Greer Graham

Article Kevin Lajoie
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July 30, 2008

Several years ago, Graham Greer found himself two-thirds of the way to becoming a mechanic when he suddenly back out .It's not that there's anything wrong with being a mechanic. It just wasn't for Greer, and understandably so. Shifting into a 9-to-5 job can be a difficult thing to do after you've spent the better part of 10 years traveling the country in a rock band.

That's where Greer found himself after life as the lead singer of the Barstool Prophets came to an end. He was unhappy in a mechanic's suit, and those around him could see it. Eventually, his wife Lori sat him down and pointed out how miserable it was making him. With that, Greer made a major decision: he would throw in the towel on the mechanic's gig and once again focus on what he loved most, music. He started teaching
guitar and writing again, and the rest was history:.

"When I found I could make a living by teaching, everything else just seemed to fall in place and it freed up my creative side to start churning out ideas again," said
Greer.

That creative side has led to a successful solo career that's made Greer a staple at bars and events in the Cornwall area and beyond. And judging by his most recent show, the creative side isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

The Williamstown native has a new solo album set to be released sometime in the coming weeks, and he's already started building many of the new numbers into his
live set.

Greer has been working on the new material for over two years now, and he has once again hooked up with studio man Todd Huckabone and veteran producer Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Steve Earle) to help produce the new record. Both Hardy and Huckabone were
involved in Greer's solo debut, 2003's Palookaville. The independently-released
Palookaville has sold close to 5,000 copies to date, an amazing figure considering Greer had no major shows, the creative side isn't show- distribution arrangements. At this point, the new album will also be an independent release, however Greer is still in the midst of
talking to various distributors and publishers.

"It's looking really good," said the 37-year-old father of two. Greer said he's having a blast playing the new tunes and he's getting a good response from the listeners.
How would he compare it to his previous work? "I wouldn't presume to," he said.
leave that to the listeners. They'll have a much better perspective," he said.

The new material varies from contemplative numbers like Wire-Walker" to upbeat tunes like "Love song" (it's actually an anti-love song) and the catchy "Buttercup." The inspiration for the songs is also wide-ranging. A good example of that is "Get It
While It's Hot," a rocker in which Greer contemplates society's slow "I saw my sons wanting things that they don't need because their friends had them. And then I stepped back and saw I did the same thing sometimes. And then I stepped back again and saw us
doing it on a cultural level. And then I stepped back again to see it still there globally and it freaked me out. And, of course, anytime something freaks me out, I write about it," said Greer.

The musician figures the new album will likely be out by the end of summer, once all the final details are complete. In the meantime, fans can check out some of the new songs on Greer's website, www.grahamgreer.com, and they'll also be to sign up for pre-
sales of the new album in the near future. Fans are also sure to hear some of the new tunes at Greer's upcoming gigs.

As for his future, Greer's certain of one thing , it will be centred on music, not fixing cars. "It (music) will always be beside me in some form or another," he said.