Rock Star

Musician, writer and proud Newfoundlander Alan Doyle on touring Canada, hosting kitchen parties and why he doesn’t give career advice.

- Courtney Shea

Most Canadians know you from your many years playing music with Great Big Sea and your solo work. What made you want to write a book? For Canada’s 150th, I wanted to tell this story about what it was like for a fella who grew up in a small Newfoundland fishing town in the ’70s to explore where he was from. My parents and I come from the same place, but I was born in a country called Canada and they were born in a country called Newfoundland. As a kid, Canada was something I had to go discover.

Did you see being a musician as your ticket to get out there and explore?

When I was 16 years old, the two things I wanted to do most were play in a band and see the world.

You often kick off gigs by promising the crowd a proper Newfoundland kitchen party. What is that, exactly?