Old Man Luedecke’s banjo music may remind his audience of a simpler time, but the singer-songwriter isn’t one to take it easy.
Chris Luedecke spent the winter recording tracks for a new LP — his fifth in nine years — and has been giving audiences a sneak peak of his new music in an intensive cross-Canada tour that’s had him playing gigs every night for the past month and a half, with the exception of six days he spent at home helping his partner with their identical twin baby girls born last July.
“My schedule’s been really chock-a-block,” says Luedecke, rattling off his summer schedule that includes festival gigs across North America and Europe. “I like it that way. I have the exact job that I want, and enjoy doing it.”
He says all his time away makes him really appreciate times he does get back to his home in Chester, Nova Scotia.
When he plays east coast festivals, he says, his partner has been able to bring the twins to watch him on stage.
“It’s really cool when they can be there, but they’re really too little to do that very often,” he says.
So instead, he sings about his girls. On a free downloadable EP he released on Noicetrade last fall, the opening track “Delia and Wilhelmina” is named for his girls and while it’s not overtly a song about fatherhood, it does make mention to the end of, “seven years of childless heartbreak.”
Luedecke says the twins have snuck their way into a few of his unreleased songs too.
“It’s major life changing event, and of course that finds it’s way into the music and into my show a little bit,” he says.
Another big change to his show for this tour is that he’s not alone on stage with his banjo. Newfoundlander Joel E. Hunt will be up there with him, providing back up vocals, and accompaniment on fiddle, mandolin and guitar.
Old Man Luedecke plays the Royal in Nelson, along with opener Del Barber, this Monday, June 4. Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance at Urban Legends, The Music Store and liveattheroyal.com. Doors open at 7 p.m.