Corb Lund is a real deal cowboy from a rodeo and ranching family, 100 years in Canada, having migrated from raising cattle in Utah and Nevada. He was on a horse as soon as he could walk, roping steer in the rodeo as a teenager. Losin’ Lately Gambler is his 6th album, produced by Handsome Harry Stinson, drummer and vocalist from Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives. If you are not familiar with Corb's work, there is that sense of truth that shines through it. You see the characters, feel the scenarios, relate to the stories; he is channeling life. And it doesn't matter whether you share the same landscape. These truths are universal. Corb says, "A lot of my ancestors pop into the songs. I’ve got quite a cast of characters to draw from. I feel a real kinship with the old West. A lot of my ancestors were ranchers, but one of my great-grandpas was a road gambler in Montana in the 1880's. I’ve got some miners in there. My grandpas in particular were full of lore – they had lots of stories."
Corb Lund and The Hurtin' Albertans hit the road and keep on going, as November dates give way to the XXXMas Tour in December. They are in Peterborough, Ontario tonight, and then take a swing down the east coast into the Appalachians. I asked him once about the frequently traveled route he took, touring from Alberta south through the Rockies to Texas. He said that was pretty seamless, that it all felt anchored with a similar spirit. I suspect he will find it on this latest trip as well. We are a nation of restless pioneers. Seekers, searchers. And sometimes we lose our way, without the anchoring of family, society, and mores.
Corb's great-grandfather might just be the model for the hard-luck gambler of the song “A Game in Town Like This.” Have you been obsessed? By love, by drink, by drugs, by video games, by partying until the sun comes up, and going home in your evening clothes when everyone else is going to work? Then you just might see yourself in the telling of this tale. Even if you have hung your butt over the edge, you can still come back. New dawn, new day, new chance to make it right. Every day. It's so good to have Corb Lund in front of the Music Fog cameras again, recorded last month in Nashville at the Americana Music Festival.
- Jessie Scott
