Dream Heavy

From deep in the wilds of British Columbia's Northern Rocky Mountains, comes the long-awaited sequel to Samson's Delilah's 2016 release; “Unfinished Humans”.

Described by fans and reviewers as “Unique, fearless, soul-full rock opera, world folk music.” Samson's Delilah offered audiences a fierceness and intensity here woven through their soundscapes that pulled listeners into the depths of their musical soul and resonated long after the last note had been delivered.

Fronted by Husband-and-Wife duo Seth Macdonald and Shara Gustafson (formerly of the theatrical Festival dance band Mamagurooove) Samson's Delilah was destined to be an audience favorite everywhere they played.

Complimented by the powerhouse rhythm section of Red Deer Alberta's Dan Barton (drums) and Melbourne South Australia's Tim Bennet (bass/ backing vocals) as well as critically acclaimed violinist Scott Duncan (Calgary AB), Samson's Delilah enjoyed a very busy release season of their debut album headlining many Festivals throughout Western Canada. These included “All Folked Up”, Wild Mountain Music Festival, Artswells, Midsummer Music Festival, Rogue Arts Festival, MOM Festival, Arts on the Fly, Sunshine Coast Music Festival, Kispiox Music Festival, Robson Valley Music Festival, North Country Fair, Dragon Boat Festival, Edge of the World Music Festival, Jasper Heritage Folk Festival, Cold Snap, Discovery Coast Music Festival and Tongue on the Post Music Festival.

During 2017-2018, the band's debut release charted successfully within the top ten plays on campus and internet radio across Canada and beyond.

With the return of bass player Tim Bennet to Australia, the band stopped playing as an ensemble. Seth and Shara, sometimes accompanied by Scott on fiddle, continued to tour sporadically throughout the west with forays into Central Canada during the 2018 and 2019 Festival seasons. In addition to being re-hired to perform at some of BC's top Festivals, Samson's Delilah ventured into new territory by being hired to headline at the Trout Forest Folk Music Festival in Ontario in the summer of 2018.

Early 2019 saw the duo traveling to Montreal to perform at “Folk Alliance International” where they played 8 separate showcases over the three-day Festival. In addition to being crowd favorites at Music Festivals and Industry Showcases, Samson's Delilah has performed at many independent concert series, as well as numerous clubs and independent music venues throughout western Canada.

The Dream Heavy Project

As evidenced by the strong message of their lyrics, the duo has consistently stood in solidarity with oppressed and marginalized persons or groups within our society. They have always broadcast messages of social justice, advocated for action on climate change and the protection of our natural world and strongly protested totalitarian ideas and systemic racism. At the beginning of 2020, the band decided to push these ideals into more direct action with the creation of a new project that focused on drawing attention to and highlighting issues of injustice and inequality within our society as well as defending the land from rampant and destructive over-development by industry. They firmly advocate for the recognition of Indigenous Rights and Title according to their own Sovereign Pre-Colonial systems of Government.

“The Dream Heavy Project” imagined creating a funding stream for like-minded and socially/environmentally conscious organizations to pool resources from online donations, and hosting benefit concerts.

These efforts began with the organization of “We Stand with Wet’suwet’en”, a small series of benefit concerts raising funds for Indigenous land defenders resisting the BC government and Coastal GasLink's unlawful construction of a natural gas pipeline through Sovereign Wet’suwet’en Territory in early March of 2020.

Unfortunately, early March also saw the arrival of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada and suddenly all live shows, rehearsals, etc. were instantaneously canceled for the foreseeable future! At the time Seth and Shara were involved in back-to-back rehearsals with the Wishbone Theater Company's production of “The Last Good Valley on Earth”, a live theater drama/ black comedy written and directed by Sharon Stearns. Ironically the central theme of the show was the post-apocalyptic aftermath of unabated climate disasters, seismic eruptions, and devastating pandemics upon the earth. The show and all rehearsals were canceled less than one week before being taken to the stage

But “where one door is closed, another is opened!” Determined to bring at least a glimpse of this epic production to an audience, “The Dream Heavy Project” focused on recording “Survival”, a frank look at human history and beyond with a dire warning for the future of our species. With lyrics written by renowned Playwright Sharon Stearns, Music composed and arranged by Seth Macdonald, and spoken word written and performed by Vira Danyk (Miss Panik), “Survival” was to become a significantly powerful recording.

To truly emphasize and deliver the message of this track on a musical level, Seth and Shara enlisted the help of their son Liam Randall (Bass guitar) and powerhouse drummer of former Mamaguroove fame; David McKillican.

The track was mixed and mastered by award winning engineer/producer Corwin Fox and was released in November 2021 under the banner: “Samson’s Delilah Presents: The Dream Heavy Project”. This proved to be a less than ideal marketing strategy as anyone attending “Dream Heavy” shows and afterwards looking online for the band’s music could not find it under the new name!

Seth always jokes that the band should have called themselves “Music Career Suicide” to accurately represent the lack of marketing savvy and frequent name changes! “We are basically starting over from scratch every time we change our band name!” he says. Releasing “Survival” in this fashion was like dropping it in the middle of the ocean. Nobody could find it!”

Although The Dream Heavy Project was unable to tour due to the Pandemic, the band recorded a small socially distanced live concert as part of the Robson Valley Music Festival's “Tiny but Mighty Schoolhouse Concert Series” in September of 2020. The concert was filmed and recorded by SixSigma Productions and aired online in early December 2020.

The Dream Heavy Project began working with Jane Aurora at Arrival Sounds in Vancouver to professionally record a series of singles to form their debut EP in February of 2022. Due to the restrictions imposed upon society by Territorial and National governments to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was unable to record all instruments in the studio. David recorded drum “scratch” tracks at home to act as a “click track” for the band to use in studio. Afterwards he has been arduously re-recording drum tracks at home to be inserted into the mix!

While working sporadically on the recording, Dream Heavy toured extensively throughout BC and AB during the summers of 2022 and 2023; headlining Festivals such as Kispiox Music Festival, Midsummer Music Festival (Smithers), North Country Fair, Woodstove Music Festival (Cumberland BC) and their very own Robson Valley Music Festival to name a few.

Meanwhile under the attentive and experienced coaching of Jane Aurora, the tracks recorded are swelling with multiple guitar layers, vocal harmonies, thick Bass and tight, pounding drum tracks. Add to this guest performances by Scott Duncan on violin and Mary Ancheta on Synthesizer/Keyboards. After 2 years of tracking, editing, mixing and juggling day jobs and businesses, family obligations and touring the first single “Song in the Dark” is finally ready to be released in the spring of 2024!

In addition to writing and performing music, Shara and Seth are also the main organizers of “The Robson Valley Music Festival”; a 3-day multi discipline arts event held annually on their property along the headwaters of the pristine Fraser River in Dunster BC.

They are also co-owners of “Seth's Integrity Contracting Ltd.”, a silviculture company employing upwards of 40 tree planters and surveyors annually.

They have raised five children and live in their self-built straw bale home on a family acreage where they grow vegetables, produce biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil, and saw lumber from their property.