Acting his age

After all, the USA’s quiet neighbours are to blame for a veritable who’s who of music’s Room 101.

Where to begin? Not content with inflicting Justin Beiber, Nelly Furtado, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and Bryan Adams on the world, Canada brought us Carly Rae Jepsen of Call Me Maybe fame — a song certain to spoil karaoke for years to come.

All that, and I have not even mentioned Nickleback.

But there is a man out there hoping to right all of Canada’s musical wrongs.

Old Man Luedecke, one of the country’s best-loved and most intriguing roots singer-songwriters will play at The Fallen Angels 
Club in Glasgow on Friday.

Luedecke was born in Toronto but made his home in the rich maritime province of Nova Scotia, where his music has been whole heartedly adopted for it’s traditional storytelling folk elements.

Luedecke is a young man with an old soul who doesn’t sugar-coat his fears and let’s his songs breathe with a bittersweet hopefulness.

“I put the name on my first gig poster and it stuck”. he said, “I’m very excited to play in the UK, new country, places and faces”.

Old Man channels a refreshing energy from folk giants like Woody Gunthrie and Pete Seeger with a hint of Loudon Wainright III.

But, it is Luedecke’s contemporary lyrics, coupled with the irresistible rhythm of the old-time banjo that make him so loved by his audiences.

In January 2012 Old Man Luedecke travelled to Nashville, Tennessee to record his new album Tender Is The Night set for release in the UK in 2013.

It was recorded by Tim O’Brian, Nashville based folk music icon, alongside David Ferguson who has engineered nine Johnny Cash albums, as well as working with U2 and John Prine.

Recently OML teamed up with Canadian band Lake of Stew to release a free EP Sing All About It.

“What names! We were born to be together” says OML. “I got a CD of Lake of Stew and after singing along a few dozen times started listening in to the voices and imagining who they were. The Mini Pops, Glee, pish, 
this was the group I was born to join”.

OML has received great recognition for his works, including Juno Awards (The Canadian Grammy) for albums Proof Of Love and My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs.

Book tickets for tomorrow’s gig with the man hoping to make you love Canadian music again at www.ticketweb.co.uk.