Since his “brush-cut days at Charlie Lake” in Northeastern British Columbia, Dave Bitner has been inspired to make music. When a childhood illness took him out of high school for a semester, he taught himself to play acoustic guitar, pulling from early influences like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Chowade Cabin, 1977

In 1977, Dave wrote his first of hundreds of songs at a cabin in the Chowade River wilderness area, a cabin he’d built with the help of a few close friends.

As a tribute to the time they’d spent at the Chowade, he and Jim Stone co-penned the 25-minute epic ballad, The Chowade River Valley Song (which may one day find its way to the Random Songs section of the website.)

Alongside thirty seasons of tree planting and a lifetime of picking apples, Dave crafted musical tales from his life of wanderlust, songs inspired by his journeys across Canada and to its far north, stories of loves known and lost, his family, and his unique, and sometimes humorous, outlook on life. The acoustic guitar was where Dave’s journey began, but was only the beginning of his relationship with stringed instruments. Over the years, he has taught himself the banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, and fiddle, accompanying them all with his voice, his stomping rhythm, and his constant sidekick, the harmonica.

Ragnarok Festival, Crystal Meth Bluegrass Band

Always at the heart of the local music scene, during his years on Gabriola Island, Dave fronted the Great Purple Earth Band and produced the island’s Sundance Festival. Years later, when residing in Ymir, he created and produced the Ragnarok Festival, which is still held each summer in this West Kootenay community. From his early collaboration with brother, Mark Oshun, to bands the Rocket Scientists, Great Purple Earth Band, and Jones Evil Circus, Dave has partnered with numerous musicians for live shows and recording projects, his six studio albums featuring a host of members from his duo, trio, and band history.

By thumb, by motorcycle, and then via an assortment of cars, trucks, and campers (the most infamous of which was named P.O.Sh), Dave has travelled to countless communities and wilderness areas of Canada, always with a song waiting to be written. A singer-songwriter on his passionate journey.