Bruce Guthro
No Final Destination
Bruce Guthro is an artist who has captivated audiences around the world with his honest,
straight-to-the-heart songwriting, and live performances that are as engaging and personal as the
man himself.
Troubadour and storyteller, Bruce's music gets to the heart of the matter, and his success can be
attributed to his ability to connect with his audience.
His EMI Music Canada debut, "Of Your Son", was certified GOLD in Canada selling over 60,000
units and produced two hit singles – “Walk This Road" and "Falling".
Bruce's follow-up album, the critically acclaimed ‘Guthro', revealed the pride of Cape Breton,
Nova Scotia as an international performer.
Most musicians wait until after their new album has been released before going on tour.
Bruce Guthro adopted a different approach: even before his fifth solo album, No Final Destination,
was released, the singer-songwriter and guitarist completed a 17-date tour (The Drive Tour,
spring 2009) across Germany and Denmark. During this tour – to the delight of his loyal fans – he
performed various songs from his latest album prior to its release date.
The Canadian musician explores a wide array of subjects in his songs. He sings about love in all
its aspects, touches on religious and philosophical topics, ponders the problems of poverty, war
and death – and succeeds in painting wonderful pictures that are inspired by the solitude of the
Canadian forests and the rugged Nova Scotia coastline. Having said that, he is not only an
imaginative lyricist but also a versatile composer who is an expert in the fine art of classic song
writing. On No Final Destination, Bruce Guthro delivers almost a dozen examples of brilliant song
writing, including straightforward, North American rock songs in the style of Bryan Adams, gentle
ballads in the tradition of West Coast troubadour Jackson Browne, and timeless pop anthems that
are tailor-made for sing-alongs involving thousands of voices.
But did we expect any less? Of course not! Bruce Guthro isn’t just anyone. He is, after all, the
front man of one of the most successful folk rock bands in the world: Runrig. Even as a solo artist
– and especially since his platinum album Of Your Son (1998) – he has been a celebrated pop
star in Canada, where he regularly sells out venues and hosts a national television show
(Songwriters’ Circle). In Europe, the personable performer isn’t yet quite as well known as he is in
his homeland, but ever since the release of Beautiful Life (Denmark 2005, Canada 2006, and
Germany 2007) his popularity as a solo artist has been increasing. During his first solo tour in
Germany, he played to sold-out venues, and a number of extra shows had to be scheduled in
order to satisfy the huge demand for tickets.
His fan base continues to increase and is sure to grow even larger with the release of No Final
Destination. With his latest album, Bruce Guthro remains true to his motto (“I don’t want to make
the same album twice”) and presents an even more diverse collection of songs. (“I compare
songs and records to scripts and movies. I don’t want to be the actor that gets caught up in one
type of role. There are far too many genres of music out there to be cornered into one style.”)
His latest work reveals not only his – much renowned – gentle nature, but also his refreshingly
cheerful side, as heard in dynamic up-tempo rock numbers like Little Bit a Love and Rockin’
Tonight – songs whose choruses stick in your mind. The same goes for Drive, an exuberant
homage to Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island and, according to Guthro, one of the
most beautiful places in the world. (“I used to have a motorcycle and there was nothing better
than to get out on that open road and leave the weight of the world behind me.”)
When it comes to irresistible melodies, Bruce Guthro is an expert and was so even before 1998
when he joined Scottish folk-rockers Runrig, the masters of anthem-type song writing. Some of
his new songs, such as Going Home (not to be confused with the eponymous Runrig song), the
string-supported ballad Rush (which Guthro co-wrote with his son Dylan) as well as the
emotionally charged Flew MacCarthy Home are pop anthems of rare perfection. The latter,
especially, is reminiscent of Peter Gabriel’s Biko, a song with religious overtones and homage to
South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who was killed in prison. Flew MacCarthy Home
gets right under your skin and is, quite probably, one of the most moving songs written by Bruce
Guthro. In any case, it is one of his most significant ones: “After a gig one night, I had a drink with
two young Canadian soldiers. We were talking about Afghanistan, and a fellow musician who had
been in the Middle East performing for the troops said, ‘You know, we flew McCully home’. I soon
realised the remains of Corporal McCully were flown home in the belly of the aircraft. What’s
really special about this song is I wrote it with my own son, Dylan, who would be around the same
age as some of these soldiers.”
Certainly no less impressive than Flew MacCarthy Home are the touching ballad Without Words
(describing the experiences of a blossoming young love without inhibitions), the song Cross
(inspired by Canadian songwriter Ron Hynes’ lyrics line “It would be a kind comfort if some kind
soul would carry this cross for a while”) as well as the fragile folk song So Small (which ends with
the realisation that, regardless of all our accomplishments in life, we are – in this big cosmic plan
– nothing but a grain of sand).
The tragedies life can inflict upon us are illustrated in Stone by Stone, which is expressively
arranged for piano, organ and electric guitar. Against the backdrop of the flood disaster in New
Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Guthro slips into the skin of a man who fails when trying
to save his wife from drowning. Out of this harrowing experience comes the realisation that there
is but one hope: re-building the city, stone by stone.
Bruce Guthro was born in 1961 in Sydney Mines, a small town on Cape Breton Island off the east
Coast of Canada. He grew up with seven brothers and one sister (“That probably toughened me
up a little. It takes a lot to get me upset”) and started working in the coal mines at the age of 17.
He learnt to play the guitar at a relatively young age and had even composed his own songs, but
for a long while he regarded music only as a passionate hobby to which he dedicated a lot of
time. His perseverance paid off: in the early 1990s he performed at a tribute concert for the
Canadian music legend Stan Rogers. Guthro’s song “Stan’s Tune” captivated the audience and
earned him a record contract. Having achieved his first small success with songs like Livin’ In The
90s – from his debut album Sails To The Wind (1994) – he landed his first major breakthrough
with his 1998 release Of Your Son. Following this best-seller album, the singer was awarded
various Canadian Radio Music Awards, a Juno Award as well as five East Coast Music Awards
(Best Male Artist, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Best Pop/Rock Artist and Single of
the Year).
Bruce Guthro’s latest album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee (at the studio of Grammy
Award winner Gordie Sampson), in Key Largo, Florida, in Guthro’s own studio in Canada as well
as in Denmark. With No Final Destination he has written a new, spellbinding chapter of his career.
As session musicians he was fortunate to secure the services of, among others, Tom Bokovac
(John Fogerty), Ethan Pilzer (Jewel), Chris McHugh (Keith Urban, Peter Frampton) as well as
various first-rate Nashville session players. Whether he’s performing powerful rock songs or
touching ballads: Bruce Guthro always delivers song writing at its finest.
“It could be his voice. It could be his lyrics. Or perhaps it's both, but something about Bruce
Guthro's songs burrows into your soul and doesn't let go.” (Dave Stobbe, reporter - Rocky
Mountain Outlook)