Victoria based roots collective The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra had the luxury of time when releasing their fifth record “Love.”
“ We recorded it in two two week periods in December 2013 and March 2014 on beautiful Quadra Island,” observed vocalist/ guitarist Kurt Loewen from their first tour stop in Kaslo, B.C..
They return to Lethbridge, Tuesday Sept. 15 to play the Geomatic Attic for the first time.
“I’m really proud of this CD,” he said, adding the over-reaching theme throughout the new songs is endings and new beginnings.
“ It’s about the ending of relationships and difficult times. It’s about dealing with these endings and the new beginnings and it’s about love,” he continued.
“ It is a lot more introspective,” he continued.
“Emily, our sound tech and more specifically, my wife, engineered and produced the album,” he said.
“It’s been nice working with her. She's been friends with us for a long time and we all respect her opinion,” he said.
He enjoyed working with his wife on the CD.
“ We spent three and a half years on the road and she was working with other bands and on other projects. I didn’t get to see her often. But on this CD I could spend a lot of time with her,” he said.
He said the because they recorded the CD themselves, they didn’t have to worry about time constraints.
“It’s not like we’re an industry band who has to have an album out every year. We’re an independent band, so we could take our time,” he said.
“ It was a great process,” he said, adding they could add extra instrumentation including some viola.
He is looking forward to playing Lethbridge again.
“ We usually play the Slice. We’re playing the Geomatic Attic this time and we’ve never played there. People are so nice. B.C. and Alberta are our bread and butter, so we always enjoy playing there,” he said. Vocalist / accordion player/ keyboardist Ian Griffith; vocalist percussionist Paul Wolda - Vocals. Percussion. ; fiddle player/vocalist Mack Shields and double bassist Keith Rodger complete the band.
He noted the band had only played two of the new songs in front of audiences before recording the CD.
“On the first night of the tour, we played two of the new songs and response was really impressive,” he said.
“ We love the new record and hope people will love it as well,” he said.
“You’ll get to see a lot of the new record. But we listen to the audience. We’ll cater our set to the audience,” he said.
“Bring your open mind and bring your open heart and bring your good vibes,” he said.
The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30.
