon Quigley has managed to do just that with Thread, his debut album.
The inspiration behind the album title can be heard in the album’s sixth track, “There’s a Thread,” but there’s a little more to it, and it’s noteworthy. Though Quigley is now based out of Toronto, he spent time living in Edmonton and even two years in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The theme of the album is that we are all connected in some way, and while this could be a completely overblown and overly-sentimental theme, Quigley makes the theme very sincere.
There are of course a few standard love songs. Despite the kind of creepy name of “Cataract Eye,” it’s actually a very charming song about being in love with someone even in old age. “I’ll still see you out of the corner of my cataract eye,” Quigley sings. There’s also “Hard Man to Love,” a song title that should speak for itself. The song is shaped like a series of confessions that, again, feel completely genuine and not sappy.
“Ain’t No Feeling” is a wonderfully expressive song, talking about feelings so beautifully written that they all feel real. For example: “There ain’t no feeling like an endless winter/With the memories stuck in your skin like a thousand tiny splinters.”
“Our Exes Are Getting Married” is a hootin’ and hollerin’ good time, and Quigley does something that I never thought I would ever again hear in music- he yodels. The subject matter is again quite clear from the song titles.
Musically, there’s a good mixture of banjo and guitar. The banjo is overpowering a lot of the time, but if you’re into banjo then it won’t be a problem at all. “There’s a Thread” actually doesn’t feature the instrument in full force- the acoustic guitar is most prominent. Since the song is such a delicate one, it almost demands the slowed-down chords that this song provides.
Thread is an album that pulses with raw emotion and is one that any fan of good old-fashioned folk will like. If you’re turned off by banjo, this might not be your cup of tea, but you should still at least appreciate the sentiments.
The album is available via Bandcamp.
Top Tracks: “Cataract Eye”; “Hard Man to Love”
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) - Gray Owl Point
Discography
"Thread" 2012
Photos
Bio
Brandon Quigley is a restless soul and a reluctant musician, but a relentless songwriter. He’s lived all over the country, moving from Toronto to Iqaluit to Edmonton in just the past few years. But the whole time he’s been writing songs. He kept on writing until there were so many bubbling up, scrawled on scraps of paper and jotted down in notebooks, that they were impossible to ignore. Neighbours heard them muffled through walls. Then slowly they were played for audiences: for a few friends at first, then in bars and at large festivals. Songs dug up under icy rocks along the frozen shores of Baffin Island, blowing in the prairie winds of Alberta, nestled amid crumbling brick buildings in Toronto, and along the roadsides and jet streams in between. Songs that are at times deeply personal but also tell the story of the people and places in this big country that sometimes seems disparate, but remembers that, ultimately, “there’s a thread connecting you and me.”
The final piece in the puzzle for the indie/folk singer/songwriter was connecting first with banjo player Laura Bowman, then percussionist Mikey Muscat. Together, they created a sonically dynamic but straightforward live sound that impressed audiences around Edmonton, and is captured faithfully on Thread. In early 2011, a handful of tunes were captured in an intimate home studio, resulting in Thread, Quigley’s first album.
The songs on the album run the gamut from old fashioned country & western style warbling on songs such as “Ain’t No Feeling” and “Our Exes are Getting Married,” to clear-eyed confessionals along the lines of modern indie rock and folk, such as “Hard Man to Love.”
Quigley has now come full circle, recently moving home to the Toronto area once again, but with the sounds of his experiences documented on Thread. Look for him on tour in the summer and fall of 2012.
Links
