It has been close to three years since my last record came out (Everywhere A Man Can Be). For about the past year I've been chipping away at a new collection of songs called "Midwestern". We recorded them in Ontario Canada back in October and have plans for this record to come out mid October of this year. Between now and then, I'll be out on the road across Canada, performing at a handful of festivals and smaller shows.
2.How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
It is a strange thing, to go back and listen to my early records (for me to do so). It is almost like looking at an old photograph of yourself and seeing how you've changed. When I started releasing songs and "albums" I was only about 18 - I think I was even "releasing" some music towards the end of high school - so if a person were to go back and listen to those songs, they would definitely sound dated, because I was young - my world view, and songwriting were both very immature. All of those early EPs and releases played a part in me getting to where I am today though. They got me out of the road and connected me with so many of the friends and fans that I've met in the past ten years, which have ultimately played a part in me being where I am today. I think my music really turned a corner with the release of "The Ballad Of Losing You" in 2013. That was the first record that I made with real musicians in a real studio. The songs were good, and I think that we captured something really special with those recording sessions. Evening going back and listening to that record now, I still find that it is able to stand on its own and is a good listen. After turning that corner in 2013, and really beginning to feel like I had found my voice, I've been working on my songwriting and really making that the focus. I think that is something people have come to expect from my songs too - to hear a story.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with your music over the years and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter? Although I don't intend every record that I put out to have a theme, my songs usually tend to lean in a thematic direction with each release. The Ballad Of Losing You was a record that came out of a really tough point in my life - a parting of ways with someone I had been close to for a long time. Those songs sprung from a well of loss and hurt - both feelings which I think a lot of us can relate to. Everywhere A Man Can Be came out of a big change in my life - moving halfway across the country to join my partner in raising our daughter - I started a new life essentially. That record was a collection of road songs that came out of that time of change and movement. It was a reflective piece about all the years I had spent on the road - and really at that point, I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep touring and doing the full time musician thing. This new record "Midwestern" sort of sees me returning to the stripped down acoustic vibe that we found on Ballad, but there is also a definite progression. I think the songs on this record are some of the best songs I've ever written. I feel like I really grew a lot as a songwriter between the last record and this one. Hopefully other folks see that growth too.
4.Your grandfather was also a musician himself, do you feel music is genetic in your family? Grandpa Johnnie was indeed a musician - a legend in some circles. He spent more years on the road then I think I'll ever be able to. I could talk about him and his legacy for hours - but that is a different conversation. I don't know if I would say that music is genetic in my family - and if it is, it is deeply genetic in an unspoken way. I honestly didn't know much about my Grandfather till I was 19 or 20. They weren't ever around, because they were always on the road, so if there was some connection there - it was deep rooted. I do feel a connection to him now though, even though he has passed. There have been many times when I've been out for a solo run of shows and felt that he was there with me. Being a touring musician is a weird life. You're always coming or going - and not too many folks understand it. It can be tough to forge long lasting relationships with people who aren't also doing the same thing - because "normal folks" go about life in a much more normal and sane way. I think often about how Grandpa would understand all that I'm doing and have done. If he were around, I think we'd have a lot of road stories to share with each other. I wish we could have done that.
5.You have worked both solo and also with full bands, which one do you enjoy the most? They're very different experiences. For the past few years, I've almost strictly been performing with my band - and I love that. We've got a good show together - and there is nothing I like more then hammering out 3 hours of our folk and country music in an old honkey tonk. I just came off the road - 12 solo shows in 11 days, and I also loved that. It is a very different show. I played some older songs and spent a lot of time talking about the songs and the stories behind them. I think audiences like that kind of show too. They're both good, just very different. It is hard to deny that being out on the road with the band is a hell of a time though. Solo tours can be a pretty lonely way to exist.
6.What are some of the best shows that you have played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance? I don't know if I can pinpoint certain shows - when you're doing a hundred to two hundred shows a year for 10+ years, its tough really remember every single one. I think more then remembering a certain show that stands out - it is more just a feeling of coming into my own as of late. I really feel that as an artist and a band, we've really begun to feel comfortable - the songs are good - the shows are good - I'm feeling pretty comfortable on stage these days. I think we're just at a point where we're hitting our stride and folks are really enjoying the shows as much as we are.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? Right now things are pretty quiet - we have five or six Canadian festivals this summer and will be doing a couple months worth of shows across Canada in the fall when Midwestern comes out. My goal is to touring throughout the UK and EU in early 2020.
8.Recently 'Nordvis Produktion' re-issued your 2013 album and this label is known mostly as an extreme label and your music is very different than what is normally released on this label, what are your thoughts on working with them so far? Andreas is a great person. Right form the get go, we had a lot in common, from the way we like to go about this business to the things we both like to do in our free time. For me, it has always been about finding people who you connect with - there isn't enough time in this life to work with folks that you couldn't consider family. The optics of Nordvis releasing Ballad are a little strange at first glance, but I think there is a lot of cross off - yes the music is completely different from what Andreas normally releases, but I think a lot of folks who enjoy the extreme music that he releases might also find things in a record like Ballad or other Americana albums that they also enjoy. It is a new venture for us both, and we're still waiting to see how it pans out. I like Andreas though, and I'm thrilled to have him giving this record a second life.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by those that have heard it so far? The support that I've received in the past ten years has blown me away. I'm come from a pretty small rural area in Canada, so to have people ordering records from Germany, Japan, The Netherlands and other countries that I couldn't even dream of visiting - it has really blown me away. It just goes to show that songs can travel and connect with people from all walks of life. Once you release a song into the open, it belongs to everyone - and every person who listens to it will find different meaning in it.
10.When can we expect newer music and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future? As I said, Midwestern will be coming out this October, if all goes according to plan. The past few years have been pretty hectic - I've become a father twice over, and so it has been a juggling act trying to figure out how to be on the road and putting as much time into my career, while spending as much time as I can with my kids. I suspect the next few years will continue to be similar, but I hope that I'm still able to be out on the road playing 100 - 150 shows a year. I'd be on the road non stop if I could. Nothing I love more then being up on stage, singing these songs. I've got a couple different records in my head that I'd like to make. I have to work on getting this out released first though. We'll see where it takes me.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? I've listened to everything from folk, to metal and traditional country. I think all music has a place. I tend to listen to a lot of "guys with guitars" these days. Been listening to a fellow from down in Texas called Adam Carroll. He is one of my go to's. I've also recently discovered a great country singer named Vern Gosdin. If you're into good country music, check him out. A few others that I've always got in rotation are Hayes Carll, Corb Lund, Fred Eaglesmith, Townes, Blaze. Guys like that.
12.What are some of your non musical interests? Being out on the road, if you're doing it full time, takes up almost all of your waking hours - and since I'm largely an independent artist, I've got a lot of hats to wear. I'm constantly working on something. When I'm not "working" I'm usually hanging out with my two daughters or out fishing - I got into fly fishing a few years back, and it has become a real passion of mine. I never get out as much as I should though. Not enough hours in the day.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? I appreciate you taking the time to get in touch. it is great to connect with you - and hopefully I'll get to come perform these songs over your way sooner then later.
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