Stereo Embers The Podcast 0125: Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea)

“Reverb As Long As A Hockey Rink”

That’s how Alan Doyle describes the music he loved so much in the ‘80s. A huge fan of Def Leppard, the Newfoundland-born Doyle may have been a metalhead as a teenager, but he always had folk music in his blood. He played in his Uncle’s band as a young man, but branched out on his own in his early 20s to form Great Big Sea. One of Canada’s most beloved bands of all time, GBS may no longer be around, but Doyle has stayed very busy indeed. In this conversation he talks to Alex about challenging himself by working in different genres, and why it’s so hard to say no. They also chat about the community spirit of Newfoundland, Doyle’s new EP Rough Side Out and why at this point in his life Doyle feels inclined to say, “What the fuck do I know about the Coronavirus?”