David Myles just wrapped up his cross-country tour and didn’t forget anything on his Canadian trek. Not even his family.
“My wife [Nina Corfu] and my baby Maria came along. So, it was definitely a different kind of tour. To be honest, it was great. It gave me something else to look forward to other than the shows, so I came into the shows with more energy.”
Four-month-old Maria kept herself busy by blogging, with help from Corfu, about touring across Canada.
Myles was touring to promote Into the Sun, released in the fall of last year. Myles is known for melding genres and this album is no different, featuring Brazilian and African sounds which lean more towards the classificatino of world music.
He’s back in the Maritimes on his “Singing for Supper” tour around New Brunswick with a stop at the Regent Mall in Fredericton Dec. 13.
Myles hopes to raise awareness and support for NB food banks with this annual tour, which is in its third year running. He remembers volunteering with the food bank when he was a teenager and living in Fredericton.
“I volunteered to deliver turkeys around Christmas. I was like 15. I grew up in Fredericton and thought I had a sense of the city, and when I did this I was shocked,” said Myles. “Oh man, there’s some real poverty and some real need right in our own backyard.”
Myles said having a family of his own gives him a new perspective.
“If anything, I feel more motivated. The food bank tour… you think about your family and your community in a different way.”
Maria Myles came along when the tour was already planned. The couple saw an opportunity as a new family. Half of four month old Maria’s life has been spent on the road with her parents.
While the couple seized the opportunity to take the trip, it didn’t come without some hesitations. Myles was worried the merging of these two lives, the musician and family man, might not go smoothly.
“I was nervous thinking maybe it won’t be compatible and I might have to switch gears, but it was a really great couple of months,” said Myles. “To be fair, my wife’s the brave one. She’s the one that decided to come on the road as a new mom.”
Myles said these two lives have always been separate. Corfu had never been on the road with Myles before, and as a new mother, it was a new experience for her as well. Myles and Corfu mapped out the trip beforehand so they knew what to expect.
“You hope the baby can enjoy it and handle the drive,” said Myles. “But it was such an adventurous tour and we were going to new places every day.”
Myles said his wife was concerned the nature of the tour might impact his ability to perform, but he said what happened was quite the opposite.
“The experience of being a new dad is so magical and incredible. It’s tiring but it certainly gives you a lot of energy. So, I’ve been more motivated than usual. To work and write songs and I feel really lucky to do what I do.”
Maria Myles will keep up with her blog even though the family is back home in the Maritimes since the upcoming year will be a busy one.
When the “Singing for Supper” tour ends, Myles is heading to Toronto to record for his next album. He said there’s no rush since his last release was recent, but he’s keen to get back in the studio. His upcoming album will stay more true to his live performances.
He said he wrote all the songs before he left for tour. so he knows how they’re received. The album is expected to be released in the fall of next year.
The “Singing for Supper” tour has been growing since its inception.
“When we started it was a small idea. We brought our PA [system] and it started getting bigger and bigger and the food bank has been supportive, and people have been supportive,” said Myles.
“Music is a great way to mobilize people and get people thinking.”
