Hal Brolund profile picture

Hal Brolund

will play for ukuleles

About Me

Manitoba Hal sounds like a cross between Taj Mahal and a drunk monkey smashing a garbage can in an alley. He plays blues for people who hate blues. His songs are about murder, lust, heart break, chickens and fishing.
"A show packed full of traditional blues numbers and signature personal specialties all under one roof. . . . I'm still staggering. Wabigoon ain't neva seen the likes of this kind of calibre!!!! One word. Wow." - John Cox Green Achers of Wabigoon
Manitoba Hal Brolund is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. His latest CD was produced by folk icon David Essig and reveals a mature songwriter and masterful guitarist. The recording is heart breakingly beautiful and a captivating blend of confidence and vulnerability showing understated playing alongside heaven fine singing. The songs range from stories about roadside chicken joints to failed relationships and pure red blooded lust. The undercurrent of the CD is a quiet faith that love will win out and that the real heroism of a relationship isn't whether it survives but that fragile broken people even try to love at all. Amen.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/1/2006
Band Website: manitobahal.com
Band Members:

Influences: Keb Mo, Robert Johnson, Son House, Taj Mahal, Mississippi John Hurt, Big Dave McLean, Colin Linden, Tim Williams, Kelly Joe Phelps
Sounds Like: Hal sings genuine heartfelt lyrics with a voice that washes over you like a soft breeze blowing through amber waves of grain. Hal sounds like a blues version of Jim Croce, John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot rolled into one.
Jeff Corbett, President Delta Blues Society, Regina

Record Label: Hal's Kitchen
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

New CD arriving March 1, 2008

Like so many artists on these pages I've been working toward a new CD most of 2007. I began by writing loads of songs and then feeling out producers and production styles. I finally settled on working...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:15:00 PST

Feelings for the Blues

Today I searched for inspiration. I looked under my bed. I looked through my notebooks. I dug into the cushions of the couch to see if I'd dropped it down there. I opened cupboards and checked behind ...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:16:00 PST

Best laid plans...

Hi there peeps. I've been very remiss in updating this blog and for that I'm sorry. It's been a strange winter for me up here in Canada. I tried to quit the music buisiness but that failed (thank god)...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:10:00 PST

10 things to do doing the deep freeze

Well it's been mighty cold here in Winnipeg. Much like the rest of Canada we've been in a deep freeze for the past week or so. Temperatures are well below freezing and it's a challange to go outside f...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:39:00 PST

The gigs of 2006

Thanks to all of you who supported me during the past year. Without friends like you I would not have made it to this point this year. I wish you all the best for the coming year and a Merry Christmas...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:04:00 PST

Rudolph for the next age - A modern Carole

(sung to the tune of the old standard Christmas song)Rudolph the red nosed reindeer went down to Mexico "I'd rather be on the beach than driving through the wind and snow" All of the other reindeer lo...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:53:00 PST

Home from the Blues

Home again, home again. After 19,000KMs across Canada in my Toyota "Tour"cel I am home again to sleep in my own bed. Doc MacLean and I had a great time touring the country playing the blues and I have...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Wed, 08 Nov 2006 09:16:00 PST

Trans Canada Blues Tour Blog

Hey there pals. The Trans Canada Blues Tour blog is located at Trans Canada Tour Blog. Drop on by and see what Doc MacLean and I are up to on this Canadian Odyssey....
Posted by Hal Brolund on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:30:00 PST

Tomorrow and Tomorrow

It's just a matter of hours now before the blues odyssey that I've been working on hits the highway.  For the past eight months I've been booking, promoting and preparing for the Trans Canada Blu...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Thu, 21 Sep 2006 08:31:00 PST

5 days before change

Hey there pals.  Five days left before I head out across Canada in support of my new CD "Come The Ruination".  The tour has settled out at 30 shows in 45 days over 16,600kms of the Canadian ...
Posted by Hal Brolund on Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:19:00 PST