About Deon

Deon Blyan is an Albertan in the truest sense of the label: he’s got small town roots and ambition that slightly exceeds his geography, flavoured by a newly found and still slightly green urban sophistication.  This leads to songs laced equally with frustration and hope built on a solid melodic foundation adopted from John Cougar, Neil Finn and maybe now and again a bit of Squeeze.

The first thing you will notice at a Deon Blyan show is that he’s got a command of vocal range and emotion that instantly draws a crowd.  Then you’ll start to notice the hooks.  Deon is a pop songwriter and mixes story-based lyrics with well-barbed tunes that you’ll find bouncing around in the back of your head days and weeks after you thought they’d been forgotten.

Deon came to Edmonton in 1994 and started playing drums and guitar with local bands, but rapidly developed a reputation in the community as a pop songwriter and solo performer. Deon's first record, "Simple" was a live acoustic record, but the strong songwriting caught the ear of Edmonton producer Stew Kirkwood (Welcome, Sound Extractor) who brought Deon into his studio to produce "Try To Be Kind”, Deon’s first full length studio recording.  Try to Be Kind was picked up by Edmonton indie-star label Shameless Records and crossed North America via the airwaves.

On the new record, Lessons(and other things learned), Deon continues to show growth as both a writer and a player, milking more and more out of his vocals and guitar playing.  For this second recording Deon teamed up with the pop producing duo James Murdoch and Chris Wynters, allies in the struggle to produce smart and original Canadian pop songs.  You’re going to recognize the Blue Rodeo in his rural roots and the Crowded House in his late ‘80s musical education.  But you’re also going to get mariachi trumpet, banjo, hammond and a patchwork quilt of audio delights.

Now based in Calgary Alberta, he has been sharing the stage with such talented and notable artist's as Luke Doucet, Danny Michel, Andy White, Aaron Booth, Paul Bellows, Jonathan Inc., David Ross MacDonald, Serena Ryder, Mathew Barber, Jill Barber, Lindy, Joel Kroeker, Shuyler Jansen, James Murdoch and Chris Wynters, winning a loyal fan base and the respect of his peers.

* deon.blyan@shaw.ca * or * info@shamelessrecordscanada.com * or * Phone: 780-231-3913 *