Armed with hard hitting guitar riffs and his Farmer Foot drums, Toronto-based Blues-Rock artist Dan McKinnon is on a comeback mission after experiencing personal tragedy and loss, using his one man band to share a message of healing and hope in the face of PTSD.

 

Called “an artist to watch” by American Blues Scene after winning the Toronto Blues Society’s Talent Search and releasing his critically-acclaimed album The Cleaner, Dan has spent the past three years battling post-traumatic stress disorder after being involved in a non-vehicular accident, making his way back to the music scene through a deeper and more authentic means of performing and creating.

 

“The Foot Drum integration is a form of trauma-informed music making” notes McKinnon. “In doing my work in therapy, I learned a lot about the relationship between body movement and the mind experiencing a greater sense of safety. Trauma is something that changes the fabric of who you are, and one of the major challenges I experienced was finding a way to play music and create again. With this new performance style that doubled as a healing tool, I’ve found my way back with a deeper sense of authenticity and resilience”.

 

While the stripped down performance style is new, the rough and tumble, guitar-driven style of McKinnon’s remains, using his blend of classic and modern Blues-Rock sounds to evolve his signature sound into something that is equal parts fresh and new. Lyrically, his new music explores his journey back home, exploring topics that include mindfulness, gratitude, and cultural connection.

 

“There is great strength in vulnerability. While there is a hard edge to the music like there has always been, the stories in the music tackle challenging topics, offering a sense of light through even the darkest moments” says McKinnon.

 

With new music to come in 2024 and 2025, McKinnon is ready to reclaim his place in Canada’s Blues landscape, demonstrating why the esteemed music blog Blues Rock Review noted “With one great lick, a genre can don a new face, a new energy and excitement. Enter Toronto native Dan McKinnon…from the slow and soulful to the edgy solos that really bite, the road ahead knows no limits.”