Welcome to Music Matters Podcast with Darryl Craig Harris, talking about all things music with celebrities, artists, music business insiders and more. Liam Duncan, also known as Boy Golden. How you doing today? Doing fairly well. How are you? I'm good. I'm in Las Vegas, which is kind of warmer than what you are. I think you're actually in Winnipeg, right? Yeah, it's cool. It's a little chilly. I like it, so. Yeah, it's beautiful up there. We love Canada. I used to be a circus lay way back when. So I used to go to Montreal quite a bit. So you have a new album coming out, Best of Our Possible Lives, February 13th. You already have a single out with a really cool video, which is called Like a Child. So tell me about your career because you actually have been very successful, especially in Canada. You do a lot of touring and you have a huge summer tour coming up. This album that's coming out is your fourth. So you've been a busy artist. Tell me about working in Canada and that whole adventure. Sure. I mean, I started how far back do you want to go? Yeah, we can talk about how you got into originally got into songwriting. Yeah. I mean, I think one thing that always that has informed my career, but also just is in my DNA as a person is that I played around 600 shows with my high school band. So we just toured DIY all over Canada. We did start touring in the States and we did a tour in Japan as well. This was all like DIY kind of thing. So we just like we worked really hard. We probably could have worked a little harder on the music. I mean, we worked really hard at being good musicians, but I feel like we could have maybe spent more time writing songs instead of like trying to work, but we just wanted to work. So we just got out and played so many shows and I feel like those experiences on the road are just in my DNA. And I was thinking about this last night for some reason because this new album is different from all the other records in the sense that I've also always had a DIY sort of recording aesthetic. I've recorded and produced all my own records. Sometimes mixed them all as well. Sometimes played all the instruments. Oh, true, true indie artists. Yeah, exactly. That was really who I am. And I've had some like in Canada. I've had a couple like unexpected successes at radio. I had a number one song off my first record, which I made in my bedroom in Toronto. And so that was all like really unexpected. And I guess I didn't really let it change the way I was making music for a while because I kind of had this vision that I would make this make that first record. And then I wanted to make another record on this eight track tape machine that I have sitting beside me. And then I wanted to make another record just on a cassette machine. And I just sort of did all those things without really paying much attention to maybe. I mean, I think there were good things to do. I think they helped me grow as a musician and an artist. But I feel like this new record is the next step that I really needed, which was to really push myself out of my comfort zone, which my comfort zone is doing everything by myself. And so I think working with like a producer, working with a bunch of really great musicians, you know, nice studio and L.A. actually pushed me harder than doing everything by myself. Yeah. And I mean, but the thing is obviously you're have great success with your formula and doing all that road work. And that's basically like going to college, right? It's going to university learning, learning what to do, what not to do, how to keep your voice from not going out, seeing that many shows and traveling. Tell me about the experience recording in L.A. because you have some great musicians and and a great producer on this, how does how my Bobby Lackwitz is the producer. But tell me about that adventure out in L.A. Yeah. So Robby put together a great band. I brought my friend and frequent collaborator Austin Parahonyak with me. And he's one of my best friends and an extremely talented musician. But then the rhythm section that they hired was Pino Paladino, who is obviously a legend. Yeah. I'm a bass player. I'm a bass player. So that name is the way about that. Yeah. I mean, if you're going to know one bass player, that's probably the bass player. That's exactly right. And then I also hired this kind of young legend, Abe Rounds, who is a phenomenal drummer and Abe and Pino play together all the time. They're on a lot of gigs together and they're really good friends as well. And so I was definitely intimidated and nervous to the point where it was kind of like I was making my first record ever. Yeah. Well, you know, wait, and away you were making your first record in that environment. So that's exactly right. It was the first time I've made and I produced for other artists. So I've made other people's records in big in studios. And that's kind of what was leaving me down this path. I was starting to make like really good sounding music for other artists, you know, like great sonically, like really nice. And I was like, you know, I think it's time that I made a boy golden record like this. So that's what we did. And