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Retrospective

Being raised on a steady diet of Irish and Scottish music ("We didn't call it 'Celtic' back then"), Bruce Coughlan has always maintained a repertoire of traditional ballads since his earliest forays into music. He began gigging in Irish pubs in his teens and later worked with a series of bands, performing a variety of styles. Victor Smith was already a fixture in the Vancouver Folk/Celtic scene when Bruce first approached him to play fiddle in 1996. Along with Craig McGregor, they formed the nucleus of what would become Tiller's Folly.

A grammar school chum, Craig worked on Bruce's 1996 solo CD, Any Day Soon. Craig's guitar intro on "The Musical Priest" is beautifully played, as is his octave mandolin lead on "The Bearded Boy." Craig's electric work throughout Any Day Soon, The View From Here and Ghosts of the Mighty Fraser displays his subtle mastery. While Victor's fiddle and flute work are evident throughout the first two CDs, his skills as both composer and instrumentalist are best displayed on the recording of "The Bearded Boy."

Laurence Knight was a long-time acquaintance of Bruce and had been playing a lot of pick-up gigs (mostly classic rock and rhythm & blues) with him about the same time Bruce, Victor and Craig were building a repertoire. Laurence expressed an interest in the Tiller's project, and set about promoting the prospects of a Celtic group.

Mike Sanyshyn, a talented multi-instrumentalist, joined The Tiller's Folly roughly the same time as Laurence and had a major influence on the first three CDs. Mike is a four-time BC Fiddle Champion and placed third at the 1999 Canadian Grand Masters. Mike's song "Semiahmoo Shyndig" is a good example of his skilful playing.

Geoff Eyre, a veteran of Vancouver's classic folk-rock heyday, having toured and recorded with The Hometown Band, Valdy, and Chilliwack, to name only a few, was brought in to drum on The View From Here (1996). Ron Stelting joined Tiller's Folly upon the release of The View From Here and stayed with the band into 1998. Shawn Soucy replaced Ron that year and played drums on Ghosts of the Mighty Fraser. Phil Robertson replaced Shawn as Tiller's drummer in 2001 and recorded A Ripple In Time with the group.

Chris Stevens toured with the group in 2001/2002. A great musician and all-around nice guy, Chris introduced Bruce to Bluegrass, and in particular, the mandolin. In 2002, Chris moved to the rural Thompson region of BC to start his new family. Chris is still actively involved in that region's acoustic music community.

In pursuit of other endeavours, Craig and Victor left Tiller's Folly in 2001, and Ian Cameron stepped in to help fill the demand for two fiddlers. Ian proved a valuable asset during the pre-production of A Ripple In Time, and his fiddle is featured throughout the album,
("The Jigs" and "Farewell To Ardoon.") Though conflicting obligations drew Ian gradually on to other projects, we find ourselves working together from time to time, on various projects.

Widely considered one of Western Canada's finest guitarists, Robbie Steininger joined The Tiller's Folly in 2001 upon Craig's departure and added a wealth of brilliant musicality to the band which is featured throughout A Ripple in Time CD. Robbie provided the catchy dobro (resonator guitar) work on "Electric Railway Line" as well as the Knopfler-esk signature riffs on
"A Ripple In Time."

Tiller's came across Nolan Murray in Elgin, Oregon, while on tour. A friend of Nolan's attended the concert and recognized Robbie's name. Nolan, like Robbie, has toured and performed with many top Canadian and American artists, and they had a history of working together. Nolan has, throughout his career, won numerous awards and nominations for his stellar musicianship. In 2001 Nolan became a permanent member of Tiller's Folly.

The rigors of the road versus the demands of a young family eventually caused Robbie to withdraw from the band. He was replaced in 2002 by Eric Reed. Tiller's first met Eric at Red Stripe Studios, while recording A Ripple In Time. Eric was subbing for our usual engineer, and as he gradually increased his involvement in the project, he took more interest in the band. Eric's engineering and musical skills are evident on A Fine Kettle of Fish (2004), Buchan Bluegrass (2005), and Nolan's 2004 solo release, Off The Beaten Path.

Doug Norman, a friend of Nolan's and a 30-year veteran of the Northwest music scene, performed live with the band throughout the 2003 season. As Tiller's progressed into a more acoustic roots sound, the use of drums in Tiller's shows declined and Doug moved on to greener pastures.

Geoff Dueck - Although not a performing member, Geoff contributed his considerable talents to the group between 2001 and 2003.

Member Bios
Discography

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