Del Barber and Mariel Buckley, two of Canada’s most acclaimed young roots music artists, will be hitting the road together in April, covering much of Alberta and British Columbia. With each recently earning major accolades – Barber’s latest album, Easy Keeper (Acronym Records), is nominated for a Juno Award in the Contemporary Roots Album of the Year category, while Buckley was named Roots Artist of the Year at the 2019 Western Canadian Music Awards – audiences can expect an evening of pure singer-songwriter magic. Tickets for all shows listed below will be available through each artist’s website starting in early March.
About Mariel Buckley
Ever since the rave reception of Mariel’s acclaimed sophomore album, Driving In The Dark, she has continued to set the bar for roots music in Canada. The Calgary native’s momentum has built quickly, and she recently earned the Roots Solo Artist of the Year award at the 2019 WCMA’s. She finds herself one of alt-country’s busiest acts, with recent performances in support of k.d. lang, Hayes Carll, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, The Deep Dark Woods and Serena Ryder; and entertaining audiences throughout North America. In contrast to her dynamic and electric live show, built on the gritty foundations of Americana and roots music, her songwriting has been described as melodic and tender – a “dazzling and assured take on the sounds of classic country” (Jonathan Frahm, PopMatters).
About Del Barber
Co-produced by Del Barber and Juno-winner Grant Siemens (Tom Russell, Corb Lund), Easy Keeper was inspired by the virtues of rural Manitoba. On it, Del realized his aspiration to become an “easy keeper,” a reference to the title given to a farm animal that gives more than it takes.
“It’s one who is selfless, the opposite of high-maintenance, which I realized I wasn’t enough of. Moreover it is exactly how I wanted others to describe me,” he said. “Ultimately I think to become an easy keeper is to be someone who is quick to listen. I feel lucky as hell that I have been given a notion of who I am, where I’m from, and what I want to say. I’m 35 years old, and now I feel like I finally know exactly what my job is. I’m just a songwriter.”
The album pulls together a weighty cast of players that lends itself to the album’s prairie country sound. Featuring Geoff Hilhorst (The Deep Dark Woods, Leeroy Stagger) on piano and keys, Jeremy Risu (Red Moon Road) on accordion, Bill Western on pedal steel, Ivan Burke on drums, and Manitoba songwriters Haley Carr and Andrina Turenne (Chic Gamine) on vocals, and helmed by Del and longtime collaborators Siemens and Bernie Thiessen on guitars and bass, the album weaves its way seamlessly through cool, bluesy stories of domestic love and small town living (“Dancing In The Living Room,” “Everyday Life,” “No Easy Way Out”), catchy, swampy odes to human presence (“Patient Man,” “Lucky Prairie Stars”), and balladic short stories about people playing long games with their hand in life (“Louise,” “Juanita,” “Ronnie & Rose,” “Blood On The Sand”).
See Mariel Buckley and Del Barber live:
- Apr. 3 – No 1 Legion, Calgary, AB (Denim Social)
- Apr. 6 – The Owl Acoustic Lounge, Lethbridge, AB
- Apr. 7 – Medicine Hat Brewing, Medicine Hat, AB
- Apr. 8 – The Music Stop, Rocky Mountain House, AB
- Apr. 9 – Bo’s, Red Deer, AB
- Apr. 10 – Twin Butte General Store, Twin Butte, AB
- Apr. 11 – TBC, Revelstoke, BC
- Apr. 12 – Whitetooth Brewing, Golden, BC
- Apr. 15 – TBC, Fernie, BC
- Apr. 16 – Flying Steamshovel, Rossland, BC
- Apr. 17 – DunnEnzies, Kelowna, BC
- Apr. 18 – Tractorgreese Cafe, Chiliwack, BC
- Apr. 19 – Blue Frog Studios, Vancouver, BC
- Apr. 20 – Victoria Events Centre, Victoria, BC
- Apr. 21 – The Queen’s, Nanaimo, BC
- Apr. 22 – Blue Grotto, Kamloops, BC
- Apr. 23 – Jasper Legion, Jasper, AB
- Apr. 24 – Edmonton, AB, Riverdale Hall (Denim Social)
