Michael Averill & When Coasts Collide

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Fresh off a year of musical adventures touring his puzzle album What's Life All About? and a Nepal documentary soundtrack New Day, New Path, New Legend in Asia, Europe, and Canada, the quirky globetrotting folk-fusion story singer returns to Vancouver to release his next concept album - I'd Rather Walk - a tribute project to his late singer/songwriter father Garry Averill, and an endeavor he intends to share walking across the country starting in Newfoundland in August.

A recent serendipitous meeting in an Edmonton Irish pub opened up a link to his father's past in the Yukon, the place where CBC discovered and recorded Garry in the mid 70's. Garry's first written song "Take The Time", was selected as a theme for Peter Gzowski's morning show in 1976, which brought forth national recognition and an opportunity to pursue his music. He turned it down, and returned to a quiet life as a teacher with a family. Almost 40 years later, son Michael started performing his father's songs with his own repertoire, and created an album fully inspired by his father's life, influence, and works.

He was a humorously insightful man who loved to walk, says Michael. I couldn't think of a better way to honor that than to stroll across this country sharing our songs and stories. When in town, you may have seen Michael at The Rogue Folk Club, parading around as our resident raffle ticket man. He'll be rounding out the evening with a folk duo project, When Coasts Collide, he started with Nova Scotia born vocal powerhouse, Jen Miller. The pair met in Vancouver almost two years ago as a result of a double booking, and their East/West multi-instrumental folk blend has created quite a stir in the local scene since their official formation in February 2013. Via Rail accepted them to perform on the train across Canada, and they'll be embarking on their first joint tour to Ontario and the Maritimes in June.