WEBVTT 1 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:37.200 Hello, what's the crack? Summer is back? TYG Talks is back. 2 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:41.000 We're deep into the GA season. We won't talk about 3 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.000 the Premier League, but it's all goodbye here lets. It's 4 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:46.039 been a busy few months and I just got back 5 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:48.359 from San Diego where I was competing with the Calgary 6 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:52.320 chieftains in the San Diego Sevens GA Tournament. So apologies 7 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:54.600 for the delay in getting episodes out, but here we are. 8 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:57.520 In this run of episodes, I have a country singer, 9 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:02.479 Ice Skaters representing Ireland, a native from South Carolina, and 10 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:04.719 much more. You'll never know who will end up in 11 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:07.480 the Tight Talks podcast next to be honest halftime, I 12 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:11.359 don't know myself, but anyway, let's get into this week's episode. 13 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:14.439 Here is my chat with Devin Cooper. 14 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.280 Dying Dying j Wes. 15 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:24.760 Welcome back to Tight Talks. So today's episode is a 16 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:27.519 little different as I dive into the world of country 17 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.519 music and so I am joined by singer songwriter Devin Cooper. 18 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:34.280 Devin is known for his signature gritty yet smooth vocals 19 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:37.519 and having best here in the business. Devin has been 20 00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:40.519 working relentlessly. I has been making waves in the Canadian 21 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.760 country music scene, which saw him win the Horizon Male 22 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:46.280 Artist of the Year at twenty twenty three Country Music 23 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:49.640 Alberta Awards, which while also being the most nominated solo 24 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.359 artist at the awards that year. So without further ado, 25 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:55.439 I am trusted to introduced the brilliant Devin Cooper. Devin, 26 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:57.040 thank you very much for coming on to talk to 27 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:58.079 me on Tight Talks. 28 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.879 Oh thanks so much for having me tag. I apreci Yeah, 29 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:01.400 no problem. 30 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:03.959 Most recently I've had guests on from Ireland and thought 31 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:06.040 it was about time to bring it all back to 32 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.159 Burda a bit more closer to the category through. 33 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:11.520 Yeah. Absolutely, it's it's great to be here. 34 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:14.520 Yeah, yeah, no, I've been following you for a few years. Actually, 35 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.360 I remember for seeing you at the Blue Jay Cafe 36 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:21.479 event that used to happen and it was it was 37 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:25.080 in the Oak Tree Tavern in Kensington, that's right, And 38 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:26.919 for the listeners who don't know what that is, it's 39 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:29.719 basically where a group of country singers sit in a 40 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.759 circle and take turns singing their songs acoustic and it 41 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:35.680 was brilliant and I was a fan ever since. So 42 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:37.599 I'm delighted to have you on. 43 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:40.240 Yeah. Well, thanks so much. Yeah, those Blue Jay sessions 44 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:42.280 are always an absolute blast. It's great to get to 45 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:44.680 you know, sit down and you know, share some stories 46 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:46.879 and get to sing the songs. And it's such a 47 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:48.280 stripped down intimate format. 48 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:51.080 Yeah, I love that too. And it's there's another one 49 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:53.479 called Past the Guitar as well, which I love as well. 50 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.639 I saw that in Rangements last year. Yeah, and just 51 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:59.159 from singers, Like I didn't even know any of the singers, 52 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:00.680 but by the time I left, I was a fan 53 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.560 of all of them because it's just it's just something 54 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:03.759 about acoustic, isn't there, And. 55 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.439 And totally and the way that you can kind of 56 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:09.240 share the stories and tell the it's a different way 57 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.360 to connect with the audience versus like a big production. 58 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.759 Yeah, because I'd imagine you can, like at a big show, 59 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:17.400 in a big event, you kind of get lost in us. 60 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:20.120 You kind of just you're you're singing your songs and 61 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:22.840 you're doing your thing and soaking up the atmosphere. But 62 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:24.919 when it's an intimate setting, you're kind of you can 63 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:26.800 see everyone's face and you can kind of connect a 64 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:27.080 bit more. 65 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:29.840 And that totally, and it's more of a conversation with 66 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.680 the audience versus I feel like the big live productions 67 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:34.919 are more of like an energy exchange where you're like 68 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:37.120 feeding off the energy of the audience and you're trying 69 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.360 to top it and match it there as in the 70 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:41.879 songwriter rounds, it's like you're able to have a conversation 71 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:44.479 with them and kind of share that space all together. 