Blake Berglund, one of Canada’s hardest working singers and most prolific songwriters, is finally getting an opportunity to appear on stage in the Energy City.
Three winters ago, Berglund appeared in Estevan in the company of Chris Henderson and Jess Moskoluke in their Grass Roots and Cowboy Boots tour, but he hasn’t been back since.
The outlaw of the Saskatchewan C&W musical scene will be appearing on the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum’s After Dark series stage on March 13, beginning at 8 p.m.
The next day, he’s off to Australia.
He’ll be accompanied by a couple of members of his band, the Vultures, he said, and he’s anxious to try some new material as well as his tried-and true tunes and a variety of songs from his recently released Jasper album.
“There’s a new tune, Funny Thing About You Leaving, that we’ve given a new sound to,” he said during a telephone interview last week.
He tried out some new sounds and lyrics in Medicine Hat two weeks ago and will be showcasing them in Estevan.
Being one of the hardest-working cowboys on the C&W circuit is not a misnomer for this native of Kennedy, Sask., since he’s usually booked for over 150 to 170 shows a year and is just coming off an eight-night, seven-city tour with Manitoba’s Quinton Blair. The last show was in the Palomino Club in Calgary.
Berglund will team up again with Belle Plaine, who is his “significant other,” in Australia where she has already landed, and they’ll be doing a little sailing down under, which will be a different mode of transportation for the guy who is usually more comfortable on horses or in touring vans.
His Coyote album received good airplay, especially in the United States where independent songwriters and artists get some good exposure, he said.
“My technique as a vocalist was suspect, but Melanie (aka Belle Plaine) has worked with me a lot to get me to a new level. I always considered myself to be more of a writer than performer, but I enjoy performing too much not to do it and I do a lot of collaborating with other songwriters too,” he added.
Life on the road is hard, and Berglund readily admits that “sometimes we get going too hard. I should know better, but then the voice goes after a couple of hard days, and I know I have to settle down.”
The Jasper album and how it came about, only highlights Berglund’s reputation as the outlaw … a friendly outlaw though.
“It’s a bit crazy. Their Legion Hall there would be a typical Legion you’d see in any small town but the manager there has made it a destination spot for touring acts. A beer company wanted to do a recording with us, in the hall and we had it all lined up. We then found out that due to marketing cuts at their corporate level, they were backing down from the deal. They had already spent about half their budget getting set up and we had spent some time getting ready, so we kind of had a band meeting and said ‘let’s do this anyway,’ so we did in the summer of 2014. The Thursday night, we played pretty well to an empty hall, but on Friday, it was wall to wall with people. We played 26 songs that night and 17 of them found their way on the album that was released and we had a blast. Since then we’ve received nothing but solid feedback on that material.”
Berglund then laughed and added, “That was just one nice little mistake that turned out great.”
After he returns from Australia, the country troubadour said he’s booked for the rest of the spring and summer with a bunch of rodeo appearances and a west coast swing. In the meantime, he’s willing to ride the musical surf.
“You know this industry is constantly changing. I’m not sure if anybody knows what they’re doing these days, but I’ve still got some studio time ahead of me, and I’m doing some duo recordings and on the tours you get an opportunity to build some buzz. I’ve got some music out with the Regina group Rah Rah, who have been great to work with as well as some with Jack White. And I have a pile of new stuff I want to try out.”
As far as the outlaw label goes, Berglund notes, “I don’t refer to myself as that, but it seems as if I’m doing it different from the pack. I appreciate what they do, but in my family, we push it with the heart.”
Besides the new music, those attending the concert in Estevan will no doubt have the opportunity to hear some songs that have already made Berglund a “go to” country artist in Western Canada. Tunes such as Hanging by a Thread, Come Back Around, Taxes and Death and Where Have All My Horses Gone, might be on the play list.
This past fall Berglund and Belle Plaine were special guest artists on the east coast where they entertained Canada’s provincial premiers who were conducting a conference in Charlottetown. Berglund said he was pleasantly surprised to see Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall in the audience a couple of nights later when they were performing in Halifax.
He wasn’t sure whether they had gained a new fan, or whether the premier was just looking for a few relaxation hours, but either way, it was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed and was certainly appreciated.
Berglund is now anxious to build a few new friendships in the Energy City.
