Bruce Coughlan is a career performer. A songwriter, recording artist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, compere, and storyteller par excellence with over four decades of experience.
Bruce’s songs are a reflection of the many roads he’s travelled over the decades since he first slung a guitar over his shoulder to tackle life a balladeer.
As a full-time performing artist for over forty years, Bruce Coughlan has written hundreds of songs and performed at thousands of venues, ranging from coffee houses and folk clubs to a Canada Day performance on Parliament Hill!
Since recording his first LP in 1984, He’s recorded 14 albums of original and adapted traditional music across a broad range of the Roots Music genre. His songs have been recorded in turn by some of the most legendary names in Acoustic Music. Bruce Coughlan might be best recognized for his historically based ballads, written on Pacific Canadian themes. In 2015 his group Tiller’s Folly released Stirring Up Ghosts, a CD collection of 24 historically based songs.
Bruce has been welcomed internationally as a touring artist. His eclectic mix of original Roots-based songs are honest, timeless & authentic. His storytelling is intriguing, matched by his expressive voice and masterful guitar work.
“Bruce seems to be concerned with and committed to is “the song”. In the same regard that Lyle Lovett, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and folks like Darrell Scott are. He works at it with discipline, a sense of wonder, and trying to honor the very craft of it. I think his results speak for themselves.” – John Cowan (John Cowan Band, Doobie Brothers, Newgrass Revival)
Beyond performing as lead vocalist/guitarist for Pacific Canadian Celtic group Tiller’s Folly, Bruce also performs with Voices for the Salish Sea (Regional/Folk Rock/World View) Waiting for Rain (Original Retro/Roots/R&B) Moondance: The Van Morrison Songbook, In My Life - A Beatles Songbook, as well as a number of collaborative creative initiatives. Bruce plays well with others and is accomplished in many Roots Music styles, including Celtic, Bluegrass, Americana, Folk, Maritime, Blues & more. From the traditional to progressive. Outreach, mentorship or just playing support, Bruce’s primary areas of expertise include songwriting, performance, flat-pick and finger-style guitar.
Today, Bruce Coughlan is an emerging solo performer, storyteller, compere and media host.
Discography
Waiting for Rain – Bruce Coughlan (2017)
Stirring Up Ghosts Volume 1 & 2 - Tillers Folly (2015)
Go the Road - Tillers Folly (2012)
Heavy Wood - Nolan Murray (2010)
A Minstrel in Moray - Bruce Coughlan (2009)
Stirring Up Ghosts - Tiller's Folly (2008)
A River So Wide - Tiller's Folly (2007)
The Wild Bird's Nest - Bruce Coughlan (2006)
Buchan Bluegrass - Tiller’s Folly (2005)
A Fine Kettle of Fish - Tiller’s Folly Live CD/DVD (2004)
A Ripple in Time - Bruce Coughlan & The Tiller’s Folly (2002)
Ghosts of the Mighty Fraser - Bruce Coughlan & The Tiller’s Folly (2000)
The View from Here – Bruce Coughlan & The Tiller’s Folly (1997)
Any Day Soon – Bruce Coughlan (1996)
Tangled Up in Love – Bruce Coughlan & The Hightops (1990)
Arm’s Length – Bare Facts (1984)
Bruce is regularly a featured artist at festivals, concerts, arts presentations, community and corporate events. He has performed in eight provinces and one territory, 38 states and has toured the United Kingdom on a dozen occasions. Since recording his first LP in 1984, he’s recorded 14 albums of his original and adapted traditional music across a broad range of the Roots Music genre. Bruce might be best recognized for his historically based ballads, written on Pacific Canadian themes. He has been the composer and lead singer of Tiller’s Folly for over two decades.
Waiting for Rain - Bruce Coughlan
Bruce is sought after as a producer and songwriter. He is constantly pushing his artistic envelope to share new songs and grows collaborations with artists. In 2017 Bruce released a solo album, Waiting for Rain that was broadcast at Onstage TV at Hubcast Studios; and to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary Bruce toured with The Great Canadian Songbook with Tiller’s Folly, Ken Lavigne and Diyet and in 2018 he produced Voices for the Salish Sea with The Wilds. Throughout 2020, Bruce has honed his skills as a solo guitarist, creating an entirely new host of arrangements in DADGAD guitar tuning and embracing his Celtic Music Roots with programs Address to Robbie Burns and The Humours of Ireland.
A Minstrel in Moray - Bruce Coughlan
https://songsmith.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/brucecoughlansongwriter
