Ken Tizzard is best known for playing bass with rock and roll bands like the Watchmen and Thornley, but country and folk music is where his heart is.
“The country project has morphed into a singer-songwriter country folk thing. It moves where my mood takes me,” said Tizzard who will be playing a solo show at the Tongue n Groove, July 27.
He has been working on his country project for the past five years and physically doing it for the past four.
“Fiver years ago, I went into semi-retirement from the corporate rock thing,” he said.
It gives him a chance to pack his whole family into an RV — wife and two daughters plus assorted dogs and lizards — and hit the road together.
“It’s been almost 20 years that I’ve been playing rock and roll. I’m getting older and it’s just not appealing to me as much anymore,” he said.
“I’m from Newfoundland. I play bass and moved out to Toronto when I was 17 because I wanted to play jazz or folk. Then the Watchmen thing came along and I met the guys and liked them and moved to Winnipeg. Then I woke up 20 years later and it’s ‘holy crap, I’ve been playing rock and roll for 20 years.’ I don’t regret it at all, but it’s not how I planned it,” he said.
He grew up in a traditional Newfoundland household, so was surrounded by music. His parents were into Johnny Cash and the other traditional country singers.
“It’s come full circle, I guess. I’ve been blessed with my music. I’ve followed my heart to do things I’ve enjoyed doing,” he said.
He likes being able to have his family on tour with him.
“My wife’s a school teacher so we’ve got her and the kids and the dog and lizards all in this RV for the summer. They dig it. On off nights we’ll have a campfire and we’ll find open mics. We played one at the Ironwood (in Calgary). Me and my daughters got up on stage. Our favourite is “Let It Be.” I was hoping they wouldn’t get into music, but they did,” he said.
“I’ve retired from rock and roll, but I haven’t retired from music. There is no retiring from music because it is my favourite thing to do in the world. It’s in my blood. It allows me to not have to go get a job, so that’s cool,” he said. He has several projects on the go including his solo country project, his country band which tours around Ontario and writes a musical every year or so with a friend of his who has a theatre. Plus there are one or two Watchmen shows.
“We reunited four years ago to do a show and that turned into 15 shows because all the venues who had us before wanted us back. But we’re trying to dial that back to one or two a year. We do a show at the Horseshoe— that’s our favourite venue in Toronto. We also have a Winnipeg show because that‘s our home town and we are also playing Kenora at the end of the summer,” he said adding they have no plans to record another Watchmen album as it is tough to co-ordinate a variety of busy schedules.
“I don't think we have the time,” he said.
The country project, The Variety Show Players and the solo project are his priorities.
“By the end of the set, people are sitting in front and listening intently and they all usually buy a CD so that’s a good indication that it is going to be successful,” he said.
“The industry has changed so much, you can’t do just one thing. The country band is my main focus right now. It is where I get the most gratification,” he said. While he plays guitar as well as pedal steel, the pedal steel is packed into the RV.
“I haven't figured out how to incorporate it into the show,” he said.
Tizzard hasn’t played Lethbridge for years. He was booked into the old Tongue n Groove but it closed before his show.
“I like playing Lethbridge. I like getting a little off the beaten path. It’s the middle of summer and on a Wednesday, but I hope people will come out.”
Ken Tizzard plays the Tongue N Groove, July 27 at 9 p.m.
