Songs and stories about Canada's people and places will be front and centre this weekend at Tracks Pub.
Tim Hus will be bringing his Canadiana roots country music to Olds for a show on Friday night, supporting his fifth album release, Hockeytown, a collection of songs ñ much like his previous four albums ñ that focus on his experiences as part of a band of travelling minstrels.
ìIt's a bit of a unique thing as I've kind of become the guy that sings about Canada,î he mused in a recent interview with the Albertan. ìWe have a travelling band and we travel around Canada and I write songs about the places that we visit and the people that we've met, so there's a lot of Canadian stories.î
A native of the Nelson, B.C. area, Hus has become a well-known figure in the Canadian country music scene that has drawn praises from icons like Stompin' Tom Connors and fellow Stony Plain Records act Corb Lund, whom he played with last time he was in Olds.
A fusion of guitar, stand-up bass and fiddle mark most of his music, bringing the stories of the frontier spirit, both historical and modern, to life on the stage. It's a style and substance that he's been true to since writing his first song about his time in a remote logging camp right after leaving high school and his hometown.
He's churned out a song every time he experiences something in a country that continues to inspire him.
ìOver time you get quite a collection of songs and I guess they're relatable to people so I've managed to carve out a career doing it,î Hus explained. ìIt's not something I consciously set out to do Ö but what I find surprising is that there aren't more people doing it.î
With songs like Canadian Pacific, Red River Flood, Hamilton Steel and North Atlantic Trawler, on his latest release alone, it's not hard to imagine the places he's been and the people he's met during his time as a travelling musician. He's particularly drawn to the rugged beauty of the west and the blue-collar people of the land he's encountered in this portion of the country.
When it comes to what he sings about, Hus certainly doesn't see the fuss.
ìBasically I would ask ëwhat kind of songs would you expect me to write,'î he suggested. ìI was born and raised in this part of the country and I make my living travelling around here, so it seems quite natural that I'd write Canadian flavoured songs because that's what I'm familiar with.î
Doors open for Friday's performance at 8 p.m. with the event free for patrons over the age of 18.
Hus said it's his first time at the venue, but it has garnered a good reputation as a place where independent acts can perform and enjoy an attentive audience.
