51. When We Wake with Dave Gunning

<p>My guest today is one of Nova Scotia’s finest songwriters, and one-time touring bass player for <a href="https://www.stompintom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Stompin Tom Connors</a>, Pictou County’s <a href="https://www.davegunning.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Dave Gunning</a>.</p><p>His new album <a href="https://davegunning.bandcamp.com/album/field-notes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><em>Field Notes</em> </a>wasn’t recorded in a traditional studio at all. It was captured outdoors in Australia, under a gumtree, with one microphone on Dave and two more pointed at the birds (kookaburras?). No isolation booths. No endless second-guessing. Just voice, guitar, and whatever the day decided to offer.</p><p>On one track, <em>Angels&#39; Share</em>, a bird chirps perfectly in key during the instrumental and stops as Dave starts to sing again. The kind of magic you can&#39;t recreate in a studio.</p><p>We talk about the decision to record this way and the leap of faith he took by travelling to the other side of the world to do so with producer <a href="https://www.marklangmusic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Mark Lang</a>. We talk about co-writing <em>Vincent Coleman </em>with his dear friend, the late <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/bruce-guthro-songwriter-obituary-1.6957898" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Bruce Guthro</a>. And we get into the time Stompin’ Tom Connors hired him after what might be the most unconventional audition in Canadian music history. </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Wanna get in touch?</strong></p><p>Send an email to <a href="mailto:whenwewakeradio@gmail.com">⁠⁠<strong>whenwewakeradio@gmail.com⁠</strong>⁠</a></p><p>Or find me on Instagram</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/whenwewakeradio">⁠<strong>@whenwewakeradio</strong> ⁠</a>&amp; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theandrewshaver">⁠<strong>@theandrewshaver</strong>⁠</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://linktr.ee/whenwewake">⁠<strong>When We Wake with Andrew Shaver</strong>⁠</a><strong> </strong>is written, hosted, edited, and produced by <strong>⁠</strong><a href="https://theandrewshaver.com/">⁠<strong>Andrew Shaver</strong>⁠</a><strong> </strong>of <a href="https://linktr.ee/Clever.Hopes">⁠<strong>Clever Hopes</strong>⁠</a><strong>⁠</strong>. The weekly radio broadcast is syndicated across Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia.</p><p><br></p><p>Theme song <strong>Got You</strong> by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/olreid/?hl=en">⁠<strong>Noah Reid</strong>⁠</a></p>