ABOUT
2 Guys With Guitars’ features several genres using various instruments. Capitalizing on all limbs to expand the depth of their music, Brian Le Breton draws from a passionate musical base in classic rock, folk, country and celtic to deliver percussion, rhythm and lead guitar, mandolin, backup and lead vocals. This passion stems from childhood memories of falling asleep every weekend to east coast-style kitchen party music with everything humanely possible being used as some form of instrument.
Brian first remembers being introduced to music learning the ukulele at 6 years old circa 1972. The guitar came soon after picking up individual notes for one of his favorite songs, “The Night Chicago Died” by Paper Lace. In the late 70’s he was handed down his Dad’s guitar, a cedar-topped Yamaki. It was on this guitar that he learned to follow along with all of his uncles and family friends that frequented the Le Breton residence wherever that may have been. The Le Breton’s were a very nomadic family living in many different provinces, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
During his high school years, he wrote his first song, “I need to know”, and performed it at a local “variety show”. He played for high school plays and supported aspiring singers at high school talent shows. His first teenage band was with three friends, two from Air Cadets and another high school friend that knew how to play base. In reflection he recounts that it was a bit of a challenge for guys with short hair trying to rock it out in the big hair 80’s era! They had fun just the same.
After high school, after a couple of years trying the University thing, he took an educational pause and played lead guitar full-time with a couple of local Bathurst NB bands. After realizing that gigging across Canada may be a difficult road to raising a family, Brian joined the military. During his first military posting to Bagotville, Québec, he met Michel (Mike) Guignard, a fellow air weapons technician that shared a love for music and hailed originally from the Bathurst, New Brunswick area. It wasn’t long before the two started playing at base functions as a duo. After postings separated the two, Brian played for four years as lead guitarist and back-up vocalist for a country band, called “Who’s Playin’” near Fredericton, NB while posted in the area.
After changing trades in the military for the second time, Brian finally finished a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of New Brunswick and became an Aerospace Engineer. During a posting to Ottawa, he jammed and recorded with a “basement” blues band and Christian band. After Ottawa, Brian completed a Master’s Degree in Software Engineering from Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 2011. In Kingston he bought a Base guitar from one of his College buddies and used it during his next posting to Greenwood to play with a cover band called, “Luvinit” for three years before being posted to Borden in 2015.
From the early 2000s to 2015, Brian met up with Mike and a host of friends almost every winter for a week vacation where guitars, sand, sun, Appleton Rum (for Brian) and Crown Royal (for Mike) kept the duos music and friendship from fading. So, when Brian and Mike finally resided in the same area again, the duo fired back up and “Two Guys With Guitars” was officially designated the group’s name in December 2015. Since then the name has been amended to “2 Guys With Guitars” to deconflict wh a group in the USA. Also, the list of instruments they perform with has expanded to include percussion elements with a Cajon and Tambourine kit and the mandolin was added early on and is now one of the main featured instruments.
On a more personal note, Brian also is a proud father of three children, Nicolas, Mélanie and David from a previous marriage of almost ten years. His children all carry an interest in music to some extent which is promising for the future! He also has a common law partner, Tanya, that puts up with his hectic music schedule.