bramwell and the left overs

When it comes to folk music, there just ain't nothing like the prospect of the open road to get a songwriter's heart a-swelling. From down-home gut country to breathy indie folk, the idea of land and place winds its way through the roots consciousness like one of those back country roads they're always singing about, right up there with love as the topic of choice. Lucky for Edmonton-via-Montr?al's folkster Bramwell Park, then, that he had a fair bit of exploring the world under his belt before he even started playing music professionally.

Born and raised in Mount Royal, Park spent a fair chunk of time after high school backpacking around Southeast Asia and, after realizing he had seen more of Vietnam than his own country, driving around the Great White North, staying with friends and busking for gas money. Though he eventually ended up in Red Deer, followed by Grant McEwan's music program, it's a safe bet to say that while he might have got the formal training in our fair city, his slowed-down, bluegrassy folk belongs as much to driving through Ontario cottage country as songwriting classes at GMac. There are some things Wilfred Kozub just can't teach you.