Family Affair
How did you get started in music?
I grew up in Scotland where I was surrounded by song. People were always singing in pubs and telling stories. Even after I moved to Canada at thirteen, I don’t remember a day when I wasn’t singing or playing music.
How has your Scottish heritage influenced your music?
My dad is a storyteller in the true Scottish sense of the word, but then my mom played R&B, Motown and Detroit Soul while I was growing up, so I had a very eclectic childhood. I think my Scottish roots come out when I’m writing and thinking about the hard-working, blue-collar people I grew up around; listening to them tell their stories at the kitchen table.
What is your process for writing songs and what inspires you?
My albums are always very autobiographical and speak to where I am in a particular moment as a singer, songwriter, son, husband and father. When I wrote the album A Place Called Love (2010, EMI), I was dealing with the loss of my grandmother and, at the same time, we were blessed with the birth of my youngest daughter. I was in this place where I was thinking about losing love and receiving love; where people go and where people come from, and the songs on that album really reflect those questions.
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
My family and I recently went to Watercolors, Florida. It’s a small beach community on the Gulf and it was really nice to relax and spend some quality time with each other – the kids loved it.
What’s your favorite hotel perk?
This is going to sound really silly, but I love doing a eucalyptus steam whenever I can. It’s really great while I’m on the road – clears you out.
One thing you never leave home without?
Pictures and a laptop, so I can Skype with my family. The world feels a lot smaller now when you can video-chat from anywhere in the world.
What places are on your top must-visit list?
I would love to take my wife to Paris and, when my kids are old enough, I want to show them where I grew up in Scotland.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with EMI Music is proud to present the Global Music Series, featuring EMI recording artists performing at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts around the world.