Responsibility and adversity sometimes create The Storm.

For British Columbian musician Marshall Potts – raising kids, fighting wildfires and government lockdowns were the labours of his creativity.

“I started writing songs at twelve.” says Marshall from his home in Kamloops, BC. “I had my first heartbreak. That pain shifted into writing – that’s where it all started. A broken heart is not a bad thing. There are two sides to love – a duality. Something really great can come from that duality.”

Marshall’s first band was The Cause and those gigs morphed into an outfit labeled Saints and Poets. Two of Marshall’s songs made it onto the soundtrack of the Molly Ringwald film Malicious. Yet despite the rising fame – Marshall ended his music career to raise his kids. He could not accept the pain of missing them while he was on the road. But, the now fifty–seven year old kept writing songs. His spiritual journey began. Once the kids matured, Marshall returned to what made sense to him. The songs for the album The Storm were created.

“One of the lessons I learned was patience,” he said. “When you are a teenager you want it right now. Young artists end up quitting because they have no patience.”

The songs on The Storm come from the heart. Marshall is well aware audiences can smell insincerity. The album is produced by Tom Cochrane’s keyboardist Tom Webster (Bon Jovi and Aerosmith). The energy heard in Cochrane’s sound is evident in Potts’ songs such as the title track and The Storm.

The release and planned tour of the album was interrupted by lockdowns. Then – more devastation struck. Returning home from a walk with his partner Jo-Anne became a nightmare.

“It was June and the temperature was around 44 degrees.”  Explains Marshall”. “Smoke was billowing on the horizon. We neared our cabin. The wind was picking up speed. It was not something you want to see”.

Jo-Anne called 911 who transferred her to the BC Wildfire services. Marshall thought the fire was serious but could be put out. The smoke became higher and blacker. Marshall and Jo-Anne began moving equipment away from the nearby trees. BC Wildfire flew overhead to observe. The next day Marshall was informed that if the fire hit a nearby ridge, they would have to evacuate. It did.

“We had to leave and ended up staying with relatives.” said Potts. “After a few weeks we returned to see half our property destroyed. Luckily- the cabin was not burned but I had to renovate because of the smoke and water damage.”

Marshall Potts’ journey to promote the new album has been intermittent. Jo-Anne and Marshall have been cleaning the debris and rebuilding fences. Every chance Marshall has – promotion and interviews take place.

Responsibility and adversity created The Storm.

Marshall Potts will perform on October 22 at Salle Leonardo DaVinci in St Leonard with opening act The Justin Saladino Band from Montreal. Tickets are $30, including all fees. Part of the proceeds go to Friends of Mental Health. Box office: 514- 955-8370 or visit: www.cldv.ca Visit Marshall Potts: www.marshallpotts.com

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