For a man who writes such literate songs, James McMurtry isn’t very loquacious in an interview.
The Austin based folk singer will be bringing his band to the Geomatic Attic, Oct. 15 with special guest, Winnipeg songwriter Scott Nolan.
“ I don’t know Scott, by my manager does. I think they distribute his records. He’ll be opening the show,” said McMurtry on a dying cell-phone somewhere in rural Oklahoma.
McMurtry, who is pretty much the Lou Reed of Texas, has spent most of his life traveling the world singing about the poor and downtrodden folks on the fringes of society, as well as biting political and social commentary and, of course, a few love songs, which mark his most recent CD “Complicated Game,” which was released in April 2015.
He has been recording since 1989 when he release “ Too Long in the Wasteland.”
There are more relationship related songs on the CD.
“I didn’t have any really good political songs. Those are just the songs I had for the CD,” he said, adding none of them are based on his life.
“I write fiction. I don’t write autobiography,” he said.
“Forgotten Coast, I was driving around north Florida and saw all of these place names, so I started seeing which ones I could rhyme. I do a lot of driving so I get a lot of words coming flying through my windshield,” he said.
“I’m always writing. A lot of lyrics are written on my iPhone 3. There’s this great app that looks like a legal pad. I’m having trouble figuring out the iPhone 4,” he said.
There is a strong blues influence on “ Complicated Game.”
“I used to listen to a lot of blues. It’s a good place to start from,” he said.
“Lyrics are whatever comes along and I write them down,” he said.
It has been a few years since his last Lethbridge show and longer than his last album.
“ ‘Just us Kids’ came out in 2008 and we had a live album from our Europe tour in 2009,” he observed.
He said the quick Canadian tour and the Lethbridge show will cover the highlights of his career.
“ It’s a band show and will include music from all of the records,” he said.
Tickets for the Oct. 15 show cost $37.50. the show begins at 8 p.m.