Jake Ian is on tour across western Canada, and Joe Beeverz Bar and Grill in Yorkton is on the schedule.
“The Yorkton show is part of a 25 show tour of western Canada. It is actually the last show of the tour,” said Ian. “I will be stopping in Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and a bunch of other towns along the way.”
So what should people expect when they attend the August 8 show in Yorkton?
“My type of music can be simply described as roots music,” said Ian who grew up on a farm outside Warspite, Alberta and currently resides in Edmonton. “It is a combination of folk, blues and country. My main influences our guys like Neil Young, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt.”
Ian has been involved in music since his school years.
“I began playing bass guitar when I was in high school and formed my first rock band in 2000,” he said. “We toured and released four albums together but called it quits in 2008.
“This is when I began to play folk music with an acoustic guitar. Things just kind of progressed from there.”
As a roots performer, observing everyday life is a big part of Ian’s music.
“Inspiration is a funny thing and when you are an artist trying to continually come up with something new it can be hard to find,” he offered. “I try to look for things in my everyday life that inspire me. Nature, relationships, and every day adventures are themes that can be found in my songs.”
The tour is in support of a recent CD release for Ian.
“I released my fifth solo album in April 2014. It is an album that is called ‘It Don’t Really Matter Anymore’,” he said.
“I recorded it in Edmonton and it was produced by a guy named Shyler Jansen. We took our time and went all out with the production and the instrumentation.
“The album is a collection of strong songs that is perfect to sit down with a cocktail or equally as appropriate on a long drive through the prairies, mountains or whereever your road may take you.”
The latest recording draws upon his recent efforts writing.
“I wrote the material for this album in approximately a year and a half and it was a time in my life where I experienced a lot of growth as a person,” said Ian. “I guess you could say I grew up. Song writing comes pretty easy for me so I put a lot of effort into precisely crafting the songs and making them as strong as I could …
“I think my favorite song would have to be ’68 Malibu’ It’s about a girl that the protagonist knew who have had a very rough life but the only consistent and safe thing that she ever had was her old car.
“It’s a pretty sad song but the pedal steel on the Oregon make it even sadder.”
Ian said all of his albums are available on iTunes, (search Jake Ian).
“Of course you can always buy my albums at my shows as well,” he added.
