Inside the Dreams and Discoveries of Boy Golden’s Next Album "Best of Our Possible Lives"
- Sarah Silbert
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Boy Golden’s music carries a sense of curiosity and connection, and his upcoming record Best of Our Possible Lives, set to release in February 2026, pushes that even further.
Before his show at Union Pool in Brooklyn, New York, I sat down with Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Liam Duncan to talk about the stories woven into the album, the realizations he had creating it, and the moments that continue to shape his creative path. What unfolded was a conversation about paying attention, purpose, and dreaming.
Sarah Silbert: It’s so nice to meet you, I’m so excited to learn and share more about your process and journey as an artist! Before we dive into everything, how are you feeling being in New York right now? What’s this trip been like for you so far?
Liam Duncan: It’s been great, I just did a tour on the west coast and had a few weeks off in Winnipeg which was really nice. I love being in New York, I actually had my first chopped cheese last night at the bodega near my hotel and it definitely lived up to the hype!
SS: For people who might be meeting you for the first time through this interview, how do you describe who Boy Golden is?
LD: Boy Golden is a character that I inhabit. I like to write in/from this character. It gives me a lot of freedom to write about whatever I want to write about whether it's fiction or nonfiction. As an artist I view the creative process as part of my spiritual/personal life. I hope that people who listen to my music are inspired to also make something. My favorite feeling from art is creating alongside others; I love to see something and think “I need to go home right now and make something!”
SS: Best of Our Possible Lives is set to be released in February 2026. You’ve got some really great stuff on this record and I’m so excited to see how your fans react. This album has been described as your “mid-journey,” a space between who you were, who you are, and who you could be. Where do you feel you are on that path right now?
LD: I guess I'd say I’m here. I’m in a spot with my creative work where I’ve done a lot of it, and now I’m waiting for it. I find the best way to deal with that anticipation is continuing to work. I’ve been writing all the time.
I think it would be a bit of a failure on my part if any album wasn’t some kind of journey of transformation since my style of writing is very self-discovery oriented.
I don’t usually set out wanting to write about one thing, I usually discover what I’m writing about while I’m writing it. I find I learn a lot about myself through the process when I’m writing.
SS: What questions came up for you while writing the album?
LD: There were so many that kept coming up over and over again. What are my values? How do I live in this world that’s kind of shattering them?
I began writing some of these songs four years ago, which makes it easy to forget that we’ve shifted a lot as a society. I’m 29 now and these last few years have been a big period of me being politically idealistic. I felt let down by a lot that I was seeing around the world and in my own community of Winnipeg. It was hard to grapple with the inequality, poverty, and injustice that exists where I live. And traveling around, you get to see firsthand that these aren't unique problems. This challenged me. The first few songs on the album are definitely me dealing with those realizations and emotions.
SS: “Suffer” opens the album with a powerful message: suffering not as division but connection. I really admire this viewpoint and think it's important. What was the moment for you when this idea clicked?
LD: This song came out quickly for me. The verses in the song aren't supposed to be from my perspective. When I was making this song, I was paying attention to what people were saying and writing down the lines I kept hearing.
It doesn’t matter what the lyrics necessarily are because someone always isn’t going to like it. People are always going to look for reasons they’re suffering, so what I put in this song is everything that they blame: not knowing where your money went, being addicted to nicotine, having disappointment in society, etc. Whatever it is, these are the reasons people suffer and these are the things people blame for their suffering. And when I realized this, I thought, “We all suffer.” I was inspired to create a powerful and tough song, but I knew I didn't want to be heavy. Suffering is a part of life, so maybe the only way out of suffering is accepting that.
SS: My favorite song on the album right now is “The Matter at Hand.” I love the rhythm and message behind it. Can you tell me what sparked this song and about the process of creating it?
LD: I’m so happy you asked about this one because it’s one of my favorites! I was listening to a lot of blues at the time, and I wrote the track first. The lyrics are all scenes from when I was working at this studio in downtown Winnipeg. It was right by a food bank, so I would run into all kinds of people around when I took breaks. It was really tough to see and witness the difference I was experiencing in my life: I had a studio in this neighborhood so I was kind of a part of it, but I was still separate from it because I went home at the end of the day.
