Vancouver Island based singer-songwriter Ryan McMahon is returning to Chilliwack at the end of the month, and he’ll be packing with him songs from his newest album.
The folk/roots/rock musician recently released his sixth full-length album, In Line For A Smile, and he will be at Acoustic Emporium Folk Club on May 31 with guest Kellen Saip as part of his ‘Takes Me Away Tour.’
In Line for a Smile is a collection of songs about the lack of human social connection in the world today, the self-help racket, and the need for the human race to place value on family, friends and the enrichment of relationships.
“The songs are all love letters to those I’ve known, places I’ve existed or people I’ve been,” says McMahon. “It’s a snapshot of a soon-to-be middle-aged man trying to beat the blues; trying with all his might to not grow up. I’m rambling… I view it as the high-water mark of my career so far. It’s the most ‘me’ I’ve ever sounded.”
McMahon was born in 1979 in Chemainus. The only child of a longshoreman and a future educator, McMahon began entertaining early. Now he has carved out a 20-year career as an independent artist in Canada’s vibrant music scene.
With seven releases and six full-length albums under his belt, McMahon has had such a successful and enduring career that one might forget that he’s also a member of the popular folk/roots group Lion Bear Fox. Ryan co-founded the group in 2012 with songwriting colleagues Cory Woodward and Christopher Arruda, and the band was immediately named as one of the Top 20 Finalists for the 2013 Peak Performance Project in Vancouver.
“Hats off to the good folks in Chilliwack that have tirelessly given their time and efforts to bringing original music to their community,” says McMahon about the May 31 concert. “The Acoustic Emporium is one of the great rooms — feel, sound, vibe — in the Lower Mainland, and Chilliwack is lucky to have it.”
Ryan McMahon is at Acoustic Emporium Folk Club (45892 Wellington Ave. — The Vineyard Centre) on Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets $20 (students $15) and available at acousticemporium.org.
READ MORE: Jan. 10, 2017 - Folk ‘fox’ plays Acoustic Emporium in Chilliwack
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