Indio Saravanja winding down busy year by playing with Scott Cook and Bill Bourne

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There is no moss on Argentinean born, Lethbridge based songwriter Indio Saravanja.Indio Saravanja plays with Scott Cook and Bill Bourne, Dec. 9. Photo by Richard Amery


 With a daughter and two jobs including teaching guitar at Long and McQuade, he has still released two CDs this year, in fellow Lethbridge musician Leeroy Stagger’s studio.


“ It’s thanks to Leeroy I’ve been able to do this. He’s an old friend and he built that studio, ” said Saravanja, who plays the Geomatic Attic  with Bill Bourne and Scott Cook, Dec. 9.
 He noted he was about due to release new music. He released his first CD in 2005, his second four years after that , then it was been  a CD a year after that.


“ Usually what I’d do is come in and record 30 songs with a guitar and overdub bass and keyboards,” he said.
 The first CD, “Little Child,” was recorded that way, while the second is more live off the floor featuring Paul Holden on bass, Kyle Harmon on drums and Evan Eushenko playing lap steel on two songs.


“It was very much a studio album.  It was more of a concept album about having my first child and being a father,” he said.


“ When we had our daughter, I made a deal with my wife that I wouldn’t tour for three years,” he said.


 The latest CD, “Travel On,” will officially be released Dec. 1. It is more of a nod to three of his favourite electric guitar heros— Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, J.J Cale and Neil Young.


“it was also a chance to pick up the electric guitar again. I didn’t think I had any electric guitar chops left,” he said.
 He used to play in a variety of bar bands in the ’90s.


“I come from a different era where you could make a living as a musician. I didn’t record my first album until I was 32, and now I’ve been a professional musician for 15 years” said Saravanja, who turns 40 in 10 days.


“ In the beginning, I actually  wanted to be a poet and a storyteller. But then I wanted to rock out and couldn’t afford it because of logistics and touring. But my heroes were Leonard Cohen and  Bob Dylan


He recorded “Travel On” with his band, pretty much live off the floor.
“The first show I did with them was in Yellowknife. We played for about 300 people at a folk festival there in August,” he said adding they haven’t played Lethbridge very often, though they played the Slice once or twice.


“ It was nice to go into the studio with a really tight band,” he said.
He is looking forward to playing the five shows with Bill Bourne and Scott Cook, fondly remembering their show two years ago at the Artery in Edmonton.
 He noted songwriter in the round shows are a different experience.
“It’s a little humbling. You don’t really get warmed up. you play your song then wait  10-15 minutes to play another,” he said adding he like to think he adds a little more than just  strumming.


“I’d like to think I add a little more guitar. I try to mix it up. Bill gets me playing guitar. He is so inspirational. He’s so musical and generous,” he praised.

The show begins at 8 p.m. sharp, Dec. 9. Tickets cost $27.50.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 01 December 2012 12:23 )