From Dawson City to the Baja Peninsula, from Haida Gwaii to the Cape Breton Highlands, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Jeff Andrew and spoken word-artist shayne avec i grec have trekked tens of thousands of miles by thumb, rail, bus & foot, chasing minstrels, miscreants and mysteries along the way. In the spring of 2008, these ragged wanderers joined forces as Ghosts of the Highway to hitchhike from Victoria, BC to St. John's, NFLD. Along the way the pair sold copies of their self-produced album "Road Warriors Unite" and performed a mix of original and traditional folk songs, spoken word, Celtic ballads and fiddle tunes to audiences in nearly 50 different bars, cafes, kitchens, art galleries, bookstores and back-alleys across Canada.
With a voice like rusted steel creaking in the wind, Jeff performs on a pawnshop's worth of instruments (though he limited himself to guitar, fiddle and harmonica for the hitchchiking tour) and sings road-worn fantasies like a hard-traveling vagabond caught somewhere between a logging camp and the faerie underworld. His songs echo the drama and dust of the old folksingers, filled with stories of heartsick pilgrims and vanishing angels passing through places like Vancouver's Downtown Eastside or disappearing from the Highway of Tears in Northern BC. This winter Jeff released his debut solo album "Vagabonds & Wastrels," available now on Shade Tree Records.
Taking the term rambler to heart, shayne is often seen traveling thru the physical realms of highways and truck stops while rambling his way thru myriad stories of past, present and future. He is prone to outbursts of glee and his poems range from visionary tales to hyperkinetic bursts of abstract wordplay, mixing politics, metaphysics and love. As a performer his booming voice and energetic delivery owes a debt of gratitude to the beats, slam poetry and the open road. Whether speaking softly over the strains of mellow musical accompaniment or bellowing off-mic from the edge of the stage, shayne's voice holds a commanding presence that draws any within earshot into the worlds of his words.
As Ghosts of the Highway, Jeff and shayne bring a show like an old-style revue: a mix of music, storytelling and audience participation. They frequently perform straight from the floor, stomping their boots and belting like born-again carnival barkers. Whenever possible the stage is opened to anyone in the room with a story or song of their own, creating an inclusive, inspiring atmosphere that breaks down the walls between audience and performer. This August they will be appearing at the ArtsWells and Robson Valley music festivals and playing select shows in the interior of BC.
Contact:
(250) 661-3075
[email protected]
www.myspace.com/ghostsofthehighway