FARM-RAISED MUSICIANS EAGLESMITH AND SEMPLE SEEK SOLACE ON THE ROAD
Singer-songwriters find inspiration in people and places they care greatly for
I never thought I could care about a piece of farm machinery, but Fred Eaglesmith made me care.
Okay, I’m empathizing with the characters who care about farm machinery in the songs on his last album Standard — the title is a metaphor. There’s a standard transmission in the old tractor on the album cover, some of the themes feel like standards, and standard transmissions also figure in Eaglesmith’s spiritual leanings to Zen Buddhism. He’s the only artist who has quoted the great Japanese haiku master Basho to me in an interview.
“I did everything right — accidentally,” he said jokingly.
There’s a taste of the 61-yearold wise man’s incidental hilarity, with more to come when he performs for New Moon Folk Club on Friday.
Eaglesmith gets labelled altcountry now. With some four decades on record and on the road, he’s a country singer in the way that genre existed before the high-gloss feel of contemporary pop-country. He grew up on an Ontario farm, is still based there, still writes songs about rural living, and still prefers to record in low-tech analogue. I can’t place another artist who captures life with such a depth of sincerity, sensitivity, and humour, too.
Standard is nearly two years old, just ready to become a hit, as he sees it. Apparently it takes fans a while to fully embrace his new material. I love the haunting guitar echoes that fill out the atmosphere on moving ballads like Tom Turkey, but he still puts in his share of winning upbeat rockers.
Eaglesmith’s shows have taken on more of a spare sound since he parted ways with his last band three years ago. Apart from his own multi-instrumental presence (vocals, guitar, harmonica, trumpet, violin, etc.) there’s Tif Ginn, a singer-songwriter in her own right who’s been part of the band for 10 years now, and Eaglesmith’s wife for four years. She brings backing vocals, ukulele, harp, trumpet, drums, percussion and more. Add their nineyear-old son Blue Passalacqua on vocals or mandolin.
Their 1982 tour bus (a machine he cares about) is outfitted like a home inside to make the road more comfortable as they hit the highways of Canada and the U.S., stopping to holiday here and there between dates.
The days of “barnstorming” the continent are past, with only a few “Fred-heads” left who follow his tours to see up to 60 shows a year. His itinerary is a little shorter, too (only 135 dates so far this year, including regular trips to western Europe!), and new recordings get done every other year. But Eaglesmith enjoys the slower pace.
“My lifestyle now is a little less rock star and a little more hobo,” he said with a laugh, “but I feel really alive. Just trying to keep it happy.”
Eaglesmith’s show for New Moon Folk Club is already sold out. Check newmoonfolkclub. com for an exciting new season that continues with Red Dirt Skinners Oct. 12, Freddy & Francine Oct. 26, and Digging Roots Nov. 16.
SEMPLE’S GOTTA GROOVE
Jack Semple can’t help it. The Regina guitarist-singer is just addicted to the groove.
That’s the sense you get listening to his new album Can’t Stop This Love, filled to the brim with infectious R&B grooves, setting the stage for his return to Festival Place Friday.
Work on the album took off nearly a year ago, inspired initially by sad news that his good friend and occasional duo partner, guitarist Greg Lowe, had died.
“I had this mental block that had stopped me from starting new music. Then Greg passed away tragically with only about eight months notice, of cancer. It was a wake-up call and a paradigm shift for me thinking, ‘I’m still up walking around looking at the blue sky and what excuse do I have, not to keep trying and not holding myself back?’ So I started writing a song a day for about 10 weeks.”
After a couple of weeks of applying himself intensely, everything improved and “I actually had something to say.” From all those songs he picked 10 for the album.
It’s no surprise to hear hot tunes from this gifted musician. Raised on a Saskatchewan farm, he left success with Toronto band The Lincolns some 30 years ago, returning to prairie life and an eclectic dip into varied guitar music. Yet rhythm and blues remains his first love.
“That’s part of my DNA, you know? It’s gotta have a groove.”
You wouldn’t know from its tight, convincing feel but Can’t Stop This Love was a multi-tracked affair with tracks recorded separately by Edmonton drummer Steve Hoy, Regina bassist Dave Chabot and Toronto keyboardist Lou Pomanti before Semple assembled everything and mixed it down. That it sounds like a complete band reflects their long working relationship.
One track, Dance Of The Undivided, was inspired by “the ridiculous reality show south of the border,” but most songs revolve around relationships. Semple admits he’s learned a lot over 33 years of married life.
“I’ve got pleading down to a science,” he said with a laugh. “I’m writing from personal experience.”
Jack Semple brings his band to Sherwood Park’s Festival Place 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $38 from the box office (780-449-3378 or online at festivalplace.ab.ca). Friday’s show will feature bassist Chabot and drummer Brent Jefferson from Regina with Edmonton’s Andrew Glover on keys, playing the new songs and a few covers.
Ex-Zappa drummer Terry Bozzio brings his unique solo percussion project to Festival Place Sept. 27, with Wishbone Ash Sept. 30, and dates from Marco Claveria, Claire Lynch, Colin Linden, Heather Rankin, Guy Davis and Christine Hanson into October.