Calgary based “party-bluegrass” band the Bitterweed Draw were a hit on the East Stage of the South Country Fair last summer, but have never actually played Lethbridge before, that is until they play the Slice to wind up the South Country Fair Songwritin
g competition, April 27.
“It’s not that we haven’t wanted to, it’s just the scheduling never worked out.
The venues weren’t available,” said Bitterweed Draw banjo player Mike Corbiell.
“But Gillian Moranz, who organized the east stage, is awesome so when she asked us to play the songwriting competition finals, we jumped at the chance.”
The band has been laying low over the past few months to write new material and for and members to do other projects. Lead guitarist Wayne Garrett got a commission for an art project in Moscow and the other members have other projects on the go as well.
“In the summer we did a cross-Canadian tour. We went coast to coast and in the fall we did a smaller tour of Alberta and B.C. So right now we’re taking the time to write a new album which we’d like to record in the fall,” he continued.
He said after the songs are written, they spend a lot of time arranging them.
“ It takes some time to get all of the parts in place, it can take a long time but it is a lot of fun especially with a bigger band,” he continued adding they are not booked to play South Country Fair this year.
“We have to work a little harder,” he added.
They are excited about the show.
We‘re a party bluegrass band. That’s the best way to describe us,” he described.
“We have a couple of new tunes ready to go. I hope they stay around after the competition and have a couple and have a real party,” he said.
