Silence Presents: David James Allen & The Growing Machine

David James Allen & The Growing Machine return this fall in support of the new album Jubilation Potpourri.

David James Allen & The Growing Machine return this fall in support of the new album Jubilation Potpourri. Featuring pedal steel and a dynamic, groove-driven one-person band setup, the performance moves between spacious, rhythmic passages and intimate songs—offering a memorable night for listeners who value thoughtful, live music.

DAVID JAMES ALLEN
On his latest single, “By Your Side,” Canadian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David James Allen provides a soothing balm for anyone experiencing tough times. Built upon an easy-flowing groove and featuring the soaring pedal steel work of Andrew Ivens, Allen sings with honest conviction that any of life’s trials can be overcome through love and commitment. “By Your Side” is the latest preview of Allen’s forthcoming album Jubilation Potpourri, following “Platform No. 12 (Old Friends),” which was added to Sirius XM’s North Americana and CBC Music’s Canadian Country playlists. David James Allen has been releasing music for more than a decade, but over the past several years—after moving east of Toronto to the wilds of Prince Edward County—he has been startlingly prolific. Beginning with 2017’s When The Demons Come and carrying on through 2020’s Radiations and the following year’s The Architect, Allen has been steadily amassing a remarkable body of work that stands alongside those of any of his Canadian contemporaries. He cites Canadian poets Al Purdy and Nelson Ball for inspiring many of his lyrics, with a predominant theme being the perils of hard living. Musically, whether channelling the rootsy funk of The Band and Bill Withers, or delivering a devastating ballad in the style of Townes Van Zandt and Harry Nilsson, David James Allen’s music is built upon a soulful foundation few of his contemporaries possess, putting him firmly at the vanguard of the alt-country/Americana scene.

JOSEPH GALLO JR.
Combining dark, pop progressions with moody lounge piano, Guelphs’ Joseph Gallo Jr.(Lowlands / Alanna Gurr / Odd Years / The Yage Letters, Lazu Lie, Motion.Picture.Cinema) is set to perform an array of solo material, accompanied by some of Guelph’s finest players, in a rare live band performance.

Driven by a first-world malaise, Gallo Jr’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics assimilate effortlessly within emotional piano ballads – much in the same vein as Lennon or Randy Newman. Other times, Gallo Jr’s capricious outlook and lyrical vulnerability is juxtaposed by a polished crooner vocals, while oozing with tension and heartache.

Fans of Harry Nilsson, Ben Folds, Emily Haines and Tobias Jesso Jr. take heed.

“It’s impossible to call this one genre… At times you get controlled chaos and at others, you get introspective piano melodies. It’s not pop, it’s not lounge, it’s not easy listening… but it’s definitely worthwhile.”