A Dirty Dozen with COLIN BURGESON – April 2026

According to a recent press release: “Colin Burgeson is a blues / rock guitarist, singer and songwriter from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. His music blends soulful blues, catchy rock n’ roll guitar riffs and soaring melodic leads to create a sound that can be both relaxed and slow, and upbeat and energetic. Colin developed a love for music starting at a young age, primarily from watching his father, Eric Burgeson. Eric was a career musician who spent time in the late 80’s touring with British rock band Foghat. He began taking guitar lessons from his father at age 9 and started writing songs and joined his first band by age 15. After his first band dissolved, he focused on his studies for a few years and briefly pursued a career in law enforcement. But his passion for music never faded, and he continued to write music and hone his guitar skills until teaming up with longtime friend and bandmate Seamus Gleason, who would later perform drums on his debut solo album, to form heavy metal band Knight of Tears.  Currently, Colin is performing at festivals and events in the Inland Northwest with Laketown Sound, while promoting his debut solo album, From Sunshine Into Shadow, with tour dates and performances to follow!” We get Colin to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

This is a record I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, just hadn’t had the time, the resources, nor did I feel like I was ready to make a solo record until recently. It’s both a collection of songs that I’ve had written (or at least partially written) for years and songs that I wrote specifically for this release that show my overall evolution as a musician. I wouldn’t say there are any hidden nuggets that I purposefully put it this release, but it’s definitely a record that has a little bit of something for everybody on it. It’s hard to put a box or a label on it and I think that could be something listeners could appreciate a little bit more with each listen through.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Definitely my Dad. He was a career musician who toured with Foghat for a few years in the 80’s, so I grew up listening to him and watching him play and seeing him off for gigs almost every weekend. It was my Dad who taught me how to play guitar when I first started. I think the moment I realized I wanted to be a musician was the first time I listened to and saw videos of Creed. Something about that band was just very inspiring to me at the time and it made me want to be in a rock band.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

It’s hard to narrow it down to anything specific, because my musical taste has shifted quite a bit over the years. I was heavily inspired by Mark Tremonti and Creed in my early years as a guitar player, but as my musical tastes shifted towards harder rock and heavy metal, I took more inspiration from artists like Dream Theater, Rush, Testament, Metallica, etc. They shifted even further as I got closer to producing this record and adapted more of a Blues and Blues-Rock sound, so I would say artists like Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Gary Moore, etc. inspired this record.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

That’s tough to pick just one, because there are so many that I would love to collaborate with. But if I had to pick, I would say Eric Johnson. He is by far one of the best guitar players in the world, has such a unique and beautiful guitar tone and is a huge influence on my playing.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I’m a big gym rat, so I spend a lot of my spare time doing bodybuilding and weight training. I also enjoy anything outdoors like hiking, swimming, fishing, as well as traveling.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I tell everyone it’s got a little bit of everything- there’s a little rock, there’s some blues, there’s ballads and even some pop and Americana inspired pieces. I consider myself a blues and rock musician but there’s something for almost everyone in there. I have yet to hear a comparison that has made me cringe or disagree with, but there’s still time!

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Tanya, our singer, typically cooks and provides the drinks, while Bruce, our bass player, is the one that I would expect to break out the acoustic guitars.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Probably the first time I met John Petrucci of Dream Theater. I met him at a guitar clinic he was giving at a Guitar Center in Seattle in 2014.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I just love to play music. Whether it be performing with my band on stage, writing and recording music in the studio, or just practicing and playing songs by myself at home, nothing brings me more joy than picking up my guitar. If I could no longer play music, I’d probably want to be an author or something with law enforcement.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’d love to have someone ask how much I can bench press! Haha the answer – most recently is 325! I haven’t done enough interviews yet to have a question I’m tired of answering but I’m sure that will come eventually.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Hard to say, I certainly don’t have any regrets about how my music career has turned out. I haven’t quite reached the level that I was hoping I would have by this point in my career, but I feel like I’ve done a lot of great things and have had a lot of great memories over the years. I’ve recorded several records of my own original music, played some fantastic shows and met some great people and friends along the way. So no, I don’t think I would change anything. I’m very grateful and blessed to be able to do what I’ve done so far.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Again, that’s a tough one because there are so many records that I would love to have been a part of! If I had to pick one, I would say Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan. That was such an inspiring record that not only launched the career of one of the greatest musicians of all time but inspired many guitarists and musicians in all styles of music, not just blues.

COLIN BURGESON LINKS:

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Category: Interviews