The Harpoonist - Live at Lightship - July 21, 2026
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Harpoonist is releasing a new album, “Did We Come Here to Dance” — a collaboration with Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar. Recorded on Johnson’s ranch outside Austin, Texas. It’s a collection of swampy, funky, blues-related rock and roll. If you didn’t come to dance, you probably will anyway.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Harpoonist – that’s a strange name!
Answer: Well, it’s a description of what I do.
Q: Do you have a real name?
A: Of course: Shawn Hall.
Q: Where are you based?
A: Near the sea, in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Q: And what do you do?
A: Play harpoon, mainly. And I have a band. Write songs. Sing. Play piano and Hammond organ. And make records. Got a new one now…
Q: And a harpoon is…?
A: A harmonica. Often just called a harp. Sometimes, in the UK, mouth organ.
Q: And who came up with “harpoon”?
A: Kris Kristofferson. He wrote “Me and Bobby McGee.” Check the lyric…
Q: When did you start playing?
A: When I was a kid. Went through a few bands when I hit high school. And more afterwards: Tied to the Tracks. In my twenties there was Corduroy Kid. And a band called Dirty Bottom — that was the low end of music.
Q: Were any of your bands successful?
A: Damn right: The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer — my collaboration with guitarist Matt Rogers. Did that for17 years, and we’ll probably do it again in the future. Made half a dozen good records, played from coast to coast — festivals and clubs and concert halls. Did really well. Got great reviews.
Q: Great reviews? Like what…
A: The guy in The Globe and Mail said our last record had “Electric grease and king-snake swagger.” And the CBC said it was “some of the most gritty, raw and muddy music north of Mississippi.” And how about “(they) have the entire place foot-stomping like it was a honkytonk. They don't know how to disappoint a crowd, only how to move them.” And that was just for starters; pretty good, eh?
Q: What harpoon players have influenced you?
A: In Canada, Paul Reddick. And the classic blues players — Sonny Terry, Little Walter, Junior Wells.
Q: Want to talk about your new project?
A: Of course, that’s what this is about, right?
Q: So the new record’s called “Did We Come Here to Dance.” Well, did you?
A: For sure. It’s hard-hitting, it’s swampy, in some ways you might call it nostalgic for older music There’s blues and rock and roll and self-deprecating lyrics. How about calling it Canadian field country blues?
Q: So who’s on the record?
A: Well, me of course. I sing, play harpoon and some keys. My pal Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar produced the record and did just about everything else: double-neck electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, vocoder, organ, banjo, and some backup vocals. It was a true collaboration.
Q: And you made it in Texas?
A: I went down to Gordie’s ranch in Dripping Springs, which is about 20 miles north of Austin, and stayed on his ranch with him and his family. He has a studio in a 90 sq. foot shack — he calls it the Sugar Shack. and it sounds great; took us a couple of weeks. I put some keys on it when I got home, and along the way we added some trombone and sax.
Q: And the songs themselves?
A: Again, a collaboration. Me, Gordie, and our friend Jonas Shandel. The songs are pretty personal. Someone said they are sensitive, soulful and wildly imaginative and sometimes absurd. I can live with that. Here’s a line from “Good People” that’ll give you an taste: “I may not have it together, but together we could have it all.” Or this, from “Scrapper”: “I can smell the hunger from the pages, consumed and bruises from the weekend babe…”
Q: When will the record be released?
A: It’ll be on our Tonic label. Look for it around February There’ll be vinyl. And it will be on all the streaming services, of course.
A: Is there an initial single?
B: Yes, a gospel number called “Good People.”
Q: Will the band tour?
A: Of course we will; that’s the plan. I hope those festival people figure their audiences are going to go nuts when they hear it. We’ll play some of the bigger clubs as well, and maybe some concerts. We’re going to fuckin’ ROCK!
Q: A final note. The title of this record is “Did We Come Here to Dance” — and there’s a sub-title: “…or Have We Come Here to Die?”
A: No, we’ve come here to make damn good music and share it with whoever wants to get into it.