In many ways, Jo Connors is just like any other gigging musician: travelling from small town to small town, dealing with life out on the road, just skating by. That’s where the similarities end, because Jo is also dealing with supernatural murders that seem to be following the band around.
That’s the premise behind Bukowski’s Broken Family Band, the debut novel by A.W. Glen, the pen name of Winnipeg guitarist Ava Glendinning. While nothing macabre has ever happened in their various musical exploits be they jazz or indie rock, Bukowski’s Broken Family Band is certainly an augmented version of their life.
“I think I first got the idea for this on a tour through the Canadian prairies, one of those overtired 8-hour car rides home from Saskatoon,” Glendinning said in a conversation with Nolan Kehler on Morning Light. “It was just staring out the window, thinking, ‘What if there was a band who did this, this same kind of thing playing these shows, but encountered paranormal disasters at every show?’ I just thought that would be a great kind of monster-of-the-week premise.”
Glendinning attended Brandon University with aspirations of being a side guitarist for jazz ensembles. While she still does this from time to time, this project has allowed her to step into the role of a frontperson and protagonist. “I knew going in that I really wanted a female lead who was also a lead guitarist. That's just something I would have loved to read about growing up.”
Bukowski’s Broken Family Band has also served to help Glendinning fight a common ailment amongst musicians who are working every day in the trenches: burnout and disillusionment. By capturing the Winnipeg music scene in all its fantastical, DIY, rough-around-the-edges glory, they then channel more resiliency into their own art.
“I would say the overall vibe is more like wholesomely chaotic,” Glendinning laughed. “I hope that this book would inspire some level of curiosity and enchantment with the Winnipeg music scene, because that's what I felt as a kid kind of growing up and looking forward to coming, coming into Winnipeg and then moving into Winnipeg and my first experiences seeing bands and then gradually being involved in bands. And yes, I've mentioned some disillusionment, but overall, it's still just enchanting to me. It's still the most exciting thing in my life.”
"I'm kind of endlessly inspired by the new things coming out of Winnipeg.”
Bukowski’s Broken Family Band is available through the Winnipeg indie music label Transistor 66. You can find out more at their website, or by following A.W. Glen on Instagram.