It has been a bit of a “long haul,” but local folk/ roots musician John Wort Hannam won two of the three Canadian Folk Music Awards he was nominated for, April 2, for his most recent album “Long Haul.”
And they couldn’t have come at a better time, when Hannam has been going a few rounds with writer’s block.
He went to write at the Banff centre Jan. 7-21 to write some new songs but wasn’t able to come up with anything.
“ I went to the Banff Centre to write, but it was pointless. I was over thinking things, he said.
Hannam took home awards for solo artist of the year and contemporary folk album of the year, but lost the English songwriter of the year to Abigail Lapell.
“She deserved to win,” Hannam said, adding he didn’t expect to win the awards he did.
“I won one before in 2010, I think for “Queen’s Hotel’ and I’ve been nominated a bunch of times,” Hannam continued.
“I never expected to win, but it is nice to get the recognition. I’m grateful for it,” he said.
“This is the album I recorded all online with Steve Dawson producing. It was in Pat Ackerman’s studio and we had players from Toronto, Vancouver and Nashville,” he said.
“And it’s not an experience I’d ever want to have to do again,” he said, adding he’d rather record with musicians in the same room.
“ I’d rather it be buddies in a room together making music while someone pushes the record button. It feels more natural,” he said, adding community radio stations and CKUA have been very supportive of “Long Haul.”
“I love CKUA. They’ve played my music and made me feel like I have a viable career,” Hannam said.
“They’re really beneficial to independent artists,” he said.
Covid was tough on Hannam as it was for a lot of musicians. His band mates took some time for self- reflection and to pivot.
“My bassist Jason Valleau decided to go back to school to become a teacher and my drummer decided to become a brewmeister,” said Hannam, noting he is in the midst of putting a new band together.
“For now it’s just me and an acoustic guitar which is how I started,” he said, adding he was influenced by other solo singer songwriters like Billy Bragg.
He got to perform at the ceremonies, April 2 in Vancouver, but as henever expected to win, so didn’t prepare anything.
“I was sitting in the balcony wth T Buckley and we went downstairs for a beer and there was a live feed of the ceremonies. But there was a 45 second delay, so when they announced my name, I had to rush upstairs but got lost. it was just like Spinal Tap. They were about to move on. But luckily Ryland Moranz was playing with Barney Bentall yelled ‘he’s here,’ I didn’t even have a speech prepared for all the people I wanted to thank. But I made sure to have one for the next award,” Hannam related.
He has a few Alberta shows planned for the summer at casa for upside Downtown and a few festivals including Soulfest in Twin Butte and The Blueberry Bluegrass festival in Stony Plain..
He will be playing Saturday Night Special in Calgary on April 22 and the Blackbird in Coleman in in the Crowsnest Pass on April 29.
“I’m just excited to start again,” he said.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor