In his short life, Zachary Lucky has been through a lot.
In particular, the past three years have been a real whirlwind for the country singer鈥攈e鈥檚 spent grueling months on the road playing shows across North America, he鈥檚 had his heart broken and he鈥檚 become a father.
Rather than get overwhelmed by all the ups and downs that life has recently thrown at him, Lucky escaped into the comforting realm of music, venting his fears, frustrations and hopes with the help of his acoustic guitar. 聽
鈥淪tarting in 2013 things started getting tough, but it was also an interesting point in my life,鈥� Lucky said. 鈥淚 was spending a lot of time on the road and I think things were starting to catch up with me.
鈥淚 had days where I couldn鈥檛 ever imagine giving up my guitar and then I鈥檇 have weeks where I didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 ever pick it up again.鈥�
Without really knowing what was happening, Lucky had compiled enough songs for an album. After years of recording and tweaking his songs, Lucky decided he was ready to release his fourth studio album. Everywhere a Man Can Be dropped Oct. 7.
鈥淚 hate to admit it, but it鈥檚 sort of the typical break-up record. Some songs are autobiographical and some aren鈥檛,鈥� Lucky said. 鈥淚鈥檝e spent a lot of time on the road and I鈥檝e heard so many stories and met so many people, but now I鈥檓 becoming quite the domestic homebody so this album was written from a really reflective and nostalgic place.鈥�
In support of his latest album, Lucky is embarking on a western tour, stopping at Jasper鈥檚 Whistle Stop Pub on Oct. 18.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been there, but I think my music will really vibe well at the Whistle Stop鈥擨 love playing little bar rooms,鈥� Lucky said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e so close to the people and you really end up building this connection with the audience.鈥� 聽
Despite keeping true to his country-folk roots, Lucky said this fourth album is filled with a bunch of firsts, collaborating with producers and a full band while also experimenting with all sorts of new musical sounds.
鈥淚鈥檝e never worked with a producer and I鈥檝e never toured with a full band so that was a huge learning experience for me,鈥� Lucky said. 鈥淵ou put a bunch of musicians in a room and everyone has different ideas and is coming from different places鈥攊t can be a challenge, but we鈥檝e pulled it off and now have a bigger show and a bigger sound than ever before.鈥�
While each track has some sort of sentimental value for the musician, he said 鈥淪ell All You Have鈥� hits particularly close to home, telling the story of a young farmer who is forced to leave behind his family farm in the Canadian Prairies and move off to the big city in search of work.
鈥淭he song might be about a farmer having to work in the city, but it鈥檚 also about all of us and how we鈥檙e trying to get by鈥攖hat whole idea just manifested itself to me,鈥� said Lucky, adding that he recently moved from Saskatoon to Toronto. 鈥淚 think anyone who鈥檚 ever moved from a small place to a bigger city will relate to it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all just trying to figure out what the heck is going on.鈥�
Lucky and his full country band will be playing tracks off of Everywhere a Man Can Be on Oct. 18 at the Whistle Stop Pub. The show starts at 9 p.m. and admission is free. 聽
鈥淚鈥檝e been told I put on a very relatable show so I hope people come out and experience that for themselves,鈥� Lucky said.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
