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Music

Country ambassador

CORB LUND at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), tonight (Thursday, October 22) and Friday (October 23). $25. 416-870-8000.


Albertan country crooner Corb Lund straddles two worlds when it comes to his audience.

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On one side, there’s the know-it-all independent music community who know Lund from his previous punk-metal band, the Smalls, years of post-Smalls club touring as the Corb Lund Band, steady word of mouth and plentiful media coverage.

On the other are folks who know him from radio and CMT and just plain like what they hear and see.

With one foot in the mainstream and another in the underground, Lund doesn’t mind taking a wide stance for his career.

“I’m like the gateway drug for a lot people,” he grins during a chat at the Horseshoe. “It’s a weird position to be in, but I think it’s cool to force people to deal with each other. Maybe if [the mainstream audience] digs me, they’ll dig the Sadies.”

Being a country-music ambassador between rural and urban audiences isn’t always fun. The Edmontonian, while touring extensively through Texas and the Southern U.S. to promote his new album, Losin’ Lately Gambler (New West), encountered a few folks a bit too rural for his liking.

“I didn’t like hearing the N-word very much,” Lund says of his recent Southern travels. “It’s shocking. But there are rednecks everywhere, same as in Canada. There’s a lot of people who aren’t like that, too.

“The Texan audiences are fantastic. I’ve never been to a place where such a large segment of the population is willing to go listen to independent music. They don’t seem to need the media to validate what they like. Texas is unique that way.”

Losin’ Lately Gambler is an enjoyable 11-track album that balances personal tunes – Alberta Says Hello deals with losing a long-time girlfriend, while Horse Doctor, Come Quick is about being the son of a veterinarian – with bigger issues. In This Is My Prairie, Lund laments a rancher’s plight in the face of Big Oil.

With so many songs about Canada, specifically the Prairies, could Lund be hamstringing himself when he takes on American audiences?

“I didn’t really think about it. I guess we’ll see. At least nobody can bitch at me for not flying the flag.”

Interview Clips

Lund talking about his rural-based audience versus his urban fans.

Download associated audio clip.

music@nowtoronto.com

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