From a small fishing village divided by a bridge to commanding stages across North America, Alan Doyle has never forgotten where he came from – even as he’s gone everywhere else. The boy who once stood on that stone bridge in Petty Harbour, dreaming of what lay beyond the hills, has become one of Canada’s most beloved musical treasures, blending traditional Newfoundland sounds with contemporary sensibilities that have earned him fans worldwide. With his latest album “Welcome Home” showcasing what he calls his “lower and slower” side, Doyle is ready to share both whispers and shouts when he brings his magic musical stew to the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino on March 22.
Doyle was in the small fishing village of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, where the Atlantic Ocean served as his front yard and playground. Growing up in a Roman Catholic family in a town divided by both a river and religious differences, young Alan learned early about boundaries and bridges – quite literally, as the town’s bridge separated the Catholic and Protestant sides, though those divisions had largely faded by his childhood. Even as a child, Doyle had a natural inclination toward performance, holding up signs saying “Look at Me” and gravitating toward roles that put him in the spotlight, whether as a drummer in the school band or a goalie on the hockey rink.
After graduating from High School, Doyle moved to St. John’s to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and religion at Memorial University. During this time, he honed his musical skills performing solo shows in local pubs, developing the “thick skin and iron larynx” that would serve him well in his career. In 1993, Doyle joined forces with Sean McCann, Bob Hallett, and Darrell Power to form Great Big Sea, the folk-rock band that would go on to release nine gold or platinum albums and sell 1.2 million copies in Canada alone.
“I didn’t get into the music business to make a trillion dollars and move to a villa in Spain,” Doyle explains from his guitar-filled home studio in St. John’s, Newfoundland. “I got into the music business because I wanted to spend my life playing music with my friends. That goal came to me when I was 13 years old and it never left. I was born into the band. The Doyles are the band in Petty Harbour, and my mom we had a piano and a guitar and an accordion before we had a car or a fully functioning bathroom. Like, you know, the Doyles were the band. They’re still the band in Petty Harbour.”
After leading Great Big Sea for 20 years, Doyle has now released his fourth full-length studio solo album, “Welcome Home,” which represents a significant artistic evolution. “At some point during the recording, Cory [Tetford], who plays guitar in our band, said, ‘you know, this is your 20th record!'” Doyle recounts with characteristic humor. “And I said, ‘no, no, no.’ And then I added them up and thought, ‘Oh. That’s too many records.’ If you add the things other things I’ve worked on, movies or soundtracks or produce records for other people or I don’t know. It’s a great it’s a lucky life in music. I’ll tell you that.”
“Welcome Home” finds Doyle exploring new territory, featuring several quieter, more introspective songs that showcase a deeper range of his voice. “I think it’s a sort of, it’s a result of a slowly but surely growing confidence to let people see a side of you that you probably were used to be really uninclined to let them see,” he explains. “And if you’re the party guy like me, you know, like, and you’re known for beer garden songs, which I love, and, like, uptempo party numbers, which I love, you’re less reluctant to think that people will be interested in any side of you other than that.”
This vulnerability represents a departure for an artist known for his energetic performances. “And it takes, you know, a year or two or twenty, you know, up and encouragement from sometimes your bandmates or your friends to go and to believe that if you whisper something, people might lean in and listen to it,” Doyle reflects. “And I don’t say that necessarily as any source of pride or whatever, but it’s I think it’s honestly taken this guy, me, that long to get enough either confidence or humility…. And I kinda I’m not totally sure which one it is To think that people would give a shit, you know, to hear what I actually am feeling about my own life and my own shortcomings sometimes.”
Joy remains a constant theme throughout Doyle’s three decades in music. “I’ve had more joy packed into my 54 years than a thousand people get in 400 lifetimes, so I feel really, really lucky,” he says with genuine gratitude. “Luck is where stuff comes to you that you didn’t earn because if you could just earn it all you would. But every once in a while, you need a good little jingle of luck and I’ve had my share. I grew up in a fishing town where music was for weddings or wakes or funerals or dances or beer gardens or parties or concerts or it was always to facilitate celebration, and songs were always for someone else and for something else. They were never for you, you know, as the singer.”
The new album features collaborations with marquee co-writers including Jimmy Rankin, Donovan Woods, and surprisingly, Hollywood actor Oscar Isaac of Star Wars fame. Recorded in Montreal with producer-engineer Marcus Paquin, the nine original songs showcase both Doyle’s trademark buoyancy and a newfound intimacy.