72 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.759 Yeah, so Devin, give us brief history about yourself, where 73 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:49.400 you're from and how you got into music. 74 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:52.759 Originally from a little town but an hour north of 75 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:56.599 Calgary called in a Spale. And you know, music was 76 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.280 always on in my house when I was growing up. 77 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.159 My parents both kind of play piano, but not they're 78 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:05.759 not huge musicians kind of thing, but they love music 79 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:09.199 and music was always being played. And when I was about, 80 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:11.520 I guess five years old, I started begging for a 81 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:15.080 guitar and they were like, you're five. In two weeks 82 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.600 you're gonna want to do something different. And it went 83 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:19.120 on for about a year. I was just begging and 84 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:22.240 beg and I really wanted to play, and so finally 85 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.839 they said, Okay, start saving up your allowance, save up 86 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:27.079 your report card money, all that kind of stuff, and 87 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:30.720 eventually you'll have enough to buy your own guitar. And 88 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:33.720 the next year, at Christmas time, I walked out and 89 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.360 there was a shiny black electric guitar sitting there for me, 90 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:38.639 and it came with the condition I had to pay 91 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.600 for my first six months lessons though with all that 92 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:44.680 money i'd saved up, and yeah, after that, it was 93 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:48.160 just off to the races. It's everything I've you know, 94 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:49.920 lived in Breeze since that moment. 95 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.120 And did your dad play music? Did you play guitar all? 96 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:57.079 My dad played piano, took like you know, classical row 97 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:01.040 conservatory piano, and my mom had a piano growing up 98 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:02.839 and just kind of like figured out how to play it, 99 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:06.720 but never really like took lessons or they wouldn't consider 100 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.879 themselves accomplished musicians, even though they're both fantastic. 101 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:12.480 Yeah, because I remember growing up my dad used to 102 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:17.240 play guitar at home, just like casually. And yeah, I 103 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:20.519 remember playing Johnny Cash and John Pryne and oh that's 104 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:23.240 country stars, and I always had a deep love for 105 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:25.439 country music ever since then. I can still remember them 106 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.120 playing walk the Line, the first the bar coming in, 107 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.720 and yeah, that's where I ended up. I have two 108 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:32.279 guitars myself, but it looks like you were in a 109 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:33.000 music store or. 110 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:36.360 Some Yeah, there's there's definitely quite a few in here 111 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:36.879 right now. 112 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:38.839 Yeah, what was your first guitar? 113 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:43.439 Actually, my first guitar was a Greg Bennett stratocaster copy. 114 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:48.680 So it's basically just a stratocaster, right, And I still 115 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:50.199 have it. It's not here, it's actually back at my 116 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:53.040 folks place, right, but yeah, I still have it, and 117 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:54.519 it was a great guitar. I played it for a 118 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:55.120 lot of years. 119 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:58.720 Yeah, straight into electric, no, no acoustic guitar, straight into 120 00:05:58.720 --> 00:05:59.240 the real deal. 121 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:02.120 Yeah, into electric, and then I got an acoustic maybe 122 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.879 three years later after i'd been maybe it was about 123 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:07.680 ten years old when I got my first acoustic. 124 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:12.000 And so you played, you started playing at an early age, 125 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.839 But what initially drew you to music. 