Keith Mullins gets stolen computer and songs back

It's good news for Cape Breton musician Keith Mullins.

The ECMA-winning songwriter has had his laptop computer, containing hundreds of his songs and lyrics returned, after it was stolen backstage at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton.

Mullins had left the computer and its back-up hard drive backstage while he was performing at the festival in Chris Kirby's band.

After he noticed the bag missing, Mullins took out an ad on Kijiji, asking for its return with no questions asked, and a reward offered.

On Monday, ten days after the bag was taken, Mullins was told by the Harvest Jazz and Blues office that the computer and hard-drive had been returned. It's now at the Fredericton Police station, waiting to be picked up.

Mullins admits he had given up hope, and credits the power of social media for the recovery. "All the pawn shops knew, seemed like everybody in town was looking for it," he laughs.

He can afford to be relieved now, but last week he was faced with a daunting task. He had recording sessions for his new album scheduled for October, and many of the lyrics and demos had been lost.

"I had a lot of lyrics from the past eight years or so, I think it's up around an 80-page Word document," Mullins explains.

"I've been writing every day since, trying to catch up. Now it means I'll have a lot of songs about hopeful loss, and silver linings."

Mullins will get his songs back on the weekend, after a friend picks up the computer from the police station and brings it to him in Cape Breton.