Zen Canadiana: A David Newland show is equal parts melody, comedy, and philosophy. David is an accomplished songwriter and performer with a wealth of diverse material: cowboy ballads, Maritime melodies, roots-rock anthems, sentimental songs and silly little ditties.
David delivers his hand-crafted works in a distinctive, husky voice, accompanied with acoustic guitar, harmonica and ukulele. A natural storyteller, his wry observations and spontaneous quips make David's stage patter a work of art in itself.
Born in Ottawa in 1969, David Newland grew up on the shores of Georgian Bay near Parry Sound, Ontario. His earliest influences were water and the woods, books and the radio, trains and the highway. He lived a "classic Canadian rural life" until the age of seventeen, when he began a series of globe-trotting adventures as a student, photographer, writer, web producer, musician and spiritual seeker.
David's songs distill his adventures and the unique approach life he calls Zen Canadiana. Twenty years of songwriting have produced a catalogue of hundreds of songs, many of which appear in his growing virtual songbook. David has three independent albums to his credit: Of Moose and Men, 1995; Evergreen, 2003, and Roll Away, 2005. David wrote the theme song for the CTV documentary Canada's Greatest Ride and won Best Music at the Waterwalker film festival.
A dynamic presence on the Ontario scene, David has hosted numerous folk festivals around Ontario as well as the annual Gordon Lightfoot tribute The Way We Feel. He plays multiple instruments with The McFlies, a high-energy, seven-piece acoustic eighties band he founded in 2005. David is on the board of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival and is the host of a summer house concert series called Riverdale Roots. He's also a frequent contributor to the discussion group Maplepost.
David is the father of an extraordinary eleven year old daughter, an avid canoeist, gardner, cyclist and an occasional meditator with lots of good intentions.
Photo by Jose Romelo Lagman