With a new album in the works, a band in place and a concert at the Summer Stomp to look forward to, the rock gods appear to be smiling on Robin Brock.
Finding time for music isn’t always easy for the singer/songwriter from the Shuswap hamlet of Annis Bay who, when not writing or performing, is working with the BC Wildfire Service.
“This has been a long and slow process. I’ve been working on a new album. I’ve been writing over the last few years as well as working a day job because that’s what we’ve got to do nowadays,” laughs Brock, whose last full-length release was Monsters in 2009.
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“I’m used to writing with a co-writer, but I’ve been doing a lot of writing on my own and as well as writing other songs that I look at and go,’I think I want to bring in somebody else to work with on that one.'”
One of those co-writers Brock will be working with is Canadian legend and Bachman-Turner Overdrive founder Randy Bachman. Brock co-wrote with Bachman on three of the songs on her 2001 release Hidden Power. That partnership came about after Brock’s manager read a magazine with Bachman, in which he said he enjoyed writing with young and up-and-coming artists. This eventually led to a day of writing in Vancouver.
“It was awesome, he’s such a nice guy and just so open,” said Brock. “And even in that small period of time, I was so grateful to work with someone who is such an amazing songwriter, and to just learn from him and watch him work. So I’m excited to write with him again because I’ve grown so much as a writer in the years since I wrote with him.”
Brock says the tone of the new album won’t have the same dark edge as Monsters.
“They’re more – motivational really isn’t the best word, but for lack of a better term – they’re more, taking the bad things in life and making them better,” said Brock. “Also, I have a little bit of a spiritual side in there where I talk about earth/space religions and chakras, as I touched on in Monsters and Hidden Power. I’m a very spiritual person that way.”
Since Monsters, Brock has started playing guitar, and has been performing some unplugged sets for friends and intimate venues. But her passion is for playing with a band on the stage.
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“I need to perform – it’s like a piece of me is missing when I don’t perform, and it’s been way too long and I need to do something about it,” said Brock, who was thrilled to be asked to play the Summer Stomp. The only problem was she didn’t have a band. So she wound up reaching out to a acquaintance, former Sicamous resident Daryl Ouillette who plays bass with the Kamloops band Forum, which also happens to be playing the Stomp. Brock and the band met, everything clicked and the band question was taken care of.
“We get along so well, they’re such great guys and amazing players and I’m really excited to be working with them,” said Brock, who hopes to play other local gigs with Forum.
Brock’s Stomp performance is on Saturday, July 21 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Forum plays Thursday, July 19 from 11:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. For more information about the Stomp, visit www.sumerstomp.ca
For more information about Brock, visit robinbrock.com.
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