Latest News
8 December 2011
NICK WYARD RELEASES DEBUT CD "AN ACQUIRED TASTE"
This date - 8 December - marks two special occasions - it's the day that my brother Leo would have turned 45 - and maybe through some divine influence from Leo, it is the day that my other brother Nick finally released his debut CD entitled "An Acquired Taste".
The CD is the culmination of at least 5 years work writing, arranging, performing, recording, editing and mixing in our two home studios. It features 19 tracks all composed entirely by Nick and performed in varying degrees by him on drums and keyboards, myself on bass and guitar, and a dozen or so other musicians on everything else: cor anglais, flute, trumpet, violin, cello, piano, Irish whistle and lots more guitar.
Most who know Nick in a musical context will know him as primarily a drummer - with this release, I trust that they will see that he is also a gifted composer, arranger and recording mixer. "An Acquired Taste" is an eclectic mix of instrumental tracks tied together by recurring musical themes - reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" or Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Variations" - and filled with riffs, odd time signatures and dynamic contrasts like prog rock artists Genesis or Jethro Tull.
Having said that, the material covers a lot of ground stylistically. The opening track "Of Essex" starts out as a medieval theme played on recorders and flutes, then as drums and bass enter, it becomes medieval-rock fusion, before morphing into a 15/8 time Irish slip jig in "Prettygate" and then an ethereal guitar landscape in "Wind Pie".
There are sonic contrasts throughout - the soft piano of "Clocktower" and "Muse" is countered with the heavy rock edginess of "Free Radical" and "For Paris".
Nick is selling his CD as a physical product, which he will be happy to ship to you, and will soon be available on iTunes.
To find out more and listen to clips, please visit Nick's web site:
There were times I thought it would never be finished - so CONGRATULATIONS NICK - It was worth it!
December 2011
Just completed a new song called "There Will Be No Encore" which was started in New Zealand in 2009. I was travelling with my girlfriend Alex and performing, having an almost entirely positive response. But there was one particular bar where the rugby game was on and they just weren't listening. Then at the end of the evening when I'd finished, they wanted an encore so they wouldn't have to go home. Knowing me, I probably played one more song, but in this song I hold firm.
April 2011
A bit o' country...
Just returned from a trip where I drove from Toronto to Nashville to see the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival. Had a great time - I saw some fabulous songwriters including Allen Shamblin ("I can't make you love me", Beth Nielsen Chapman ("This Kiss"), Sonny Curtis ("Love is all around") and Mac Davis ("In the Ghetto") - and I also had a chance to do some performing and song co-writing thanks to my friend Marc-Alan Barnette who invited me out to a number of singer/songwriter open mics. At one of these, I met Becky Monnier from Kentucky and Matt Hoggard from Oklahoma, and they invited me to do a co-write with them.
I haven't done a lot of country writing, so I thought this would be a good challenge. I wanted to be prepared ahead of time with a song idea and title, and I thought back to something I had heard hit writer Brett Jones saying when he performed at Nashville's Douglas Corner as part of the festival. He was talking about how he'd built a big red barn in his yard after receiving a large royalty cheque, and I had thought "I wonder what I would do if I had a lot of money like that". Would it change me? - I don't know, but it's a risk I could take. That sounded like a good theme for a song. Nashville writers love song titles with a twist, and I thought the phrase "Money hasn't changed me - but I'm willing to let it try" had a good ring to it.
Armed with that, on April 1st I got together with Becky and Matt, and in about 4 hours had most of the song finished. If you click on the player below, you can hear a demo I recorded on May 1st 2011.
Money Hasn't Changed Me - Copyright 2011 Wyard, Monnier and Hoggard
January 2011
Alzheimer's Benefit
Greg and brother Nick were pleased to be a part of the 2011 ManuLife Walk for Memories, a fund raiser to raise money for Alzheimer's Research. Alzheimer's touched Greg in the late 90's when his mother-in-law Loretta Small succumbed to the disease, and he was inspired to write the lyrics to a song he co-wrote with Nick, Few and Far Between. It was a privilege to be asked to perform this song at this year's fundraiser.