Allen Dobb on Canadian Roots, Musical Truth and The Afterlife Sessions!

Allen Dobb joins The Hang! to discuss The Afterlife Sessions, Canadian folk music, Americana roots songwriting, and the emotional power of live acoustic recording. In this episode, Allen Dobb shares the stories behind Ballad of Willie Holmes, At the Bridge, Afterlife Studios, and a lifetime spent chasing honest songs. Canadian folk, country, Americana, and roots singer-songwriter Allen Dobb brings a rare kind of clarity to this conversation — the kind that comes from growing up on a farm, hearing music through one television channel, discovering Gordon Lightfoot-style fingerpicking, and eventually finding his own voice through story, place, memory, and lived experience. This interview explores how The Afterlife Sessions became a full-circle record for Dobb: an 11-song, all-acoustic album recorded live at Vancouver’s Afterlife Studios, the modern incarnation of the legendary Mushroom Studios. With upright bass, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, and live vocals captured in the room, the album strips away production excess and puts the focus exactly where folk music lives — on the song. Allen discusses: • How his rural upbringing shaped his folk and roots songwriting • Why The Afterlife Sessions was recorded with minimal overdubs • The personal family story behind “Ballad of Willie Holmes” • How “At the Bridge” speaks to connection, common ground, and humanity Watch the full conversation, subscribe to Almost Famous Magazine, and support independent artists by streaming, sharing, and buying Allen Dobb’s music. https://www.allendobb.com https://www.instagram.com/allendobbmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/allendobbmusic https://allendobb.bandcamp.com/album/the-afterlife-sessions @AllenDobbOfficial CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Welcome to The Hang! with Allen Dobb 03:36 — Growing Up on a Farm and Discovering Music 05:52 — Folk, Country, Reggae, Africa, and Americana Roots 10:52 — Learning Guitar and Gordon Lightfoot Fingerpicking 13:43 — Making The Afterlife Sessions Without Studio Tricks 15:15 — Recording at Vancouver’s Afterlife Studios 19:11 — The Story Behind “Ballad of Willie Holmes” 23:07 — Choosing the Songs That Still Feel True 29:12 — “At the Bridge” and Finding Common Ground 37:18 — Dream Collaboration, Favorite Artists, and Final Reflections #AllenDobb #TheAfterlifeSessions #FolkMusic #AmericanaMusic #Canadian #Canadianmusician