126 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:17.839 I don't know what drew me to music other than 127 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:20.639 I just I remember being like two years old. We 128 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:22.639 had one of those big like stereos of the big 129 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:25.560 speakers and six disc changers and that kind of stuff, 130 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.399 and I'd put on like the Beatles' Anthology disc and 131 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.759 I remember just cranking the intro to Day Tripper over 132 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:34.120 and over again. So something about the guitar lick in 133 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:38.040 that song, and I probably asked, like what makes that 134 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:41.839 sound or something like that kind of thing. And I 135 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:44.399 think just being around music and music always being played 136 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.360 in the house on the radio and stuff like that, 137 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.680 it was just something that I became became the love 138 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:52.360 at a very very young age. 139 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.519 Yeah, because I like acoustic guitars and I like the sound, 140 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.399 but there's something about electric guitars, just like the likes 141 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.399 of Mayor and these guys. From this straight I'm just like, 142 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:05.120 oh that sound is I love it. I love it totally. 143 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:08.000 So I'd definitely love to get my own electric guitar someday. 144 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:12.680 But saving up, Yeah, what was the first song you 145 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:14.439 learned to play on guitar? Can you remember a. 146 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:16.480 Song I learned to play? Was actually the day I 147 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:19.839 got my guitar. It was just like the intro, like 148 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:21.639 to Smoke on the Water, which I feel like is 149 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.360 everyone's first thing that they get to learn. And like, 150 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:27.959 my dad doesn't play guitar, but he knew how that went. 151 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:29.720 I feel like a lot of people know how that 152 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.519 goes on guitar. So that was the first one. But 153 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:35.240 in my lessons, I think one of the first songs 154 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:38.639 that I learned was iron Man by a Black Sabbath. 155 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:44.360 After that, I think one of the first full songs 156 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.920 I learned in its entirety was all Right Now by 157 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.639 Free So lots of classic rock stuff nice I was 158 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:53.800 growing up, lots of Southern rock, and then put a 159 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:55.600 hair metal and heavy stuff in there as well too. 160 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.439 Yeah, Mine, Mine isn't so cool. I think the first 161 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:00.639 song I learned to play it was a Cars by 162 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:06.120 snow patrul Okay, and it's basically yeah, started off pretty 163 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:06.920 easy there. 164 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:08.560 Yeah, that's awesome. 165 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:12.240 So your sound blend's country and rock and roll. Which 166 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:15.480 artists had the most significant impact on your style? Would 167 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:15.839 you say? 168 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.759 I think that's I think I have two answers to 169 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:21.879 that question, from like the rock world and then from 170 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:25.120 from the country world, because growing up I was surrounded 171 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:26.920 like my dad listened to a lot of Southern rock 172 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.879 and blues. So on the guitar playing front like Stevie 173 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:32.919 Ray Vaughan was one of my biggest influences on my 174 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:37.120 guitar playing and kind of like the music style. And 175 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:40.120 then in the country world. I never really actually got 176 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:42.679 into country until I was about like seventeen or eighteen 177 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:45.159 years old, right, and that was when I really dove 178 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:49.600 into songwriting, and I actually went and saw a country 179 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:51.679 concert live. My friend drugged me to it. It was 180 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.200 Kip Moore and the Cadillac Three, and both of them 181 00:08:55.240 --> 00:08:57.279 are like very rock country, and there's like a very 182 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.639 big blend between the two, and I didn't they realized 183 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:03.480 that you could, you know, mix those two genres and 184 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:05.799 and that was the thing that was happening. So I 185 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.919 would say in the country world, my first big influences 186 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.200 were like Kit Moore and the Cadillac Three and Chris 187 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:13.759 Stapleton and guys like that that are kind of blending 188 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:16.159 the line between the stuff I grew up listening to 189 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:19.559 while still you know, taking the listener on like an 190 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:21.840 emotional journey that country lyrics do. 191 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:25.320 Right. Yeah, it's interesting to say that because obviously it 192 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:28.440 was a Stampede last year and my friend Amanda had 193 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.840 a ticket to Brothers Osbourne. I never heard of them, 194 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.000 and she said, come on, we're going to Brothers Osbourne. 195 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.240 I was like, Okay, I don't know who they are, 196 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:36.879 but I'll go anyway. So I went and they blew 197 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:38.080 the roof off the place. 