The path to success in music is almost always long and winding. Mindful of the fact that the best road trips have a killer soundtrack, GLVN has been writing his own since day one. “I started in music when I was fifteen years old,” says Brian Glavine, a native of Gander, Newfoundland. “I picked up a guitar and started writing songs almost immediately after I’d learned a few chords.” As his skills grew, the idea of music as “something I’d do full-time” began to take shape.
Education, Patience, and a Mentor
Realistic about his goals, Brian knew that it would take time and practice to get his songs to the professional level. He played things smart, waiting and learning. “I did postsecondary in Corner Brook (NL), and ended up boarding with this older couple. The guy, George, was a lifelong musician and we ended up jamming together and playing gigs around town.” Brian had met a friend, a collaborator, and a musical mentor. Still at the start of his own journey, he’d found an older influence who’d trod some of the same steps.
It was a theme that would play out through the rest of Brian’s life. Moving around for school, for work, and maybe just a bit of wanderlust, he always found ways to create. After finishing his postsecondary education, Brian headed to High Level, Alberta for work. “I spent a lot of time in places where I didn’t really know anyone. I kind of had the freedom and time to go through the writing process, which led me to meeting and getting to know all new people.” Music would not only be a solace, but a way of connecting with new friends and finding a community wherever he went.
The City/Early Tracks
At the age of twenty-three, Brian moved to Toronto for the first time with the goal of pursuing his career in music. The city was an eye-opener. “I was just kind of trying to find work wherever I could. I took a lot of odd jobs. There was a point where I realized this was going to be a lot more involved than I first realized.”
You might recognize this as the point in the story where a lot of aspiring artists pack it in and go home. Spoiler Alert: Brian didn’t. He kept working, and spent his spare time meeting people in the music industry. Between travelling to job sites around Ontario, he was able to record his first professional tracks, albeit in other genres. “They were good quality, and I put them out on soundcloud and told all my friends, but I wasn’t confident I would make money back if I really pushed them. I also wasn’t financially ready to take the leap full-time into the music business.”
The Last Year of Waiting
Far from disheartened, Brian took a job in Jamaica in 2018. He’d already begun taking his game to the next level, learning the programming and production side. Again, he found himself in a new place with time to write, think, and plan. Having a beautiful island to explore didn’t hurt either. He stayed for a year, working hard and immersing himself in music and a different culture. “It was a really cool experience,” he says. “I’m super grateful that I got to meet a lot of the people that I did.”
It had always been Brian’s intention to launch himself full-time into the music scene back in Canada. Returning home from his year in Jamaica, he felt it was finally his time.
We’ll have more about that soon.
Check Out Never Ending Encore, The Debut Single Years Of Travel In The Making From GLVN