I spent two months by myself in Nashville living in a converted garage sort of situation. And I was just shedding. I just practiced. I practiced every day. And I would try to I would play each song that I was going to record into all the way through to kind of like a backing track I'd made. And I just kind of get him get him comfortable, get him organic. Yeah. I would do it until I could listen back to it and be like, yeah, I would keep that take. Yeah. And so that's very that's a very smart way to do it. And that's actually, you know, way back when with Shania Twain. That's what my lane did. He actually had that band rehearse before they ever recorded the album. Really? Which was on pretty much unheard of in Nashville. Usually just going and cut it. But for that exact reason, because he wanted to work on arrangements, he wanted to get her completely comfortable and seated in the songs. So it didn't sound like they're just reading lyrics and, you know, that was that was not a nice change of pace for you to do it that way. And and really just like get settled on the tunes. Hell yeah, it was amazing. I like, I mean, first off, I think I just got better at singing. I think my time got better. Like anytime you're just practicing like that, you're just going to get better, which was great. And but it was also really challenging. Like I called one of my closest friends, Roman, who's an incredible musician and an avid practice, and I was like, man, I am just I've hit a wall where like it takes me like two or three hours just to get a decent take of one of these songs. And I'm just like feeling like, I mean, it kind of made me feel like, how am I going to make this record? Like I'm going to go in there and these like people that I admire are going to think that I'm going to be staring at you at the studio. Yeah, exactly. And he was like, you know, you just got to you just literally have to keep doing it. And so I just kept banging my head against the wall. And then I think it was about seven days after I called him that I just whipped through the entire album in like one or two takes per song, just getting great takes like right away. Awesome. Yeah. And and then I just kept doing that. And once I had it, then it was just fun. Then I was like, cool, I'll just yeah, I'll sit here and play my songs all day like what a beautiful gift. Yeah, and you can you can hear that too in an artist's voice, right? Like I said, somebody sitting there reading lyrics versus somebody who's really not there in the song and they're comfortable doing it. Do you find like that's super important to get to that place to be able to put out a good a good take? Oh, man, yeah, it is. It's not always how I do it. But after doing this, like, yes. And then honestly, after making this record, which I think is my best work, now I've been singing the song's live, I've made other versions. I've made alternate versions. I've like just rerecorded demos of them for fun. And I'm like, Oh, I got even better at doing this because I spent even more time with it, you know, right? Yeah, getting just getting comfortable in your own shoes and you just get better and better at doing it. It's frustrating because now I listen to the vocal takes on the record and I go, well, I could have done that. Like, you know, it's margins. It's probably like marginally better. I think every artist, every artist goes through that and imagine having a hit, you know, 40 years ago and that's still going through your brain. It's like, you know, it's, but that again, it's a good problem to have. Totally. It's definitely the case on my first album, which I didn't like, I honestly had a ton of fun making it. And I wasn't really thinking about anyone hearing it. You know what I mean? You're just doing your thing and you're hoping it's going to get out there. Yeah, exactly. So I was just doing that. And then a lot of people still listen to that record and sometimes that causes me mortal embarrassment. But then other times I listen to it and I go, hey, that's pretty good. Yeah, it's the artist thing. It's just it's universal. Who are some of the early influences? Because for you, like my impression of your music, it's sort of roots Americana or I guess Canadian Kana. And country music for people that don't know, I mean, they know like, obviously, they know Shenaya is from Canada, but the country music scene and the and the Roots music scene in Canada is very strong. A lot of there's a lot of great artists. But who are you listening to when you're growing up and like thinking like, Oh, I want to write songs to who are some of your influences? Probably my biggest influences, JJ Kale. Oh, okay. Yeah. That's always been the case. I'd just love his records and he's got that homemade sound that I that sonically, that's what I was always chasing. And then my other influences are largely like folk and bluegrass. I we have a great folk music festival here in Winnipeg, Winnipeg folkfest. And so like growing up, like I loved Todd Snyder, you know, he was a huge influence on me. I love Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch. And then as I got older, like also just some