T. Buckley at Wine-Ohs Tuesdays
‘Things are coming out naturally’
Who you are is where you’re at.
That’s something that local singer-songwriter T. Buckley can speak to on a number of different levels, especially how it relates to his latest release Northern Country Soul.
The roots rock collection defines him at a point in his life and career where he’s comfortable with the sound he’s crafted and the songs that he chooses to represent who and what he is.
And that has a lot do with where he’s at and has always been.
“I think there’s a lot of tunes on this record that speak to place and how it shapes us, whether that be a city or a town or a country or just landscape in general. I think there’s a lot of references to that throughout all of the songs,” Buckley says of the album, which was released late last year.
“Those are things that matter to me.”
The born and raised Calgarian admits that where his hometown might have once had him “starting on the defensive,” now he’s coming from somewhere a little closer to pride but certainly comfort.
Which certainly bleeds into the songs on Northern Country Soul, both lyrically — mentions of Alberta clippers and even a namecheck of Elbow Drive — and musically, with the tracks sunny, humbly understated anthems that jangle with big sky country pop and homey rural odes.
There’s a warmth to the 13 songs, helped in part by some engineering, mastering and mixing help by Miles Wilkinson, a man who’s worked with some of those who have influenced Buckley, including Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell.
And as a songwriter, Buckley tips his hat to them as well as everyone from Dylan and The Band to Lyle Lovett, Wilco and The Jayhawks — wearing it well, while making it his own.
He admits that’s a result of being at the point in his career where he feels fully “connected” to the material, willing to harness his honesty, something he’s always admired and striven for.
“I’m maybe just a little bit more comfortable ... myself, in general, with who I am, and I think that translates in the songs. I’m not trying to force anything out, I think these are things that are coming out naturally,” he says.
“I guess that’s the name of the game, at the end of the day. I think that what draws people into the singer-songwriter world is that genuine approach and that connection that people can make with you, as opposed to you ‘trying’ to do something.
“I think I’m (there). I think getting there is just a result of continuing to play and work on what you do as much as you can. The last few years have been good for me in the sense that ... this has been the No. 1 priority for me for a while. I’ve been able to put more and more time into it.
“So it’s naturally gotten there.”
Helping immensely has been his Tuesday night residency at Wine-Ohs, where since last April he and his band — veteran players Tim Leacock and Derek Pulliam — have had the opportunity to work on new material and hone their sound.
Buckley admits that in the past they’ve tried the jam hosting or open mike night route but it never lasted, for various reasons, most notably having a club owner willing to commit to it.
With their weekly WineOhs night they’ve pretty much been given carte blanche to make the night their own, which they’ve done by trying out new material, attempting to keep it fresh for the audience and themselves, while “exploring the versatility of the band.”
“It’s great because I think we’re really trying to use it that way, to continue to de- velop the trio and expand our repertoire and just get tighter playing together,” he says.
“It just gets more streamlined, the sound and the direction that we’re headed in.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t some inclusiveness to the proceedings, with the band often having guests sit it with them for a song or two, some, like Mike Little or Charlie Hase, who also joined them in the studio for Northern Country Soul.
Buckley, perhaps comfortable enough not only in how established the evening now is, but also as an artist in his own right, is hoping that more of the local roots, folk, country and rock scene will also show up and make the night the go-to place, or perhaps where it’s at, for Calgary’s music community.
“We’re trying to get it there,” he says.
“The club is fairly new so it’s still building its thing. The residency has been going for awhile but I feel like it’s still expanding to that. If we could get it to that place, where it really felt like that’s where people wanted to be, our peers included, to come hang out, whether they get up and play or not, but to have it more communal, I think is what the club envisions and would really add a nice touch on what we’re doing.
“I think it will get there.”