Nanaimo bluesman David Gogo was about to have one his B次元官网网址渂est years ever in terms of touringB次元官网网址� when everything suddenly came to a halt because of COVID-19.
Gogo was able to get some support early on in the form of a Music B.C. grant which kept him writing and gave him a sense of purpose, but he wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure where that writing would lead.
B次元官网网址淚 did start writing and not for anything in particular,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know what my next move was going to be. Everything was up in the air.B次元官网网址�
On Oct. 8, Gogo reveals the fruits of those sessions with the release of Silver Cup, an acoustic album recorded at GogoB次元官网网址檚 house with Toronto-based blues musician Steve Marriner. That night Gogo and Marriner perform at the QueenB次元官网网址檚.
While he was stuck at home due to the pandemic wiping out his touring schedule, Gogo took the opportunity to delve into blues history and his own family history, both of which ended up influencing the album.
B次元官网网址淏eing home off the road all this time with the pandemic gave me time to not only write new songs, but listen to a lot of music,B次元官网网址� Gogo said. B次元官网网址淪o I listened to a lot of the old blues music from the B次元官网网址�30s and B次元官网网址�40s that I listened to when I was a teenager and really got back into that.B次元官网网址�
Gogo and Marriner kept those old blues records in mind while making Silver Cup and even used vintage microphones to try to capture that classic sound.
B次元官网网址淲e just wanted to record it how it would have been recorded back in the day, back in the B次元官网网址�40s or B次元官网网址�50s,B次元官网网址� Gogo said.
The pair also used period instruments on the album, including guitars dating back 100 years and a converted ex-player piano from the 1920s that Gogo said adds to the B次元官网网址渙ld-time feel.B次元官网网址�
The album title refers to a gift that GogoB次元官网网址檚 grandmother bequeathed to him upon her death in December at the age of 95. Gogo said he was fascinated by the cup, which has been in his family since the 1800s. It was once owned by GogoB次元官网网址檚 great-great-great uncle James MacKay, who Gogo learned was a M茅tis fur trader and politician in Manitoba at the time of the provinceB次元官网网址檚 founding and was involved in negotiating treaties. Gogo touches on that history on the song Silver Cup.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know this history until now and it was interesting to be just inspired by this artifact, this silver cup,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t was intriguing to me, so once I did the research it really paid off.B次元官网网址�
Now that the album is finished Gogo and Marriner will be touring it through B.C. and Alberta. Gogo said it feels odd to be so busy after spending a year and a half at home, but itB次元官网网址檚 good to finally get back on the road.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not just a job,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 my life.B次元官网网址�
Silver Cup is available for pre-order at .
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