Ernie Van Veen

Canadian-Australian (b.1957) singer-songwriter and guitarist, based in Canberra, ACT (1972-2013). Ernie Van Veen started his music career in 1967 at age 10 in Canada when his father, Jake Van Veen, decided he needed a bass player in his band, The Generation Bridge. After several years touring Canada and the USA he immigrated to Australia with his family in 1972. Ernie, still only 15, started playing bass in rock and jazz bands and by the 1980s was a sought-after freelance and session bassist. However, he eventually gave up performing to study and raise a family, and it wasn't until 15 years later that at age 39 he began performing and recording as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. With his brother Mark Van Veen, he formed the trio Man Bites Dog and the band released a CD in 1998. Ernie's debut solo album, One Tiny Life, was released in 2004. Volume one of his two-volume CD, Mumble and Shout was released in 2009 followed by The Devil You Know (2014) and Mumble and Shout Volume Two (2015). After living in Canberra for 40 years, Ernie relocated in 2013 to Culburra Beach, located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.