The song is really about that experience, and me thinking “what can I do to be helpful in these situations I’m seeing?” I realized through talking to people and starting to help was that the best way to help is to deal with exactly what is right in front of you. If someone needs something and you can get them that something, that’s what you can do to be helpful.
You don't need to save the world because you alone can’t do that. Just deal with what's in front of you and you can make a difference.
SS: You collaborated with Cat Clyde a couple of times on this record for “Cowboy Dreams,” which recently came out, and “Moontan.” What draws you to her as an artistic partner, and what does she bring out in your music?
LD: Sometimes the universe brings you a person and you run on the same track for a while, which has sort of been our experience. We first got together 2 years ago when we both played at a festival. She told me she watched my set and had an instinct that we should hang out. She reached out to me on Instagram and we got together in Winnipeg for a few days. We recorded 6 songs, it was electric! Anytime either one of us came up with an idea, we both loved it and it felt effortless.
I also feel like we’re great creative mirrors for each other, meaning that I show her a part of herself that she likes and vice versa. Neither of us expected to have such a great creative relationship, but we do. Making the “Cowboy Dreams” music video with her was awesome. I’m really happy with that music video, I feel like the vision was executed perfectly. Cat’s a great dancer and performer with a lot of confidence. That confidence is contagious and it’s part of the reason I enjoy being both her friend and creative collaborator.
SS: You write a lot about imagined places or places you haven’t visited. What’s the appeal of writing about somewhere you’ve never been and experienced?
LD: There’s something so alluring for me about a dream that hasn’t been realized. There've been a lot of dreams in my life that I’ve fulfilled, which is amazing and I’m very lucky for that. However, when you realize a dream, it always looks different from how it was in your head. You think “I’ll be happy when I get there” or “Everything will work out once I get this,” but then you get there and see a new set of challenges. For instance, “New Orleans” is about an imagined place and feeling because I’ve never been there before, so it feels very true and original to me. That song is one of my favorites and I love dreaming because it leads to songs like that.
SS: So we’ve already touched on a few of your favorite tracks from the album, I’m curious if you have any others that really stick out to you that people might miss?
LD: “Moontan” is a bit of an underdog on the record in my opinion. I love that one because it has this great funky section in the middle. I’m not a very funky player but that song came together naturally. It makes me want to dance and have fun!
SS: What’s a moment in your life when you realized music was the thing you had to do? And, if you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing now?
LD: I’ve always been obsessed with music. I was in my first band with my best friend at age 13. I wanted to write songs when I was younger but I had a lot of internal blocks. Once I was able to release those blocks, I started writing as much as I could. I was around 21 when I knew I wanted this to be my life.
If I wasn’t pursuing a career in music, I think I’d still be writing songs. I’ve always been writing, even when I had other jobs a few years back, I just love doing it.
SS: What’s something outside of music, maybe a book, film, tv show, or place, that’s influencing you right now?
I read a ton, so books are always a huge influence. I’ve been reading a lot of Henry Miller and Anais Nin recently. Their relationship is really interesting and complicated. I love their books and I actually wrote a song last week that was heavily inspired by them.
I’m also always inspired by the places I go and the people I meet. I’m always writing down things I hear and see. These lines don’t always make it into songs, but I always look back at what I write and get inspired.
SS: As a new fan of your music, I’m really excited to see the show tonight! I’m curious how you would describe the energy of a Boy Golden show to someone who’s never been?
LD: When I’m with my full band, which is normally the case, it’s a pretty high energy show with a heavy focus on the musicianship. We were all professional side musicians who came together to form this band. I love our live shows when we're all there because they're so much fun.
The live show tonight is with my two closest collaborators Fontine Beavis and Austin Parachoniak. It’s a bit more lowkey. We have more of a focus on the songwriting and vocals, which is awesome. I also like to tell some jokes. Maybe they don’t always land, but it’s important we have fun!