Beyond his musical career, Doyle has built an impressive resume as a thrice-published author, beginning with his 2014 memoir “Where I Belong” about his youth in Newfoundland and Labrador, followed by “A Newfoundlander in Canada” in 2017. His literary voice captures the same warmth and storytelling prowess that has made his music so endearing.
Doyle has also established himself as an actor and producer, with appearances in productions ranging from “Robin Hood” alongside his friend Russell Crowe to guest starring in “Murdoch Mysteries” as a time-traveling historian. His versatility extends to composition as well, having scored films and television shows including CBC’s “Hatching, Matching and Dispatching.”
When not on tour or creating, Doyle still calls St. John’s home, where he lives with his wife and son. Despite his global success, he maintains deep connections to his Newfoundland roots, serving as a cultural ambassador for the province’s unique heritage and traditions. “I was asked during the pandemic what I miss. And I said I miss missing home,” he reflects. “And which is a really weird thing to say. But almost every musician I know got it instantly. They were like, yep. I do too. Always going somewhere, always coming home. That’s been the story of my adult life.”
For Doyle, performing live remains the heart of his artistic expression. “I graduated university and Great Big Sea hit the road. And, like, I’ve been going and coming, flying, driving, boating from here, you know, and back here constantly, constantly, hundred times a year,” he explains. “I fly on a hundred airplanes a year and have since 1993 and wouldn’t have it any other way. I love that idea that, you know, I have this place that’s out here in the middle of the ocean. And, you know, and then I get on a plane, and I go to Toronto or Manhattan or wherever. And, like and it’s it’s a real lucky life, man, must say.”
“If we do it the way I hope we do it; it’ll be a bit more of a wave of a night,” Doyle says of his current shows, promising an emotional journey for audiences. “I’ve been accused over the years of being way more comfortable writing songs for the concert than I am for a record. And, you know, I’m guilty as charged. If it doesn’t have a place in the concert for me, I’m not really that interested in it. That’s all my apprenticeship has been for that, for playing it live. I love looking at the calendar seeing, you know, in thirteen or fifteen months from now, we have a tour starting. So, I need five or six new tunes to go in there. That’s motivation enough for me.”
Reflecting on his journey from Petty Harbour to international stages, Doyle remains remarkably grounded. “The thing I always say about Newfoundland is that it’s if you wanna go to all the places in the world, you have to come to this one because this one’s different,” he says with pride. “It’s a very wacky place, man, the island of Newfoundland and the South the coast of Labrador. It’s very different and very weird and very, very much dear to my heart.”
Doyle’s creative partnership with Russell Crowe has been particularly fruitful, with the musician producing albums for the actor-musician and appearing alongside him in the 2010 film “Robin Hood.” Their friendship represents just one example of how Doyle’s talents have transcended the boundaries of music to embrace multiple forms of storytelling.
As a producer, Doyle has worked with numerous artists, including Juno Award winners The Irish Descendants, bringing the same passion and authenticity to others’ work that characterizes his own. His ability to bridge traditional and contemporary sounds has made him a sought-after collaborator across the Canadian music landscape.
Throughout his evolution from Great Big Sea frontman to solo artist, author, and actor, Doyle has maintained a consistent artistic vision rooted in storytelling and celebration. “I’m so lucky that, you know, I have friends like Mark or friends like Alan Hocko or or Greg or any of those gang, you know, and they’re always at something interesting and fun in the arts,” he shares. “And, you know, they’re whenever they so often, I get asked to go do what they’re doing for three months or something, you know, like work on a TV show or a movie or a play or anything. And I go like, I’ll do that. I’ll help you. And they help me. And it’s like, it’s just great.”
Alan Doyle brings his “Welcome Home” tour to the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino on Friday, March 22, promising an evening that balances heartfelt introspection with foot-stomping celebration. For tickets and more information about the show, visit fallsviewcasinoresort.com. Fans can expect a performance that showcases both the familiar joyous energy that made Great Big Sea a Canadian institution and the more nuanced artistry of Doyle’s recent solo work – all delivered with the warmth and wit of a master storyteller who still remembers what it was like to be that boy on the bridge, looking out at a world of possibilities.
