Ryan McMahon, one-third of Vancouver folk-rock band The Lion the Bear the Fox, will be performing a solo concert on Jan. 13 at the Acoustic Emporium.
McMahon, known as the fox in his band, was born in Chemainus, BC. Now 36 years old, he has carved out a 17-year career as an independent artist in Canada’s vibrant music scene.
He’s always been a genre fence sitter, hanging out on the edges of country just enough to say he isn’t; McMahon is both a whisper and a scream.
“Ryan sings to anyone and everyone who has ever got drunk, smoked, cried, loved or been loved,” says producer Andre Wahl (Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet).
His life goal has always been to craft songs that speak to the human condition.
“I didn’t know who I was until I found music. I found that the person I was becoming in my songs was far more confident and self-assured than I was myself. Writing songs was my way of relating to people on a broader scale than I could otherwise.”
Over the course of his career, McMahon has toured Canada more than 25 times, released three full-length albums, and seen his music licensed nationally and abroad.
He has shared the stage with an extremely wide-variety of artists, ranging from Lisa Loeb and Buffy Ste. Marie to Nickelback and Mother Mother.
He’s had the honour of participating in JunoFest, the Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Music Week, Music West, and various other notable Canadian Music Festivals, including three wins (Male Vocalist, Record and Artist of the Year) out of five nominations at the Vancouver Island Music Awards in 2012.
McMahon has played some of the best venues the country has to offer, including the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, the Ironwood Stage in Calgary, The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver and Nanaimo’s Port Theatre.
In 2012, he co-founded The Lion the Bear the Fox, with song-writing colleagues Cory Woodward and Christopher Arruda, and the band was immediately named as one of the Top 20 Finalists for the 2013 Peak Performance Project in Vancouver.
Ryan McMahon play the Acoustic Emporium (45892 Wellington Ave. - The Vineyard Centre) Friday, Jan. 13. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $12 at the door.