of the great like American pop and rock writers, Tom Petty, Springsteen, Carol King. Like I kind of just like love the I love the classics and I'm always trying to write like in the in kind of a classic way, I guess. Maybe I'm not even trying. I'm not necessarily trying to do that. That's kind of my sensibility. I love like beautiful melodies and nice harmony. And I think I think one of the things that all those artists have in common is their storytellers. And that's something I hear in your music. Is that something that's important for you when you're writing lyrics like you're trying to tell a story and get a story across or how do you approach that? I don't really think about it, but yes, I'm definitely super influenced by the storytellers. And there's some local storytelling songwriters that are like extremely influential on me. One of them is Ridley Bant. Probably don't know them down in America, but he's so good. And yeah, I I'm also like a big novel reader. I've read a lot a lot. And so I don't I'm not always intentionally being like, this is the story I have to tell. But you know, I do have a maybe a natural sense of like narrative. Yeah. And I like your production style because I was I was checking out your other albums. And it is very it's a very organic sound. And probably because you did a lot of that yourself. You did it at home. When working with so you're used to so used to working by yourself working with the team and collaborating. Is that a comfortable thing for you? Is it is a kind of a newer thing for you? How did you approach that? It's all it was only really new in the context of my own music. But I've even on my own music, I've always collaborated like my second record, which was first in EP. And then I released the rest of the songs. Was just my live band recording live in my friends, you know, home studio to tape. So I've always been like, I love collaborating because people bring things to the table that I'm not able to. But I guess like just letting go of a bunch of the technical work, which is also creative work. But letting go of a lot of that and just being kind of rooted in my sense of taste the whole time and also just trying to perform well as an artist, I think, was the biggest difference. And I mean, everyone on this record was so talented and they were so present and they were just so invested feeling. I never had a doubt about it. Yeah, yeah, that's that's a very I really call list of musicians and and it's you know, the interest it's interesting too because your music is again, like it has such an organic feel, organic vibe. What's the importance for you in terms of finding your voice? Is that something you always felt like you were there or is it something you're it's always evolving your voices and artists? Yeah, I had to write dozens and dozens and dozens of songs before I arrived at the Boy Golden project actually. My released an album under my own name that you hopefully can't find anywhere anymore. So of course, yeah, everybody's gonna lick it on its own. Well, go ahead. I mean, I think it's you can find some of it on YouTube, but they're not bad, but it's not my voice. Like there some of them are good songs. Like I figured out how to write a good song, but it's just not my voice and yeah, I think I'm definitely always my voice is always changing. Maybe that just that seems like obvious to me, I guess, but I write a lot. I kind of try to write a bit every day. So sometimes the change seems sort of imperceptible, but then when I go and compare it to older work and then I definitely knows. Yeah, and it takes years. It takes a long time. Like you said, you've got to kind of like and then that doing that kind of a personal Nashville sitting there and just getting through the songs and figuring out because you as a singer too, you've got to figure out pathways to songs. Like yeah, you want to navigate how you want to strategize and it's because it could be very technical, but but you once you get there, it doesn't sound technical. It sounds effortless, right? Yeah, man, can I tell you about something I'm dealing with now on that note of like voice and songwriting? Yeah, sure. Yeah. A constant companion to me throughout all of my time writing has been like smoking, often weed, but just generally smoking. And then I've stopped and that was like pretty terrifying and difficult at first to like try and get myself to a big life change. Yeah, yeah, and but I think I've started to get it like just continually pestering and per you know, just sitting down and trying to write. I think the thing that's that I come up against the most when I'm just like writing completely sober all the time is I just do second guess myself more and judge my judgey voices coming nag at me. I get you. Frosty, we all have those voices. I know everyone has them and I found that I'll just get like maybe get a little bit stoned and then like the voices goes away for a couple hours, but then I was just finding that it was affecting my life in ways I didn't like so then I had to like mostly give it up. Yeah, it's too bad. But you know, yeah, and again, like artists, I think it's that's a