Toronto, ON based ambient-instrumental duo, Will Moor, release their debut single, “Hitchhiker (for Ida),” today. Comprised of singer-songwriters Shawn William Clarke and David Gluck, this collaboration was born out of their mutual love of ambient music; a shared musical passion that brought both artists together as co-writers and music creators a few years ago.
Rewind to early 2016, and while many of us were mourning the loss of musical icon David Bowie, Will Moor found themselves at Currie’s Music Studio in Gravenhurst, ON, eager to commence their musical journey. “We talked a lot about what we were listening to, and how we’d want to approach making this sort of music ourselves,” Shawn recalls. “I’d been listening to a lot of ambient and New Age music, but was also drawn to the more organic sounds of Penguin Café Orchestra and Nils Frahm.” Having discussed their ideas extensively prior to this January weekend, the duo arrived at the studio, and with a handful of mostly acoustic instruments at their disposal, brought their concept to life.
David Gluck emerged from the New York music scene with the release of his debut 2003 solo album, “I Don’t Know How To Live Here When You’re Mine.” He later embarked on a collaborative project that placed traditional Hindu chants into modern arrangements. “Sounds Of She” was warmly received in both the Yoga and New Age music scenes, and ultimately brought David together with the Toronto-based music industry. Shortly afterwards, in 2011, he moved to Toronto, and became friends with Shawn William Clarke. Sparked by this connection, the two began working together, with David playing bass in Shawn’s band, and on his records.
Shawn is a well known and highly regarded member of the Toronto folk music community, nominated twice as ‘Songwriter of the Year’ in NOW Magazine, and a recent winner of the Folk Music Ontario ‘Songs From The Heart’ songwriting award. His previous solo album, “Topaz” was inspired by 80’s Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Buttrey’s drumming on Neil Young’s “Harvest,” and the existential dilemmas faced in modern times. “Topaz” remains a firm favorite here at Team GDW, and with plenty more music on the horizon from Will Moor, we look forward to more from Shawn and David in the new year.
Visit Shawn William Clarke’s website to learn more about Will Moor.
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
