Tanner James comes from a long line of peasant farmers, trail riders, elk hunters, alcoholics and agriculture salesmen – the perfect pedigree for a folk singer.
Growing up in Alberta, Tanner assumed he’d end up working on the family farm or in the oil field. It wasn’t until a punk-rock band came through town that he truly opened his eyes to the music scene.
He spent his med 20’s playing in an indie-rock band. They toured the country in an old, red van, falling in love with each city they played in along the way.
But when he eventually transitioned to folk music, it was like coming home.
“Growing up, you get to a point where you want to embrace your roots, rather than rebel against them,” Tanner explained. He remembered all the time he spent listening to his grandpa’s tales on the farm.
“In his stories, everything seemed to have a legacy,” Tanner recalled, right down to each individual saddle for the horses.
As Tanner began writing stories of his own, he embraced his grandpa’s style in cadence and delivery, and even more so, the way in which he explored the detailed history behind the subject matter.
His first full-length album How to Ruin Your Life with Women (2013) put him on the map as a solo artist. The ten songs are gut-wrenchingly funny and heartbreakingly confessional, able to make an audience laugh and cry within minutes.
Since its release, Tanner’s list of accolades includes a first place win at the Calgary Folk Music Song Contest (2014) and the completion of a musician-in-residence program at the prestigious Banff Centre in 2015.
Tanner is now putting the final touches on his second album Painted Horses (2016), which reveals a broad-stroke of life in Western Canada.
While the first album was inherently personal, these new tracks are about the people he’s met and places he’s been. “It’s like I’m writing from other peoples’ perspectives,” he said.
Tanner and pedal steel player Dylan S. Keating are currently on a string of West Coast shows before they make their way to the Prairies.
While he’s on stage, you’ll hear equal parts of the music and the stories behind them. “They’re really human, you know? They’re funny, and they’re by no means high-browed or pretentious,” he added.
Tanner performs in Chilliwack for the first time at the Acoustic Emporium (45892 Wellington Ave) on March 11, debuting new songs and stories.
“It’s the perfect venue for me to demonstrate what I like to do best,” he said.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.
