Featured Member: Damhnait Doyle

“Liquor Store Flowers” is the first solo oeuvre from Newfoundlander Damhnait Doyle in 11 years; Doyle was working with The Heartbroken, doing film work, and participating on Boards of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Association of Canada, and SOCAN. At a music industry conference in Mexico City earlier this year, she spoke on gender equity in music.

Damhnait Doyle was born December 9, 1975, in Labrador City and grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland. 17 years later, she found herself recording in Toronto, fresh out of high school and on her way to  multiple awards from SOCAN, the ECMAs as well as a couple of JUNO nominations. Having grown up singing and playing guitar and clarinet, Doyle released her first album in 1996, called “Shadows Wake Me”. The debut included “A List Of Things” which was nominated for a JUNO.

Her 2000 follow up, “Hyperdramatic” garnered a couple of East Coast Music Awards. In 2003 she released “Davnet” (the phonetic spelling of Doyle’s first name) and began releasing albums as part of the band Shaye, starting with “The Bride” that same year.

As a shy young performer, Doyle found drinking helped ease performing jitters, and joined the legions of musicians who like a drink or three. Playing alcohol-selling venues like bars and clubs made it seem more natural to drink on the job, as it were. Liquor-free for eight months now, Doyle says many of her fellow musicians have quit drinking, and she wants to support their initiative by linking them with like-minded performers who still work mostly in bars.

Over the course of a few drinks and decades, Doyle has released eight albums, including with the award-winning Shaye, and, starting in 2009, The Heartbroken. Their single “A List of Things,” cracked the Canadian Top 10.

While touring the country she has shared stages with Steve Earle, Willie Nelson, and Serena Ryder, recruited for a guest spot on Doyle’s new release. “Liquor Store Flowers” has a couple of accompanying videos online, for the title track and for “That’s What You Get.”  Doyle will be opening for Serena Ryder this summer as well as playing other dates.

Don’t forget to check out these Damhnait Doyle songs as part of our new Spotify playlist episode  – https://spoti.fi/2wzTB5b

Spotify Ep. 10 - S.A.C. Board, Past & Present.png

1. Liquor Store Flowers

Performed and written by: Damhnait Doyle
Produced by: John Dinsmore
Album: Liquor Store Flowers
Source: Sheri Jones Entertainment

2. A List Of Things

Performed by: Damhnait Doyle
Written by: Damhnait Doyle, Tim Welch
Produced by: Ken Myhr
Album: Shadows Wake Me
Source: EMI Music Canada

3. Never Too Late

Performed by: Damhnait Doyle
Written by: Creighton Doane, Damhnait Doyle
Produced by: Dave Hodge
Album: Hyperdramatic
Source: EMI Music Canada

4. That’s What You Get

Performed by: Damhnait Doyle
Written by: Damhnait Doyle, Emily Reid, Robyn Dell’Unto
Produced by: Damhnait Doyle, John Dinsmore
Album: Liquor Store Flowers
Source: Sheri Jones Entertainment

5. Tattooed

Performed by: Damhnait Doyle
Written by: Christopher Ward, Damhnait Doyle
Produced by: David Hodge
Album: Hyperdramatic
Source: EMI Music Canada

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Note: The Songwriters Association of Canada posts songwriter related news and events as a resource to members. Publishing these posts does not imply that the S.A.C. endorses the teacher, product, service, or company.

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