198 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.399 They're phenomenal. Actually got to see them. I saw them 199 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:42.759 at that Stampede show last year, and then I had 200 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:46.840 actually seen them two days earlier in Cavendish, Pei because 201 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:48.480 I was out they're playing, and they were also playing 202 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.919 that night, so I got to see, you know, the show, 203 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:54.200 just two nights apart. And they're They're phenomenal. They're another 204 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:55.279 huge inflownce for me. 205 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.399 Talk about two alpha males is coming on stage like 206 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:02.039 build like break poses and one guy looks like Chris Apleton. 207 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:04.720 The other guy is massive, and I was like, are 208 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:05.799 cool as fuck? 209 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:06.480 They are? 210 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:07.519 They their voices? 211 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:12.600 Yeah, they sound phenomenal live and there John Osborne the 212 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:18.240 guitar player is an outrageous guitar player, and yeah TJ's 213 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:22.000 a fantastic singer, and yeah, just they're phenomenal. 214 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.519 Yeah. Can you remember your first GIK that you saw live? Actually? 215 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:29.279 Yeah, my first concert was actually just maybe two months 216 00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:32.159 before I got my first guitar. I was six years 217 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:37.000 old and Nickelback was on their first tour in small 218 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:40.279 arenas and the day of the show, more tickets became 219 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:44.120 available and so we ended up getting some and it 220 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.320 was my mom and I that went, and the tickets 221 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:49.759 were they said front row, like on the floor front 222 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.000 row and we were like, how do we get front 223 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.639 row tickets to this? Like the day of the show. 224 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.559 So we show up and it's just general admission. There's 225 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.000 no seats on the floor, so it's just like a 226 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.080 giant mosh pit. And my mom's really small and I 227 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.559 was like six years old and she's like, Oh God, 228 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.879 what do I do? What am I getting myself into here? 229 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:09.840 And it was pretty wild. The security guards actually lifted 230 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:11.919 me over the security fence because the bar was like 231 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.399 covering my eyes, that's not all I was. So they 232 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:17.320 lifted me over the fence and set me on like 233 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:19.200 the subwolfer in front of the stage and I watched 234 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:20.120 part of the show from there. 235 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.080 Oh it's awesome. So your album Good Things, which we 236 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.039 will come to later. I hear some influence from the 237 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.679 likes of carry Underwood, Brothers, Osbourne, Keith Urban. 238 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:32.879 Yeah, absolutely, there's a I would say that it's like 239 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:38.679 definitely pulled from all of those influences. There's little nuggets 240 00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:40.840 here and there that are kind of all of the 241 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:43.320 people that I've looked up to and kind of respect 242 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.639 and people that influenced me that have been pulled in 243 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:48.639 to create the sound that is the record, so there's definitely, 244 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.360 you know, a little touch of all those things in it. 245 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:54.759 Yeah. Good Things Deluxe album, which was released in twenty two. 246 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.159 I personally love that album because I think every song 247 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.679 is brilliant. It's a great album, and every song is different. 248 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.080 And would you say that all the songs are connected, 249 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.120 because I've heard you say before country music is both 250 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:09.360 telling a story, and would you say that album as 251 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:11.200 it goes on tells the story in itself. 252 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.200 Yeah, I would say it's kind of all of my 253 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:16.039 you know, life lessons and ups and downs and things 254 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:18.320 that I've learned up to this point in my life. 255 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:22.000 And in twenty twenty two, we released just the four 256 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.919 song EP version of it, and then last year released 257 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:28.600 the large twenty two song version, And for me, it 258 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:32.279 was the four songs were great at the start, done 259 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.759 two ways, but it didn't tell the complete Good Things story, 260 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:36.840 and I felt like there was more to say to 261 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:39.639 complete that chapter, which is why we did the deluxe 262 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:44.039 edition with all twenty two songs on it. And it's Yeah, 263 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:46.000 it's kind of all the ups and downs and the 264 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.039 good and the bad and everything that I've learned to 265 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:48.639 this point. 