After more than 16 years of playing and touring with bands signed to major Canadian record labels, singer-songwriter Luther Wright is getting his hands dirty again.
You don't need a 15-passenger van if you're driving around by yourself
said Wright, who chose to release his latest solo album, Man of Your Dreams, on Snakeye Muzak, an independent label. It's one step at a time G? I'm doing everything myself.
Wright, who will showcase his talents at Jackie O's Pub and Brewery tonight, is a musical chameleon who has played everything from pop to roots-rock and bluegrass.
His endeavor that has garnered the most attention, though, is the 2001 album Rebuild the Wall with his band Luther Wright & the Wrongs that re-interpreted Pink Floyd's The Wall
as a bluegrass- country album.
It was some crazy project just for fun; we didn't think we would even release it said Wright. It just took on a life of its own.
Nowadays, Wright said the band doesn't play many songs from Rebuild the Wall live anymore. In fact, for Wright's current slew of American tour dates, the Wrongs will be staying home in Canada.
These days I play a lot of songs from the new record he said. I kind of bounce back and forth from the rootsy pop stuff and bluegrassy country stuff G? It depends who's playing with me. Tonight, Wright will be accompanied by a drummer, bassist and opening act Megan Palmer from Columbus on fiddle.
With this most recent tour, Wright hopes to gain more of a presence in the United States, especially because Canada is the only country in which he has released his new album so far.
Ideally
it would be great to get it released in the States
said Wright, who anticipates a release this fall. There's more opportunity G? There's just more people more likely to be into the kind of music you're playing.
Though Wright said he prefers the United States to Canada in that respect, he still enjoys the much smaller Canadian music scene.
There's a lot of collaboration
Wright said. It's a good community as far as bands working together for the greater good. When bands come through where I live (in Kingston
Ontario) I help set up shows
and vice versa.
Now that he is gaining more exposure down south, Wright is confident his sound will transcend the international boundaries.
This is our Canadian version of country music
Wright said. The border doesn't really exist when it comes to the arts.
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