In honor of the Stompin’ Tom 50th Anniversary Compilation released yesterday, June 30th, our own Sarah MacDonald had the privilege of chatting with one of the compilation’s featured artists – Corb Lund! Here is what he had to say below!
SM: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat! Congratulations on getting to be a part of such a great compilation. What does it mean to you to be a part of this?
CL: It’s an honor to have been asked. I’ve been a big Tom fan ever since I was a kid.
SM: Would you say Stompin’ Tom is an inspiration to you as an artist and a performer?
CL: Yeah, Stompin’ Tom is very much an inspiration to those of us who write country music out on the fringes. He’s one of the people who blazed the trail in terms of singing country songs about Canada and about your own culture, even if it isn’t a mainstream choice. Ian Tyson did it, k. d. lang did it, and Stompin’ Tom has been there all along.
SM: Had you ever been given the chance to work with him before he passed?
CL: No, I never did, and I never had the opportunity to meet him, either—although we both played the Calgary Folk Festival a few years ago. It’s a shame, I would’ve loved to shake his hand. My friend Tim Hus, who’s from Calgary, has played with him a lot.
SM: How did you come to be involved in this compilation?
CL: I’m not exactly sure. My management came to me with it, and I think they were asked by the publishing company that’s releasing the record. Regardless of how it came about, I’m equally thrilled and honored.
SM: Which song will you be reprising?
CL: I chose his song, “The Consumer,” which was the original theme song for the CBC show, “Marketplace.” It’s not an obvious choice, but it’s a strange and obscure little ditty that I’ve loved my whole life.
SM: Will you be performing the song while touring this summer?
CL: I just may.
SM: On July 1st, 2017 Skinner’s Pond, Prince Edward Island, which is actually the birthplace of Stompin’ Tom, will be unveiling a center dedicated to his life and musical career. Do you think your touring would ever bring you to the province for a potential show?
CL: I was in PEI about a month ago; I played the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside. I’ll absolutely be back—it might be a year or two (it’s a big old world), but I love it out east.
https://www.facebook.com/CorbLundMusic/