| Ewan Dobson | |
| https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Ewan_Dobson.jpg/290px-Ewan_Dobson.jpg | |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 September 1981 |
| Origin | Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Fingerstyle guitar Acoustic metal |
| Years active | 1998 – present |
| Labels | CandyRat |
Ewan Dobson is a Canadian musician and Candyrat Records recording artist.
Music
As a classical guitarist, Dobson has won many awards including the Grand Prizes of both the Burlington Rotary Fall Music Festival and the Pickering Rotary Music Festival (1996 and 1998), as well as the D'addario Scholarship from the Kiwanis Music Festival which is given to the top classical guitarist in the competition. As a fingerstyle guitarist, Ewan placed first at the 5th Annual Canadian Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in 2009. Two months after this he competed in the 38th Annual International Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Winfield, Kansas and placed third. He subsequently placed first in the Acoustic Category of the 4th Annual Montreal Guitar Grand Prix.
He was initially drawn to the shred metal guitar of Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe and Megadeth, before discovering Niccolò Paganini and exploring classical music of the Romantic period. He then expanded his interests to include bluegrass music after hearing Leo Kottke, Tony Rice and Joe Maphis. His original compositions are influenced by all of these things, along with video game music which he absorbed while playing the NES as a child. His music has also been described as similar to the European Melodic Metal which he enjoys. His style has evolved into a new form commonly referred to as "Acoustic Metal", i.e., music similar to shred metal but played on an acoustic guitar. Other influences include Canadian folk, techno, and trance music.
"Time 2" topped iTunes charts around the world, hitting number one in Finland, Germany and Sweden.
In 2014, Dobson did a 13-country tour of Europe, and the following year toured throughout Canada and the United States.
In 2016, Dobson moved away from Toronto and began concentrating on performing primarily in Newfoundland and Labrador. In late 2016 he released three albums.
Solo albums
- 2007: Guitar, Self-released
- 2008: The Red Army Love Potion, Self-released
- 2009: Healthy Obsession, Self-released title
- 2009: Ewan Dobson, CandyRat Records
- 2010: Ewan Dobson II, CandyRat Records
- 2012: Ewan Dobson III, CandyRat Records
- 2012: World Candies, Self-released
- 2013: Acoustic Metal, CandyRat Records
- 2014: Acoustic Metal II, Self-released
- 2014: 12 String Guitar, Self-released
- 2015: Acoustic Metal II (Drums Version), with Zack Bevelacqua (drums), Self-released
- 2016: Insomnimania, featuring Daniel Jerome Voth (synthesizer), Self-released
- 2016: The Pit of Despair and the Joy of the Trampoline, Self-released
- 2016: Signor Paganini and Friends, Self-released