“The best singer-songwriter I’ve come across in years is a Canadian. His name is Colter Wall. He’s from Saskatchewan, and he’s incredible. His songs are stunning. He’s been listening to the right stuff, and he gets it.”
— Steve Earle
A statement like that from Steve Earle is enough to send me out into the Territory. No surprise, Mr. Earle is right — this 21-year-old kid from the prairie is incredible. Finger-picking that comes from working out with the old acoustic bluesmen; an old soul’s lived-in baritone voice — and songs.
A few years back, Tom Russell uncorked a rant about the failure of young songwriters to really immerse themselves in the river of song, like Dylan did, coming to New York with a bag full of old folk songs that he knew down to his bones. Tom was right, and there’s the reason you get so much weak tea and not much strong whiskey.
Colter Wall has obviously waded into the river — gone all the way under in the deep water and ridden the rapids. He learned something and now he’s doing something with it, blowing in like a fresh wind off the Saskatchewan prairie.
For my money, the key quality of a real-deal folksinger is timelessness — the ability to feel and sound as old as the dirt you walk in and as new as daybreak on the mountainside. Rooted in tradition but cut loose from time — 1920 or 2017, it don’t matter.
That’s what I hear in Colter Wall.
Just ordered his new CD — a copy to keep and a copy to give away. I have an idea that I’ll be pushing this CD on a LOT of folks. He’s on the top of the list to book for the 2018 Sisters Folk Festival. I don’t proselytize too many new young artists, but I’m out here spreading the word for this guy. Thanks, Steve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXAorGyQHE
Matthew says
I don’t mind you proselytizing young artists. I found out about so many artists through this site.
Why is it Canadian country musics seem more than a lot of American ones.
Breaker Morant says
Heard an interview with Ashton Kutcher on Sirius and decided to check out “The Ranch” sitcom series on Netflix. He said they purposely made it for the people in the middle of the country and treat them respectfully. I did not know that he was from Iowa.
Just watched the first episode and the closing song was a Corb Lund song. OK, I am in for the duration just based on that. Plus Sam Elliott has a major role and he is a favorite.
JimC says
Anybody who knows his Corb Lund is fundamentally sound.
Matthew says
Speaking of proselytizing, I found out about Curb Lund through your site.
hillbillynick says
Myself as well, this blog has greatly helped populate my Spotify lists. Many thanks!
JimC says
We’re obviously on-mission…
J.F. Bell says
So near as I can tell, one major identifier of good music is that you don’t find it on the radio. Not in this part of the country, anyway.
For a while it seemed things might go differently. Red Dirt showed up, flush with possibilities. Then rest of the Country music found out and the pretty-boys pop-starlets and trailer trash started edging in, and most of what I’ve heard lately runs more the strain of Nashville Lite.
Country Music (TM) of Nashville has been a sewer for a couple of decades now, so we can scratch that. Used to be a couple of Classic Country stations there were alright, though those are mostly gone now. No surprise, really…last time I heard a radio station advertise a lunchtime ‘classic’ string it was Tim McGraw, Shania Twain, and Faith Hill. Puzzle that one out.
Indie music is either awash in hamfisted politics or garage bands who lack the talent to make it to the airwaves but get there anyway.
Or maybe I’m just a weirdo with particular tastes where my tunes are concerned. Pretty strong possibility, that.