Saskatchewan country musician Blake Berglund may have started his music career playing grunge inspired rock music, but discovered a love for ’60s and ’70s country music.
“ I listen to a lot of Kris Kristofferson. I listen to everything from Roger Miller to Willie Nelson and of course Kris Kristofferson,” he said from his home in Regina.
He comes to the Slice with his band and Manitoba country musician Quinton Blair, Feb. 26.
“ We’ve been on the road for 10 years,” he said. He has sold 15,000 copies of his earlier albums off the stage.
He noted everything came together on a new live album called “Jasper” he recorded at the Jasper Legion, which originally was put together for a free promotion for a beer company. However when that fell through, he decided to release it and tour on it anyway. It includes a lot of the songs from his previous album “Coyote” and his previous two Eps.
Berglund hit his stride with the last CD “Coyote,” which combined a lot of his different influences.
“ We really twanged it up. But there’s western blues and I’ve always been a fan of ’90s country like Alan Jackson,” he said.
He credited Jasper Legion’s Ken Kuzminski for the live album.
“He called the company up and got it all started,” he said adding Kuzminski has been a huge long time supporter of Berglund and many other country musicians.
“ Everyone plays the Jasper Legion like Corb Lund and Del Barber. They’re building a great culture there,” he said, so when Kuzminski came to him with the live recording idea, the decision was simple.
“It was a no-brainer,” he said.
“I hadn’t originally intended to release it. But Ken captured the show so well. it was a great audience. They were turning over the tables. All the work was done anyway, ” he said adding while he is in charge of his own career, it is wonderful to meet a champion who supports him.
“I never thought it would be as successful as it had been,” he said adding he is working on a new studio album with different producers and musicians, which he plans to be release by September.
As an independent musician doing pretty much everything himself, it was the right choice.
“ It’s all me. I’m steering the boat. And it has been very bountiful,” he said.
He enjoys working with other musicians and producers. He writes with 2015 Juno Award nominee Del Barber, who was nominated for his latest CD “Prairieography,” John Ellis who produced Ridley Bent’s “Buckles and Boots” CD, Dustin Bentall and will be recording in Lethbridge with Leeroy Stagger for a day on Feb. 25.
“If we get one song, that’s fine, if we get three, that’s fine too,” he said.
He is pleased with his band.
“They’re all really young guys and I’m only 31, he said adding he is excited to bring his music to Lethbridge.
“ It’s going to be a lot of fun. They’ll turn the tables over,” he said.
The show begins at 9 p.m.
