Damian Etherington — From Chatham to London

By John JJ Martin

“I’m broke. There is no money to be made in Toronto,” or so uttered Canadian hipster Esthero in a web feed from her new hold-up in Los Angeles “I can branch out more here.” The same feeling can be felt from Ontarian Damian Etherington when asked to make a comparison between the British and Canadian music industry. “I’m not up on the music scene in Canada these days. You don’t hear about many Canadian artists in the UK. Maybe that says enough about the ‘industry’.” As a great deal of the Canadian identity is focused on the differences between our American cousins and staying put, Damian doesn’t latch onto the bandwagon. “Always feeling I wasn’t tied to one cultural pattern, though being ‘Canadian’ is and has always been an undercurrent in my thoughts.”

Hailing from Chatham his family moved to Atlanta Georgia which meant Damian had to follow. Later, an emotional connection to the UK lead to an intended one-month visit that has now been 5 years in the staying, and life since has been fantastic. “This move was refreshing. A huge opportunity to remember what I loved to do. One way this emerged was through my music and has been building quickly.” Like many Canadian musicians, relocation and branching out resonates in Etherington’s music. “I love Latin music and it’s a nuance in a lot of my music. I love many styles from classical, jazz and electronic, to Celtic and bluegrass. I tend to mix styles together. It doesn’t make sense to me to box yourself in. Another way was arriving on a Thursday in the UK and the following day I was helping build a stage for a music night. I was on that same stage a week later playing a 3-hour set. Since arriving, I feel I am taking more responsibility in my creative outpouring.” You can sample Damian’s work at www.daminaetherington.com