Calgary based Canadian country star Aaron Lines is blessed to spend the ‘moments that matter’ with his young family and he knows it.
Thanks to radio playing a long string of hits like “Cheaper to Keep Her,” “Moments That Matter,” “ The Trouble With California,” and “Waiting on the Wonderful,” it gives him the luxury to stay home with his daughters, write new songs and just play weekends.
“We’re in Halifax next weekend. We’ve been in northern Alberta and in Manitoba. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it. Thank God for airplanes,” chuckled Lines from his Calgary home.
Lines opens up Whoop-Up Days, on Tuesday, Aug. 21.
“I love playing that festival. I think it will be the third time,” he said.
“ I’m looking forward to playing people the songs they know from the radio,” he said.
“ I just started work on a new record, but my oldest daughter is four. I did the cross-Canada tour last September, and I wanted to take it easy for a while so I could spend time at home with her and my other daughter who is two,” he said.
He was honoured to receive a Queen’s Jubilee Medal in June.
“I feel lucky they recognized me for my work in the community and for my music,” he observed adding the MP from Fort McMurray, where he is originally from, nominated him for the award.
“ I wasn’t expecting to receive one. But it is nice, they obviously recognized me and this one is extra-special. There are so many awards shows that are influenced by record companies and music business people,” he said.
He said he has just started work on music for a new album he hopes to release next year.
“I had just picked up my guitar and was thinking about what to play. One of the good things about writing songs for a living is getting the chance to test them out and see the audience’s reaction. It’s one of the good things about being a musician. Is it give me the chance to play new music in front of a crowd and see their reaction. I can tell what songs work and what songs don’t , and sometimes the most unexpected songs work,” he said.
“ There aren’t many businesses where you can see the immediate reaction,” he said adding his priority now is spending time with his daughters and wife.
“I’m just enjoying the summer,” he said.
“I’ve got two daughters now, one of them is four and the other is two. I decided to take take it easy make sure I could be home for them, but I’m playing pretty much every weekend,” he said adding he feels lucky constant radio play allows him the luxury to stay at home. His last CD , “Sunday Afternoon,”was released in 2010.
“ I love summer I used to always have my nose to the grindstone all the time and summer would just fly by. But I learned to take the time to enjoy it,” he said.
“Now I can take them to the mountains or take them to the water-slide.”
Working in the community is important. He has worked with Big Brothers and Sisters and Plan Canada, to name a few.
“Big Brothers is important,” Lines said.
“My older brother was my first manager. He was my biggest fan so he encouraged me to play in front of people. I wasn’t the most self confident kid,” Lines said.
He is always eager to help out charities either by donating autographed items or playing shows for them.One of his favourites is Plan Canada which focuses on helping children in need in impoverished countries.
“They are similar to World Vision. A lot of the donations go to help teach and educate people,” he said.