universal thing with artists because we all have that that little voice like am I good enough and am I and do I deserve the success? It's like hard to get past that and that's a life thing in general. Everybody has that like in posture syndrome thing that that pops into your head. That's that's always a big challenge. I one thing I went in reading through your bio and everything and that spirituality becomes a big part of of who you are and what you do. Do you want to talk a little bit about that and how that affects your music and how you approach music? Sure, yeah. I mean, it's like kind of big but also kind of simple like when I'm writing is when I feel closest to whatever I call God or and all my life, I mean, I grew up going to Sunday school and going to church and then I decided that wasn't for me, but I've kind of never stopped feeling like there was more to discover there, more to look into but really into meditation at a young age like in my teenage years and really into reading Eastern philosophy and I have attended Zen Sangas and just like I've just explored a fair bit. As you should as you should as a human right? I think so. I mean, I think I don't know, I've just always had I've always been like that and anyways music was like figuring out how to write really freely and from what you might call like the heart without thinking too much. When I'm able to access that space that that is the best I feel and that is when I feel like the most free even though I'm just like sitting there writing. It's like I just feel really, really free and I guess what I've always hoped is that if other people come and come to my music they listen to it, maybe come to a show or something like I would love for people to leave feeling like they want to go right or explore that because I don't know maybe that's me just evangelizing what worked for me but it really does work for me in having like a regular writing practice. Yeah, it just makes me feel a little more at ease in the world. Yeah, you know, and it's cool and people put labels on things and whatever but yeah, there's another force out there hopefully that's there and we can tap into a lot of songwriters talk about some of their biggest hits came to them in five or ten minutes where they just literally woke up and wrote it down and they say they'll say like I don't know where that came from so maybe that's the thing maybe that there's somebody out there helping you working with you trying to encourage you so that's what we like to think that that's for all of us is. It is. It is for all of us. Exactly. I think you just have to, right, you just have to forget how to engage with it and and and respect it and I totally believe that too. I don't think I've done everything on my own. Yeah, man, I mean I think consider like just having a conversation. You don't always you're not thinking about what you're going to say in advance usually. Sometimes yes, but most of the time no, you're kind of just improvising where do those thoughts come from? Well, if you sit there and you meditate or if you really think about the process during writing it, they come from nowhere and then they're there and then you just they either resonate with you or you they don't and so you then you have an opportunity to choose what feels the most true or the most honest and yeah, I think that I think that's available for everyone in kind of every moment all the time no matter what you're doing, but it does help to pay attention and that's why I found meditation really helpful because it's essentially just a practice of paying. Yeah, because there's a lot of noise in the world that we all get effects. It affects us both positively and negatively. So you got to find your way to navigate all that and it's not easy. Life life is just not so easy. What's what's some advice for younger artists that are trying to do what you did and what you've been so successful at? What are a couple of points that really pop out to you that they should know that they should pay attention to? Yeah, I mean it depends what you mean by success. I think that my biggest success, I feel like I have a ways to go as far as like building a career that's kind of really like sustain me, but I do feel artistically I have been successful in bringing a vision to life and writing music that feels really true to myself and the biggest thing that has helped me with that is repetition and practice. The more you write, the better you get at it, the more you write, the more honest and the more clear your voice will become. And so if you're kind of struggling to if you feel like all of your writing sucks or you don't feel like it's very good, that's fine. You just have to keep writing. That's my main advice. That's what I always tell everyone. And then my advice past that is like try to learn how to record yourself because it's so fun. Yeah, and it's nothing more valuable than hearing yourself back and it can be valuable, painful, it's all of that, but it's important, right? That's one of the things I do. I often video shows or record shows so I can listen to them. Oh, that was cool. I didn't like that, but it's all good. That's