LIGHTFOOT’S INSPIRATION
Musician loves life on road
Terra Lightfoot definitely is not afraid of a little hard work.
The singer/songwriter has kept an amazing schedule in recent years, playing up to 250 shows a year. Lightfoot admitted that being on the road for that many shows is a little crazy.
“It’s been a little nuts. I’m a little bit crazy at this point as I’ve gone full-tilt into this profession. It’s the best life I could ask for, it’s so much fun,” Lightfoot said in a recent telephone interview from Kansas City, where she was attending the Folk Alliance International conference.
Upon further discussion, Lightfoot admitted that 250 shows a year is not a manageable number.
“It’s totally not,” Lightfoot said. “But it’s fun. It’s the kind of thing where you learn to manage your time so now I know that I need a week off every now and again. That helps me to get centred. It’s a great life.
“I might be a road dog. Actually, I think I am a road dog.”
Many artists separate their songwriting from their touring, finding that the hectic pace of being on the road is not conducive to writing.
It turns out that Lightfoot is not one of these artists.
“I’ve adapted big-time to being able to write anywhere, to being able to play anywhere, to be comfortable doing my work anywhere,” Lightfoot said. “My favourite place to write, since I’ve been 17, is when I’m in the driver’s seat. That’s when my best ideas come to me. Luckily, I worked through melodies and I work through lyrics and things like that.”
Writing a song while driving doesn’t seem like the safest technique to use. Lightfoot said that when she does feel the need to put pen to paper, she does pull over and park her car.
But even that can lead to an interesting interaction with the authorities and Lightfoot was quick to share a funny story about the downside of songwriting in a vehicle.
“I just got my licence, I was 17, and I pulled over on the side of the highway to write out a tune,” Lightfoot said. “I was in that state of blissful songwriting where you’re not aware of anything around you. A cop pulled up behind me and came up to the window and said, ‘ What’s going on, you got a flat tire?’ I barely paid any attention to her. I said, ‘No, no, I’m writing this down. Don’t talk to me.’ She was like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get off the road. You can’t park here to take notes. You’ve got to get moving.’
“It was pretty funny.”
So the police officer didn’t grasp that she was interrupting Lightfoot’s artistic process?
“That was all on me — I was young and stupid then, that’s for sure. I still am,” Lightfoot said with a laugh.
Lightfoot is touring in support of her latest album, New Mistakes, which was released on Oct. 13. It follows in the footsteps of Every Time My Mind Runs Wild (released on 2015) and her self-titled debut album (released in 2011).
While each of the albums has a little bit of a different sound they also have a number of things in common, and given the motivation for songwriting, Lightfoot doesn’t think that will ever change.
“One thing I’m realizing about me, and probably most anyone who writes music, is that usually writing is a reflection of where we are at that particular time,” she explained.
“For me, all the records span the same crazy amount of genres in one go — there’s always a country song, a soul song, a folk song and a rock song. I’ve always been that way, I’ve always mixed genres and presented a record of songs, not of a concept or genre.
“But this latest one for me was about exactly where I am right now and exactly where I’ve been and exactly the story I wanted to share with everybody.”
New Mistakes was recently nominated for a 2018 Juno Award in the category of best adult alternative album along with Twin Solitude ( by Leif Vollebekk); Sincerely, Future Pollution (Timber, Timbre); Panther in the Dollhouse (Whitehorse); and Introduce Yerself (Gord Downie).
Heading into the studio to record New Mistakes, Lightfoot decided to take a few risks with the album. Was the risk worth the reward?
“Sure. It was so validating for me and for my team and the guys in my band,” Lightfoot said. “We work hard and it’s a really nice thing to be recognized for our work.”