Almost a year ago, I changed the format of my online radio station to INDIE, featuring independent and unsigned artists of all genres. Am I ever glad I did. One of the main joys of doing so was the discovery of such artists right here in Kingston. Having been a mainstream station before that, the only band I had heard of coming out of Kingston was The Tragically Hip. So, my eyes and ears were essentially closed. Going indie allowed me to open those eyes and ears as I began searching for local talent to showcase on my station.
One such band is Goldwing. An alternative folk rock band consisting of: Ryan Gollogly - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar, Nick (Pickins) Patterson - Banjo/Vocals, Matt Kirby - Electric Guitar/Vocals, Matt (Jeebs) Simpson- Bass and Tony Silvestri - Keys/Organ/Vocals.
I came across these very talanted individuals due to former co-worker Jessica Pinkham, the band's biggest promoter. Jessica passed on some tracks and I was immediately hooked. They combine a no-nonsense, light hearted aproach to the serious issues of today with some seriously good guitar and banjo playing. Ryan, along with being the main songwriter, does the lead vocals. His dynamic range is complimented by the smooth backup harmonies. Toss in 'Jeeb's bass, Matt's electric guitar, a smattering of Tony's keyboards and 'Pickins' banjo, you get a sound that is extremely pleasing on the ears. A revolving ensemble of musicians often join the band on stage to add drums and female vocals.
It's a comeback story of sorts for Ryan as he was forced to give up singing for a year after developing vocal nodes. Thanks to the support and guidance of one Emilly Fennell, he made a full recovery.
He started Goldwing in 2011 after spending nearly ten years with the progressive punk band 'Fugitive Underground'. The year off from singing resulted in a transformation from electric guitar driven riffs to a smoother accoustic sound. Though slowing down to a more relaxed folk rock genre, he still maintained his aggression from his punk rock days.
There's no shortage of accomplishments for the band, either. Besides releasing their 11 song debut album, they've shared the stage with top Canadian rockers 54-40, Treble Charger. The Stellas, USS and The Mahones. They took home 1st place in two song writing contests and were named finalists in 2015's Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artist Mentorship Program. If you are ever in Kingston, you can catch the boys playing at The Toucan or The Mansion on the weekends.
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