all we're here to learn. I mean, that's kind of talking about spirituality. I think this is our school. This is our class. This is our class. So it's okay to make mistakes. It's okay to screw up, but you learned so much from that, right? That's the, sometimes the failures are going way more than successes. You have a huge tour coming up in the summertime. Talk about that because you're going to be all over Canada. Pretty much all summer long. Talk about that. Are you touring with the band? Are you doing solo? How does that work? Okay. I have a few tours. So first in March, I'm doing like, I'm doing the Canada stuff and I'm opening up for an artist, William Prince, who's an excellent songwriter and musician and he's a pretty big deal in Canada. So we're playing big theaters and I am bringing my whole band on that and I also produced William's album that he's touring. So that feels quite special. And then in April and May, we're doing a bunch of opening gigs for my friend Cat Clyde, who is featured on several songs on the record. And I also played on her record, which is the one that she's touring. So that feels perfectly aligned. So it's like all a big family. Yeah. And then we're going to have some, we have some West Coast, like up the coast of California and Oregon and Washington in that's in late April and those are headlining shows with the band. And then in the summer, we're doing mostly American festivals. We have I think two Canadian festivals, but mostly American stuff. Not many of them have been announced yet, but they will be. And you have actually, I should say too, you've done a lot of big shows with major, major artists that we all know, their household names that are American artists, as well, obviously as Canadian artists. So that's such an awesome thing. And it's nice to be able to tap into their audiences too, right? People that may not know you, but they get to discover you. Do you find that that's a really fun part of doing the opening act? Yeah. So I feel like I'm getting pretty good at doing the opening act because it's a very unique situation. I do it quite a bit. And I've just our 45-minute set is like extremely good. And we basically just do every trick that we have. Right. We've got a pretty big selection of songs that we can pull from. So we just like, yeah, I feel like we've dialed it in to have all the moments that we like to have in our 90-minute show and a 45-minute show. It's just condensed and it's fast. And I think it's sort of like the greatest hits in the way of your... Yeah, exactly. Greatest hits of an artist you've never heard of. But well, that's not true, but yeah, I know. Yeah, so, yeah, I don't mind doing the opening gig. It's in a way it's like pretty chill, you know? Like I'm not responsible for necessarily selling a bunch of tickets. Right. We just have to go and put on a really good show and add to the value of the night for the people coming to see it. Yeah, and it's nice to have that connection where you actually produce the guy's album. So that's like, that's... It's probably really nice for the fans of the other guy to go, oh, now I know where the music's coming from and who... Yeah. So that's kind of a really neat, that's actually a really neat thing. Tell people how they can find you and your music, your website, social media, all that stuff. Oh, just I think I'm on every platform. Yeah, actually I was going to say you got that dial, dude. Yeah. And in the way it's a way it's actually set up on your website is perfect. But yeah, get everybody your websites and they can find everything. It's boygolden.ca. So that's the Canadian one.ca, I think. And then yeah, you can find me on Instagram or YouTube or TikTok or whatever. Yeah, well thanks, thanks for joining me. I love your music. I really, I really connected with it. I'll be artists that you mentioned. I love. I used to record at Sound City in North Hollywood. Tom, Tom Petty was there all the time we used to see Tom. As JJ Kale, I've met, he came and saw gigs, argues up in Sosolito outside of San Francisco. So all those guys are like in my heart. And when I listen to music, that's exactly who we reminded me of the artists that we all love that are very woven into country in Canada, but also Americana country and in the United States. So I really dig what you do. And I, yeah, when we get up the wind of peg, maybe we can go and have a coffee together or something. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, let me know when you're going. Yeah, that's coming up. Cool. Thank you so much, Liam. I appreciate it. Everybody, please check out the best of our possible lives. It's going to be out February 13th. And I should mention it's on six shooter records, correct? That's right. Yeah. And you have the single out right now, like a child, we have the video and the music is out. So check you out on all the streaming platforms again on your website. Everything is there. So awesome. Have a great day. I really appreciate talking to you. Thanks. There's a pleasure. Thanks for joining us and please consider subscribing to our podcast and follow us on our social media pages for guest announcements.
