Geoff Gibbons profile picture

Geoff Gibbons

Geoff Gibbons - Purveyor of Retro-Future

About Me

Geoff spent his formative years with a transistor radio pressed to his ear bewitched by the music of the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison, The Eagles, and most of the other melodic pop and electric folk of the 60s and 70s.
In the early days, Gibbons and musical pal Ken Kirschner formed the folk duo Silverlode while traveling in Australia. Upon their return to Vancouver, Silverlode cut an independently-released EP and then a sleek, full-length album with producer Claire Lawrence (The Collectors, Shari Ulrich). The single “Sky High” became a regional and eventually a national hit. The duo became one of Vancouver’s leading attractions, opening concerts for the likes of Emmylou Harris, David Crosby, Leo Sayer, The Band’s Levon Helm and Rick Danko, and The Little River Band. The group’s recorded output was reissued as Sky High: The Best of Silverlode by Bullseye Records in 2001.

Back on his own, Gibbons was again plying his trade as a working musician with an unquenched need to hone his craft as a writer of original material in the vein of Gram Parsons, the Eagles, and John Hiatt. Those influences were present on his eponymous solo debut. A distribution deal with Sony Music in Germany and video airplay for three of the album’s tracks – “Just What I Am,” “House of Horrors” and “Can’t Curse The Rain” – on CMT in Europe and Canada sowed the seeds for the next album. It came together over a three-year period with assists from such stalwart local players as Robbie Steininger, k.d. lang’s back-up vocalist Sue Leonard, keyboardist Robbie King and bassist Rob Becker. With CMT again giving strong support for the singles “Bones In The Road” and “Living” the album made an initial buzz as an independent before being picked up in 2000 by the ambitious Toronto-based record company Song Corp. Gibbons played a string of live dates in support of the CD, and opened for T-Bone Burnette in Vancouver.

When not focused on his own music, Gibbons has been involved in a variety of outside projects. His vocals have been heard on a number of jingles including Labatt's, Dallas Daily News, Growers Cider, and Fleet Street tabloid The Star. He’s also worked extensively as a producer/collaborator with his many west coast friends and compadres. Three of his songs – “Love Makes No Rules,” “The April Place” and “Nowhere Town” – were featured in the FOX Television series Higher Ground. His skills as a songsmith have also been put to good use of late writing for an animated series as well as songs for a number of Television shows and feature films. Gibbons continues to write and record, assembling a storehouse of material in his home studio The Roots Cellar in Vancouver. His latest release Sentimental Maniac is available now on Bullseye Records.

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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/17/2005
Band Website: geoffgibbons.com
Band Members: Geoff and assorted freaky pals.
Influences: Melody merged with solid word....JPG&R, Todd Rungren, Aimee Mann, Crowded House, Warren Zevon, 10cc, Old Elton.
Sounds Like:
Not Lame – Sentimental Maniac - CD Review

A mixture of styles that fall into the vein of the music of such artists as John Hiatt, Jackson Browne, T-Bone Burnett and Steve Forbert, as well as The Jayhawks and Ryan Adams. But it goes other places, too. In fact, "Something I Said?" touches on the anthemic spirit that songwriters dream of --- Coldplay would have loved to written his one. This song is followed by the wonderful "Sentimental Maniac" that blends George Harrison/Ringo Starr sounds with The Waterboys. "Slowly Nowhere Fast" bleeds Bill Lloyd into Badfinger and on and on. This is a CD that seemed a bit under-stated upon my first listen, and did not grab me. But for some reason, it kept going into the player and, now, five listens in, it’s charms, its narrative arc (see below), its intimate acoustic-driven songs touch, move and inspire genuflection, enjoyment. This is very special singer/songwriter styled release that rises above the maudlin, the self-serving pity parties that so much of this material can fall into.
Charting a narrative arc that travels from "darkness to light" in terms of both intimate relationships and life’s big questions, the album is a thorough exploration of what it means to be a sentient, reflective adult in contemporary western society. An understated gem…Not to be missed!!
Record Label: Bullseye Records of Canada
Type of Label: Indie