ItB次元官网网址檚 been a long couple of pandemic years for touring artists.

But Corb Lund and his band the HurtinB次元官网网址� Albertans hit the ground running in 2022, playing shows all over Canada and the U.S., including an appearance at the Country Music shrine Grand Ole Opry.

Lund has another lengthy tour ahead of him, including three September Vancouver Island stops. But itB次元官网网址檚 not just B.C. where heB次元官网网址檚 warmly welcomed. Lund found enthusiastic crowds waiting for him after his two year absence, wherever heB次元官网网址檚 played.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really good B次元官网网址� especially in the States,B次元官网网址� Lund said about getting back out there after the years of lockdown. B次元官网网址淚 thought weB次元官网网址檇 maybe have to build it up again, but we had our best American tour yet this year. WeB次元官网网址檙e going back in October.

B次元官网网址淲e put a record out in 2020, B次元官网网址楢gricultural TragicB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� I thought it might die on the vine, but everybody knew the songs, so I guess theyB次元官网网址檇 been listening to it in quarantine.B次元官网网址�

A recent personal highlight was an appearance at Country MusicB次元官网网址檚 most legendary shrine, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, in early April of this year.

B次元官网网址淲e were supposed to do it a couple of years ago, and then Covid messed it up,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut they had us back as soon as they could make it happen.B次元官网网址�

He played three songs, two of them with the Opry band.

B次元官网网址淚t was pretty magical. I think my style works well for that format B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 story songs and old school country. People really liked it.B次元官网网址�

Lund said his career has never been made up of big moments B次元官网网址擝次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 always been a slow build.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been on the fringes, and thatB次元官网网址檚 what I like, because I do what I want and sing what I want, and no oneB次元官网网址檚 ever told me what to do musically,B次元官网网址� Lund continued. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never had one big break that shot me into stardom. Any success IB次元官网网址檝e had in my career has been a series of small fractures along the way B次元官网网址� a steady climb.

B次元官网网址淚f I was 23, and called to do the Opry, IB次元官网网址檇 be like, B次元官网网址極h my God!B次元官网网址� But it kind of snuck up on me, because it was just another thing on the itinerary. And then, when I actually did it, it was really moving. And that was one of the moments.

B次元官网网址淚t kind of caught me by surprise, when I was actually there singing on that stage it was really moving.B次元官网网址�

Lund may be on the fringes, but the singer-songwriter from Taber, Alberta, has certainly had a long and storied career in music, starting with the Smalls, the rock band from Edmonton he help found in 1989. Moving into Country with the Corb Lund Band, now the HurtinB次元官网网址� Albertans, he has released nine albums, three of them certified gold, and won numerous awards in different genres in Canada and the U.S.

Coming on the heels of 2020B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎gricultural Tragic,B次元官网网址� Lund released a new album earlier this year, a pet project of covers B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淪ongs My Friends Wrote.B次元官网网址� The record is a 10-song set featuring Lund putting his spin on some of his favourite songs written by close friends and world-class songwriters such as Hayes Carll, Todd Snider, Ian Tyson, and more.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of their songs IB次元官网网址檇 already been playing with my band for years,B次元官网网址� Lund said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e all friends of mine. ItB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool because IB次元官网网址檝e been threatening to make that record for years. ItB次元官网网址檚 me and my band interpreting songs that all those songwriters B次元官网网址� all buddies of mine B次元官网网址� had written. I got to channel some of their best songs through my bandB次元官网网址檚 playing.

B次元官网网址淚 chose more obscure album tracks that I like B次元官网网址� they werenB次元官网网址檛 necessarily their hits.B次元官网网址�

He says he did the record as a fun project, B次元官网网址渂ut it seems to have really taken off. People really like it.B次元官网网址�

As well as being friends of his, the artists are also influences on his own writing and playing.

B次元官网网址淪ome on the list are more well known than me and some are less well known. Ian Tyson, Tom Russell are pretty huge. Some are less well known in the States B次元官网网址� Mike Plume, Geoff Berner B次元官网网址�B次元官网网址�

And Lund is already looking forward to a Volume 2 and Volume 3.

B次元官网网址淚 feel bad that there werenB次元官网网址檛 any gals on the record, because IB次元官网网址檝e plenty of friends that are women that write too. It just didnB次元官网网址檛 work out this time. But I got a couple more volumes lined up for the next few years.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 much easier to make records when you donB次元官网网址檛 have to write the songs.

Lund added that, hopefully, heB次元官网网址檒l also be looking to put out an album of new material next year.

Corb Lund plays Campbell RiverB次元官网网址檚 Tidemark Theatre, Sept. 17, the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre in Duncan, Sept. 18, and CourtenayB次元官网网址檚 Sid Williams Theatre, Sept. 19. .