266 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.320 Nice, and I like the SIDEB, which is the acoustic versions, 267 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:54.440 because you know, when like there's a song you hear 268 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:57.799 that's getting released, whether it's country or whatever, I always 269 00:12:57.879 --> 00:12:59.960 YouTube the acoustic version as well because I just like 270 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:02.120 to hear it in a different way. So it's great 271 00:13:02.120 --> 00:13:03.720 did you have it on the Tulux album? Because you 272 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:06.240 have all those songs and it's just like it's hearing 273 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:07.919 the same song but in a different way, and you 274 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:10.799 love both versions, so it's it's it's very smart actually 275 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:11.279 to do that. 276 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.159 It was cool because that's kind of how all the 277 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:16.320 songs were written, is in that stripped down format with 278 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.879 just an acoustic guitar, So it gives a little more 279 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.279 chance for the lyrics to tell the story of what 280 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:23.159 it is and kind of gives the listener an insight 281 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:25.440 onto you know, how the song sounded the day we 282 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:25.879 wrote it. 283 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.279 Yeah, my favorite song on that is wanted Men, brilliant song. 284 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:35.279 And so the songs on the album, did you was 285 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:38.159 it a plan to release them individually as well after 286 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:40.799 the album? Yeah, release the things. 287 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:44.200 It was it was a plan to release the first 288 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:46.759 EP and then kind of build on that, and at 289 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:48.879 the time I knew that I had more that I 290 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:51.000 wanted to say to put into the full record, but 291 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:53.360 I wasn't sure where the direction was going to go right, 292 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:57.039 and so we just kind of kept telling little parts 293 00:13:57.080 --> 00:13:59.360 of the story until it was like, Okay, this is 294 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:01.080 how we need to finished the story. And then it 295 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:02.960 was you know, going on the search to find the 296 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.840 rest of the songs that finished telling the whole story. 297 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:08.720 Yeah. When I describe an album to people, I tell 298 00:14:08.759 --> 00:14:12.080 them it's a great road trip album. And definitely I 299 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:14.200 could listen to your album on a road trip for sure, 300 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.000 because I was a thinging there's some great like road 301 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:17.720 songs totally. 302 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:20.399 Yeah, what do. 303 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.000 You listen to? What would be on your playlist? And 304 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.080 who would you listen to on a road trip? For example? 305 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:30.200 Right now, it's been a lot of a band out 306 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:35.759 of Winnipeg called Brose Landreth and they're phenomenal, like some 307 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:38.600 of the best musicians I've ever come across in my life. 308 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:44.000 Phenomenal singers, phenomenal harmonies. Joey Landreth is an outrageous guitar player, 309 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:47.000 so I definitely check them out. In addition to that, 310 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:51.840 I've been big on the Ella Langley train lately. Yeah, 311 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.840 I love her new record that she put out it's fantastic, 312 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:58.960 and then lots of Brothers Osbourne after seeing them last 313 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:01.759 summer again twice was like diving back into their catalog 314 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.960 again and going through that, and then a little bit 315 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.279 kind of off topic of you know the stuff I 316 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:11.159 usually play. I'm a big Zac Top fan and just 317 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:12.559 love everything that he's doing. 318 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.679 There's a lot to be said as well for like 319 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:17.519 seeing live acts that you wouldn't necessarily know because you'd 320 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:19.559 come away a being a fan like we were last 321 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:22.200 summer at Stampede, Like Brothers Osbande didn't know who they were, 322 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:24.279 so we should, like you should always go to live 323 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:25.960 shows because you never know when you could just fall 324 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.720 in love with them. So you learned to play guitar 325 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:30.879 first and then songwriting came later, Is that right? 326 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.159 Yeah? Absolutely, So I started playing guitar when I was 327 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:37.080 seven and then started writing songs when I was about thirteen, 328 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.120 kind of thing. I mean, I always wrote like little 329 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:42.159 guitar riffs and stuff, but started writing lyrics when I 330 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:44.559 was about thirteen. And I guess I started singing when 331 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.399 I was about fourteen because I'd written these songs and 332 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:48.919 figured I should probably sing them. 333 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:52.799 Yeah, what's your technique for songwriting, because I'm like, there's 334 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:54.919 a skill to it, isn't there totally. 