Bio
Derek Harrison is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist that combines folk traditions with a contemporary outlook. His third and most recent solo album, And a Roof (2019), showcases his lyrical songwriting and melodic fingerstyle guitar, complemented by Toronto folk-rockers The Old Salts.
Born in Harrow, Ontario, he has toured throughout Canada, Europe and Australia as a member of Krief, The Custom Outfit, Madeleine Leman and others. In 2014 he released his debut solo album, Dead & Gone, recorded with a 5-piece band in Montreal, and supported it with a tour of Eastern Canada and a stint as Via Rail's Artist-On-Board.
Relocating to Toronto in late 2014, he began working as a mandolinist and songwriter for The Old Salts, a five-piece folk-rock band founded in 2012 in East Toronto and contributed songs to their sophomore album Fisherman Jake (released Steptember 2018). During this time, he created and produced two seasons of I Quit My Job: A Podcast About Songwriting, interviewing working Canadian songwriters on their careers and craft.
During the 2020 lockdown, he formed the family band Colchester Harbour and produced a track-by-track punk remake of his sparse, lo-fi 2017 album Blossington. His fourth solo album is currently in production.
