Cochrane music lovers can listen to a performance by an award-winning musician from Vancouver Island about the importance of holding onto love at an upcoming concert at Found Book Shop on March 25.
Ryan McMahon is a Canadian singer and songwriter who hails from the small town of Ladysmity, B.C. Although he usually performs country and rock music, his new tour is in support of his new ballad, titled "Lost and Found."
It's a convenient and coincidental title, considering the venue for his upcoming concert in Cochrane.
McMahon has been performing music for 24 years, and is even attributed with winning three Vancouver Island Music Awards for his album - ALL GOOD STORIES. With his latest album, Live Now, slated for release in 2023, he said his long-winding journey with music has been an adventure.
“I started playing in pubs and clubs when I was 17,” McMahon said. “They’d sneak me in and sneak me back out, but now I can play the whole night.”
His latest single "Lost and Found," which came out on Feb. 3, is a ballad and love song that is dedicated to his wife. He said the song touches on his relationship with his spouse and he hopes others become inspired by the message behind the lyrics.
“It’s a bit of a love song to my wife and to anybody married, who tried to keep the train on the tracks during adversity and tough times,” McMahon said. “Stay the course, even when times are tough, because some things are worth fighting for.”
The upcoming performance will also feature Joel Spillette, a talented piano player who will be accompanying McMahon. The duo has known each other for a long time, and McMahon is excited to have him as part of the tour.
“It’s really full circle to bring uncle Joel with me,” McMahon said. “He’s not my real uncle, but he’s uncle Joel.”
McMahon said he looks forward to performing in Cochrane, adding he’s performed in town before and is excited to return. As a member of the former band Lion Bear Fox, he said Cochrane was a special place for the band to play.
“Cochrane really became of our favourite towns to get, anytime we had a western Canadian tour,” McMahon said. “We would go to a place called Legacy Guitar Shop. It’s been gone for a couple of years, but crowds would pack the place.
“It would just be one of the most supportive towns for us in western Canada, so I kept coming back even when the band disbanded a few years back.”
Ever since Legacy closed, McMahon said he looked for new places to perform as a solo artist. After spending time searching for a new venue, he was introduced to Found Book Shop.
He added that he is happy to return to Cochrane as the area is such a great place to perform. And he's eager to play his tunes at the quaint book shop in the historic downtown.
“It’s a really, really, funky space for art of any kind,” McMahon said. “Julia, who runs the place seems really supportive [for] anything in the vein of presenting arts to people and literature, and that’s right up my alley where my music falls in line with.”
For anyone who may be interested in attending, tickets can be purchased online by visiting bit.ly/3YPM4dp.
