A secluded songwriting retreat in a cabin near Ghost Lake has led to the latest release from recording artist Jez Dylan Bonham.
The Revelstoke-born indie/country/folk-rock performer has just released the title track from Ghost Lake—one of eight songs on his sophomore album.
Bonham says half of the tracks were written during a mid-winter stay at a friend’s cabin in the area.
“The whole idea was to go there and be secluded enough to write an album,” says Bonham. “Ghost Lake ended up becoming the backdrop for one of the songs.”
He says the darkness and stillness of the setting played a major role in shaping the music.
“Being secluded in the middle of winter, there was this strange lack of sound. In Vancouver, there’s always something making noise, no matter the time. Out there, it was just... quiet. With snow on the ground, it was even quieter.”
The title song, Ghost Lake, tells the story of a haunted man struggling to survive in the frozen wilderness. As his body fails, he gives in to the trickery of a desperate mind.
The track begins with stripped-down acoustics before building into a driving pace, layered with piano, piercing guitar solos, and Bonham’s signature raw vocals.
While in the area, Bonham workshopped early versions of several songs at the Shire Pub on W. Aarsby Road.
“I would drive to Cochrane and practice the songs at the Shire—Randy’s place—at the open mic,” he says. “He actually let me do a full set later that same week.”
The album was far from an overnight project. Some of the songs were written before the pandemic.
“COVID put a damper on a lot of things and really slowed stuff down. A few songs are from that time, some came after the Ghost Lake retreat. Some I finished in a few days, others took me years.”
Sensing he had something special, Bonham formed a band and connected with producer Ryan Stewart.
“He’s made some top-quality music in Canada and worked with some big names, like Carly Rae Jepsen,” Bonham says. “He liked the stuff, so we set out in January to get moving. We just finished it. It’s been a long, long journey—a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”
Bonham has developed a following with his high-energy live shows, selling out venues across Vancouver and landing spots at major Canadian street festivals.
He grew up surrounded by music, inspired by legends like Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, along with modern acts such as Lord Huron and The War on Drugs.
Music runs in the family—his father was a Métis singer-songwriter and his grandfather sang Italian opera.
The song Ghost Lake is currently available on major streaming platforms and the entire album will be released by the end of the year.