DAVID LEASK HOUSE CONCERTS - Click here to learn more............
House Concerts are becoming the main stage for a growing number of singer-songwriters like myself performing complete concerts in the comfortable intimacy of private homes. They're fun to attend, fun to present and fun to play. Just imagine your living room as a concert hall with 25-40 of your closest friends and their closest friends gathered for an evening of great music.  Click here to find out more.

Hope you're finding time to soak up the summer.  I enjoyed a trip back to Scotland in June as part of my continued "accent renewal program" as well as visiting the family of course.  I returned to Canada for the beginning the world cup soccer festivities – quite the excitement in our multicultural metropolis.  I couldn't help but notice how much the vuvuzela has in common with the bagpipe drone!  

SUMMER GIGS

I am doing a little traveling over the next few months playing some concerts and festivals as well as showcases in Edmonton and Ottawa.  So please check the live gigs link on the website to see if I'm anywhere near and come on out and say hello.

RECORDING/WEBSITE UPDATE

Some of you have been asking when the next record will be ready – thanks mum!  I must admit it's been a slow process and I've experienced some growing pains along the way.  I've felt the need to take my time and not push too hard.  I recently watched an interview between Charlie Rose and the artist Francesco Clemente.  He talked about the importance of waiting in the creative process. He said painting is not so much about decisions, it's more about acceptance and that the work will tell you what it is - all you have to do is listen. As this record has me wearing the hat's of the artist, the songwriter and the producer I can certainly relate to his comments.  So my best guesstimate is a November due date.  Hopefully, when it's finally done, like me, you'll believe it was worth waiting for.

Look out for an overhaul of the website in the next few months.  If you have anything you want to see up here let me know.  Some folks have suggested it would be a good idea for me to do a virile video.  I was quite taken aback and then I realized I misheard what they said and they meant a viral video!   Maybe the viral video is not a bad idea seeing as my music has been described as quite infectious.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you down the road.

Peace,

David

The Decade So Far
Greetings!  I hope your 2010 is off to a good start. Here are a few of my highlights and happenings in the decade so far:

 Cool Winter Highlights
* Spending most of January in Nashville writing some new tunes. Doing some recording and hearing dobro player Rob Ickes (8 time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association Dobro Player of the Year) record on 2 songs for my upcoming CD.

* Enjoying the Scottish mayhem during Robbie Burns celebrations (4 recitations of "Address to the Haggis" in 3 days)

* Jamming with my pals doing a bluegrass version of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" with the Mullins Irish Pub Chorus singing along!

* Writing a school anthem with my buddy Debra Alexander and 40 students during our recent Songwriters Association of Canada songwriting workshop.

* Having another birthday on Monday, feeling older, and then on Wednesday, hearing that my niece had a little girl making me a GREAT UNCLE and feeling A LOT older!

 Cool Gigs Coming Up
 
* Sat. Feb. 13th - Winterfolk - VIII
I am playing 2 shows - 6pm @ The Willow - 193 Danforth Avenue, Front Room - solo; & @11pm I'm playing with some wonderfully talented Daves - Dave Newland and Dave Gillis at The Black Swan, 153 Danforth Avenue (downstairs)

* Feb. 17th, 9pm - City Roots Series at the Cameron House, 408 Queen St W. Toronto with The Brights & Ian Kelly

* Feb. 18th, 8pm - Lighthouse Theatre, Port Dover

* March 14th, 5pm - Mulligan Stew, playing some tunes with a great band at Mulligans, 2458 Dundas St. W., Mississauga

* March 19th, 7:30pm - Concert in Sudbury at Grumbler's Steakhouse, Regent St.

For more details, check out my website.
Thanks for reading and listening. Hope to see you soon.

Peace,

David

SONG FROM THE HEART -
Fall 2009
 
I was delighted to learn that a song I co-wrote with Bruce Madole, "While I Still Breathe" has won the Ontario Council Of Folk Festivals' Songs From The Heart Contest. Bruce had written the lyric and followed his instinct that I would be someone who could write the music and it proved to be a good idea as I immediately reacted to his evocative words and wrote and recorded the music very quickly. It turned out to be quite a haunting piece. I performed the tune at the Gala Dinner of the OCFF Conference in Ottawa on October 17th and will also perform it at the Canadian Folk Music Awards on November 20th.  Click here to listen to our song.
 
At the end of August, Debra Alexander and I had a great day at Metalworks Recording Studio conducting a songwriting workshop with children with physical disabilities in association with Friends of We Care and the Songwriters Association of Canada. We all had a terrific time both writing and recording a song all in one day - aptly named, "No Mountain Is Too High."
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Peace,
David

For those of you in Toronto, I've got some fun, free concerts happening this weekend and some other cool stuff. Now if it would just warm up and dry out...

Harbourfront and More
This Saturday, I'm part of the Canadian Voices Festival at the Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, for 3 different gigs, all to do with songwriting. Saturday at 4 pm I'm part of the the Bluebird North Songwriting Showcase on the Redpath Stage. I join Eddie (Hit Me With Your Best Shot) Schwartz, Ember Swift and Lucie Idlout. Sunday at 2 pm Lynn Harrison and I perform "The Toronto We Know" - our top Ten Finalist song in the Toronto Song Contest and then Sunday at 3 pm I do a 1 hour Songwriting Workshop for the public at the Brigantine Room sponsored by the Songwriters Association of Canada. A lovely place to be in the company of some great songwriters all weekend so come check it out - it's all FREE! Some of the other cool gigs coming up include Fergus Scottish Festival, Yorkville Village Park, and an assortment of Muskoka gigs for you cottage dwellers.

You can always visit the Live Dates page for more info. on all my gigs.

Toronto Song Contest Performance
As I mentioned already, Lynn Harrison and I will be performing our Toronto Song Contest entry on Sunday. There is also online voting now taking place and you can register your vote by following this link. Also the actual winner will be announced on August 21st following a live performance on the opening night at the CNE so put that on your calendar and come on down.

Thanks as always for following my music. I hope you have a great rest of the summer.

Peace,
David