He quit his day job five months ago to hit the road as a full time touring musician.
And this week, Graham Strang from Maple Ridge, BC, comes to Jasper to perform his collection of classic and pop rock covers and his own original tunes.
He talked with Fuchsia Dragon about touring and taking the plunge.
51暗网: Am I right in knowing this is your first big tour?
Graham: Yes. I quit my day job in May and have been pretty much touring in British Columbia and Alberta since then. I have done three separate little legs of tours about a dozen gigs through each, so I think the final tally is about 61 since May. It has been crazy but it has been a blast. This will be my first time in Jasper.
Fitz: So how did Jasper get on the big list?
Graham: Just every time I book a tour out of the Vancouver area I push it that little bit further geographically. I have family in Calgary and booked in Red Deer and just messaged everywhere I could in southern and central Alberta and Jasper got back to me pretty quickly. It鈥檚 probably the tour stop I am looking most forward to. I have heard amazing things about Jasper and it will be my third ever show in Alberta.
Fitz: What made you want to take the leap into full-time touring?
Graham: I have always, since I was about 12, felt like I was going to be a musician and played in different bands and I鈥檓 23 now so stopped and thought, 鈥業f I鈥檓 going to do it, I鈥檓 going to do it now.鈥� I have put two albums out from my house so when my new album came out in May I thought it was the perfect time and honestly it has been better than I imagined it could be.
Fitz: Tell me a bit about your new album.
Graham: It鈥檚 called Once I Thought. It is all original tunes but in an interesting way. There are four songs with a full band, me playing all the different parts, and the other four are solo acoustic. I love classic rock music so when I write it comes out like that, anything like classic rock or pop rock. When I play live it will be classic rock, pop covers and throw in some originals as well - all originals I have written over the last two to three years and I will be playing most of them live on this tour.
Fitz: What鈥檚 your writing style?
Graham: There really is no one way. Sometimes, usually, I have just been strumming my guitar or playing the piano and come up with a cool chord progression, but sometimes recently I have a couple of songs where I have done the lyrics first - they are usually the last thing I throw on. I have always been a guitarist and occasionally keyboard and I will just be jamming and think, 鈥業 could work with that.鈥� I listen to so much classic rock - I have a whole record collection, like 1,000 records, too much - I just take in so much.
Fitz: Who or what would you say you are most influenced by?
Graham: I go back and forth so much. Honestly, just whatever my parents were playing in the car growing up. A lot of Billy Joel, the Eagles, then harder rock like ACDC, Kiss, I used to listen a lot to. Most teenagers would have rebelled and not liked what their parents did but classic rock has always been mostly what I listen to.
Fitz: So what鈥檚 your history? How did you get to where you are now?
Graham: I started playing guitar when was ten and that summer I was taking lessons and did a band camp. It was five days with a little gig on the last day to our parents but I was like, 鈥楾his is what I want to do.鈥� Throughout the years I have been in various bands but none of them did anything. Then my sixth or seventh band broke up a few years ago so I started going to my local open mics in the Greater Vancouver area and that built my confidence up and inspired me. Every time I went to a new one I wanted to get a new song ready. If you talk to the people who run the nights they know how to book a bar gig. They taught me the ropes, putting a press kit together, and I fell in love with it. I always loved travelling and it was a way to do it. Slowly it snowballed into what it is now.
Fitz: What鈥檚 your favourite thing about it?
Graham: I feel like I experience every town in a different way than I would have. I couchsurf a lot and befriend locals from every town and get more of the culture than I would hotel to hotel. I love travelling and sharing my music.
Fitz: Who should come to your show?
Graham: Anyone who enjoys classic rock, enjoys rock, pop. I do a very energetic show. It鈥檚 just me and an acoustic guitar but really do rock it up. If you want to hear classic rock songs you know like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, CCR, all the classics - and once every few songs one of my own. If you are into classic rock music you should love what I do.
Whistle Stop Pub. October 14, 9 p.m. No cover charge.
