In just a matter of weeks, Canadian country artist Chris Buck will be packing up and heading to Nashville.
But before he goes, he’ll be hitting the stage at Hope Brigade Days, as the headliner on Sept. 7. The Hope Standard recently caught up with him over the phone to chat about the highlights of the last year for the Chris Buck Band, and what fans can look forward to when he gets here.
“We’ve been busy,” he says. “The new single Holy Ground is out and I’ve been going back and forth to Nashville a bit.”
Holy Ground is all about the importance of his small-town roots, growing up on a sugar bush property in northern Ontario. Those early years of helping his family produce maple syrup were so important to him that Buck returned there to shoot the video for the song.
“Those are all my family members in the video,” he says. “They tear up a little when they watch it.”
Holy Ground is probably the most real song true to Buck’s story he claims to have ever written.
While he’s excited about the new music, and his move for one year to write and publish music in Nashville beginning this October, he’s also thrilled to see some of his earlier music is staying in the hearts and minds of fans.
That’s When You Know with Kira Isabella has become a popular wedding song, and Buck receives messages from all over the world from brides and grooms thanking him for the song.
“As a writer I’m trying to create memories for people,” he says. “To be a part of the wedding and love thing, that’s pretty neat.”
He’s eager to play the Brigade Days stage, he says, because it’s that connection to his fans he enjoys.
“The people in small towns stick with you, and if you go play a small town, the fans tend to follow you,” he says. “I drive through Hope once or twice a month from Vancouver, but I’ve never played there so I’m excited. I’ve heard nothing but good things.”
Music fans who have been to the Rockin’ River Music Fest in Merritt may have seen him on stage, he says. He’s been to the country music extravaganza several times over the years. He’s also played the Calgary Stampede, Manitoulin Countryfest, and Boots & Hearts. The Chris Buck Band has released five top 50 singles, and garnered over 7.5 million streams.
He says fans can look forward to hearing all his hits, including Sunsets Down, Giddy Up, Leave Your Light On, That’s When You Know, and of course, Holy Ground.
The Chris Buck Band plays at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, topping a full day of entertainment. Opening the main stage is the Hope-based band Kings Remedy at 6 p.m., followed by Eagle Eyes, an Eagles tribute band at 7 p.m.
Be sure to hang around after the show, as the fireworks kick off at 10:15 p.m., and Appaloosa performs in the beer gardens.
Saturday’s evening entertainment is only part of the lineup planned for the three-day event. Other stage shows include the opening ceremony Friday at 6:45 p.m., local band Swampwater and Appaloosa in the beer gardens Friday from 9 p.m. to midnight, and finally, Appaloosa in the beer gardens on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
