David Myles

David Myles has earned widespread praise as a Canadian singer and songwriter whose smartly constructed blend of pop, folk, jazz, and roots traditions continues to draw listeners. Residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he spent the second half of the 2000s assembling a series of restrained albums that showcased his broad stylistic command without appearing flashy. Breakthrough arrived in 2013 with the triple-platinum Canadian single “Inner Ninja,” a joint effort alongside Nova Scotian rapper Classified that also secured a Juno Award. The increased profile allowed subsequent projects such as the 2015 album So Far and the 2018 early-rock-leaning Real Love to reach wider audiences. Fresh territory followed with the fully instrumental 2021 set That Tall Distance and the introspective 2022 release It’s Only a Little Loneliness, even as he maintained the popular podcast series Myles from Home.

Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Myles first picked up guitar during high school on an exchange program in China. Upon returning to Canada he shaped a assured and singular voice that surfaced intact on his 2005 debut, Together and Alone. After a short period in Calgary he came back to the Maritimes, established himself in Halifax, and issued the follow-up Things Have Changed in 2006. That independent album brought two Nova Scotia Music Awards and contained the International Songwriting Competition winner “When It Comes My Turn.” Comparable recognition greeted the 2008 album On the Line, which received the East Coast Music Award for Folk Recording of the Year.

In the ensuing years Myles strengthened his standing as both songwriter and live performer, delivering the 2010 album Turn Time Off and the 2011 concert recording Live at the Carleton, drawn from four nights at Halifax’s Carleton Music Bar. Also in 2011 he released the fifth studio album Into the Sun, which incorporated world-music touches from Africa and Brazil. After appearing on Classified’s 2011 track “The Day Doesn’t Die,” the pair reconvened in 2013 for “Inner Ninja,” later included on Classified’s 2014 self-titled album; the single became a major success, achieving triple-platinum status in Canada and earning a Juno Award. Myles’s own 2013 album In the Nighttime contained two further collaborations with Classified and highlighted his growing rhythmic, pop-focused direction. A 2014 holiday project titled It’s Christmas preceded the 2015 collection So Far, assembled from re-recorded earlier material and marking his first U.S. release. The polished Here Now EP arrived the next year, followed in 2018 by the retro early-rock-influenced Real Love LP, which was joined later that year by an acoustic counterpart. Throughout this span he also launched the recurring podcast series Myles from Home.

Myles next offered the relaxed, reflective 2020 album Leave Tonight, built around heartfelt songs and straightforward acoustic production. The 2021 release That Tall Distance represented a notable shift, presenting tightly arranged instrumental pop pieces that earned another Juno Award, this time for Instrumental Album of the Year. A further change came with the spare, contemplative 2022 album It’s Only a Little Loneliness, his fifteenth studio effort, which examined loneliness, connection, and faith while featuring guests Breagh Isabel, sisters Reeny and Haliey Smith, and Rose Cousins.