Singled Out: Field Guide “Guest Room”
“Dylan MacDonald writes songs that are cut and dry, 3 minute short stories about past relationships, late night nostalgia or whatever else he might be overthinking on any given evening” is how Field Guide was presented to us in press materials, but the way in which the singer-songwriter presents his songs is truly so much deeper than that. The sense of vulnerability and honesty in his delivery is a beautiful breath of fresh air. The piano keys ringing out beneath the slight rasp, emotion driven simplicity of his words. It cuts right to the heart.
Who: Field Guide
From: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Song: “Guest Room”
Latest Record:
What About It: “Guest Room is a special songs to me as it’s the oldest song on the EP. I wrote it a couple of years ago and though we tried it out and played it live in my previous band The Middle Coast, it never really worked. It was also very much a departure from the songs I was writing in that band which were generally cowritten and not quite as personal as the songs I write for Field Guide. I suppose a solo project gives you the opportunity to write only about what’s happening in your own life.
I wrote Guest Room on guitar as I generally do for everything, but when we got out to Vancouver we realized that it was a piano song. This was a pretty big change, I’m really happy with how it turned out though! We recorded drums, piano and Moog at a studio called Monarch in Vancouver, then I took it home to Winnipeg and finished vocals, baritone, strings and winds there!” – Dylan MacDonald