335 00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:57.120 It's like it's a muscle that you got to work 336 00:15:57.159 --> 00:15:58.600 and I feel like the more you work it, the 337 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:04.200 easier it gets. My songwriting process has changed a lot 338 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:07.559 over the years. I used to write basically everything by myself, 339 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.080 and as I got more into the country world, I 340 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:14.399 started co writing, and now I basically exclusively co write, 341 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:17.399 where I'm always collaborating with other people and I'll work 342 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:20.519 on ideas and you know, record some guitar riffs and 343 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.960 write down some lyrics and kind of create some ideas 344 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.279 of what a song could be, and then usually get 345 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:29.279 into a room with you know, people that I like 346 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.639 to work with and trust and you know, have them 347 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:34.080 help bring the vision to life with me. 348 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.519 And when you're not songwriting at your playing shows, how 349 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.559 do you keep busy here? 350 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:41.240 Yeah? Playing shows is a ton of it. There's gonna 351 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:43.799 be a ton of shows this year and then so 352 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:47.559 lots of writing, lots of playing shows, and lots of planning. 353 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:49.720 And I also, as you can see, there's quite a 354 00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:52.679 few guitars in here. I like to buy and sell 355 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.759 a bit of gear as well and have fun you know, 356 00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:57.440 collecting pieces and find a new gear to use in 357 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:01.120 the studio and finding pieces of gear that inspire me 358 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:04.000 to you know, write different things and feel like every 359 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:07.400 guitar has a story and it has a different something 360 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:10.960 that it makes you play. And so by you know, 361 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:13.759 expanding the collection of guitars, it makes you play different things, 362 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.160 makes you feel different things and seeing what those have 363 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:16.519 in them. 364 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:18.880 And are you touring around Canada right now? 365 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:21.680 Right now, a little bit of a break. We're firing 366 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:23.640 things up at the end of the month, and then 367 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:28.400 it's going to be busy all year long basically till December. 368 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.279 So it's not a lot announced yet, but this month 369 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:33.200 all the shows starts to get announced. 370 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.440 Nice, So you'd be coming back to Calgary, no doubt. 371 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.200 Oh yeah, absolutely, Yeah, We've got lots of stuff playing 372 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:39.680 for Calgary. 373 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:41.880 Definitely keep an eye out for that. Then I'm sure 374 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:43.400 you would be at stamped this year as well. 375 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:52.039 Probably can't say yet, Well, yeah, okay, who do you 376 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:55.440 love in Canadian artists? 377 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:57.720 For example, like the country music scene. 378 00:17:57.920 --> 00:17:59.799 Yeah, in the country music scene in Canada, there's a 379 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:05.000 lot of fantastic acts Alberta specifically. Yeah, there's so many 380 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.519 I have a lot of great friends in the industry 381 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.200 as well, and a big fan of an artist named 382 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:15.119 Drew Gregory. He's fantastic. He puts on a super high 383 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.319 energy show and it's just a ton of fun. I 384 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:19.839 write a lot of songs with him as well, so 385 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:24.240 he's definitely a frequent collaborator with me. Another great artist 386 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:27.000 in Alberta is an artist at a Left Bridge named 387 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:31.680 Shayla Miller. She's fantastic, kind of a blend between like 388 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:35.640 classic country and then kind of pulls some modern elements 389 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:39.039 into the into the production in that as well, and 390 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:42.160 then on a national scale, some of my favorites are 391 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.799 like Jade eagleson I just love like, you know, the 392 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:53.160 classic nineties listening to that stuff with that and big 393 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:56.200 Dallas Smith fan. You know, he comes from the rock 394 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.960 world originally and toured for years in a rock band, 395 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:00.720 so it's kind of cool to see how that transition 396 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:03.400 has evolved from him going from the rock world to 397 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:06.880 the country world. But a lot of the people that 398 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:10.559 I love live like Brett Kissel's fantastic, but his live 399 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:12.880 show is excellent and his live band is excellent, So 400 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.160 you know, when you go see a Brett show. It's 401 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:16.559