With the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards headed to Yorkton later this month, performers have sought out gigs in the city to build on the SCMA’s influence.
“I booked our show in Yorkton the weekend prior to the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards (SCMA’s) specifically to show my support for this great organization,” said Micheal Lander who will perform at City Limits Inn April 17-18. “The more I get involved with the country community, the more I feel at home and welcomed even though my style is rather unconventional. For that I will be forever grateful mostly because I’ve spent my life trying to find a place I fit in and feel accepted.
“Even for the times I’ve attended the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA’s) and met the folks involved at the national level, I see loads of opportunities by individuals genuinely there to assist musicians.”
Lander said he is certainly going to be involved in the SCMA awards on some level as well.
“I’ll be applying to showcase at the SCMA’s in Yorkton this year however nothing is confirmed yet,” he said.
“I will certainly be in attendance though and look forward to having a fun time with many of my friends in Yorkton!”
And Lander will not be alone when he hits the city to perform.
“I’m also really proud to have my friend Brody Siebert join me for this show April 17th and 18th as he has been doing amazing with his latest material which was recorded down in Nashville and is now in top demand at radio stations throughout Saskatchewan.”
Originally born in Victoria, BC, Lander said he moved around lots mostly in the lower mainland of BC; Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, “growing up a bit like a nomad” making his way through Alberta and now making Saskatoon, his home for the last 10 years.
The seeds of his musical interest were planted young.
“When I was eight years old my grandfather bought me a guitar for Christmas,” said Lander. “Once I was 14 I became obsessed with the instrument and mostly self-taught myself since then.
“From Grade six on, I also played trombone getting a lot of classical and jazz experience while I continued studying guitar at home which gave me a considerable amount of musical theory to work with. My high school in Port Moody, B.C., was the only one in Western Canada to have a recording studio so that program really bolstered my focus on music.”
And over the early years Lander found a love of varied music, the effects of that still reflected in his own efforts.
“My musical influences really range depending on the topic,” he said. “When it comes to song writing I really relate to the country lifestyle of a hard-working, humble and modest living while enjoying the simple things in life. Country artists I can relate to would be Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, and Brad Paisley.
“When it comes to guitar, my foundation is very blues/rock relating to the tough and hard-times in life. Guitarists who have influenced my style would range from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and B.B. King to Joe Satriani, Randy Roads, and Slash.”
Lander is now beginning to take his own music to a new level.
“I’ve played many festival stages, bars and theatres as a supporting musician for other acts in B.C. and Saskatchewan,” he said.
“As I’ve been preparing my own material over the last couple years, I began showcasing my work at various local open stages, private acoustic shows, and most recently the Country Music Association of Saskatoon’s Emerging Artist Showcase.
“My most recent highlight would be having my current single ‘Long, Cold Run’ place top-25 in a national song writing competition. We plan to release a radio version of the tune to select radio stations across Canada in April.”
The single is part of his debut recording effort.
“We’re smack-dab in the middle of recording this album; focusing on finishing one song at a time for now,” said Lander. “We’re getting ready to finish the fourth single before going in for the rest of the tracks to finish the album.
“I quickly realized how important it was for me to take my time with each song as my sound has improved a lot since the first tune “Gravel Road” was released back in May, 2014.
“Even since finishing ‘Long, Cold Run’ I know my performance ability has improved now that I’ve played it live so many times and we haven’t even sent it to radio yet. I have much more guitar experience than I do singing so my focus has been getting the right vocal techniques down so I can tell my stories with confidence. I’m certainly content with what I’ve recorded in the past but I’m most excited about what we are doing for the future and for our fourth and final single ‘A Piece of My Family’ before we finish the album.”
The material for the album accumulated over many months before hitting the studio.
“Once I started writing for this album, it took about a year to compile the right selection of songs,” said Lander. “I think the selection of songs I’ve chosen show a good variety of flavours mixing in a balance of blues and country all the while maintaining a level of integrity as its important the stories I’m telling are of those that I can relate too. I believe that if I write songs that I’ve either experienced or seen others experience, the performances on the album and on stage with maintain their authenticity and have a better chance to relate to my audience as well.”
And as a debut effort, Lander said he is learning a lot.
“The recording process on this album has been such a great learning experience for me,” he said. “My producer Ryan Andersen at Red Door Recording has been so easy to work with and supportive as I work through and develop my craft.
“Since having the luxury of working in a recording studio in high school, I also have my own studio where I work on all the pre-production through the ideas and experimenting with layers. Then the selected songs are then placed into Ryan’s hands to take the songs to another level.
“When it comes to being in the studio and playing on stage, I’m really in love with both processes to the max and am addicted to the process.”
You can check out more about this artist at www.micheallander.com
