Singer songwriter Matt Epp has  had a tough  couple years even before Covid, his marriage broke up, he lost his house and is living in a van, living the life of a modern day troubadour. He just released his latest album “Rolling Wave,” which he recorded with collaborators from afar. 

 He makes a long awaited return to Lethbridge to play the Owl Acoustic Lounge, May 26 with Jesse Northey and up and coming singer Nora Kotkas.

 In spite of all the tribulations he has faced, he accepted them and wrote the new album “ Rolling Waves” from a more optimistic point of view.

  Bassist Joel Couture sent Epp his bass parts from Winnipeg,  Kyle Crane contributed  drums from Los Angeles and jazz pianist Chris Andrew added piano from Edmonton.

“I really worked on layering guitars and vocals,” Epp said.

 It has been many years since he played Lethbridge, though he was in Lethbridge to visit family over Easter .

“ I got to check out the new Owl,” he said.

 He has released quite a few albums since he last played here. He released a collaboration with Ojibway artist Isaac Murdoch, “You Were Chosen to Be Here” in 2021, an album with Joel Couture,  “River of Tears” in 2019 and  “Shadowlands” in 2018.

“This album was a lot more fun to record. I felt the pressure was really lifted somehow after I had accepted all of the challenges that happened to me, with losing my house and my marriage and taking care of my daughter during during the pandemic, I took time for reflection ,” he said, adding he has been living and travelling in a Mercedes Sprinter van.

“‘I can stand up in it. It’s pretty comfortable,” he said.

 He recorded the new CD in a variety of places including in an old church on the shores of Lake Huron, one of his friends suggested and at Isaac Murdoch’s retreat centre.

 He said the new album reflects a more positive perspective, and all the tribulations  in his life didn’t inspire it.

“ The last three albums were about that,” he said.

The songs “Rolling ” are really  cheerful and upbeat.

Calgary punk/ metal band Citizen Rage  are ready to rock their long awaited first full length  album  “Harsh Reality” on a tour which brings them to Lethbridge, to play the Slice, Wednesday, May 24.

' The album has been three years in the making. They re-recorded crowd favourite anti-bullying anthem Fuck Your Face, and added a solid cover of  the Rebel Spell’s “Breathe.” They also  have First Nations drumming and singing  on “Given No Hope,” which is about the discovery of  215 graves behind former residential schools locations.

“It’s going great. We‘re really excited to get this album into everybody’s hands. It’s been three years in the making. And we‘re on tour with our best buds, No More Moments. We‘re really excited about everything,” said Citizen Rage frontman Mark Russell en route to Banff for the first show of the tour.

“I’m in the van right now heading  to the Pump and Tap in Banff for day 1 of the Harsh Reality tour. In tow we’ve got the with No More Moments people. Those homies are in the van behind us and we’re all ready to go,” he enthused.

“We’re really excited to get out on this leg. This is the first one we’re going to do. Then we have a part two in September which we’re going to release probably when we get back. We’re just unbelievably excited to jest get out and get more consecutive  dates together and see some homies. Yeah Lethbridge is our home away form home. We can’t wait to get back to the Slice and see everybody and give everybody a hug,” he said, adding they will be playing a lot of the new album and selection from their previous EPS.

No More Moments, Berserker and the Hockey Moms will be playing with Citizen Rage in Lethbridge at the Slice on Wednesday, May 24.

Citizen Rage features bassist Mikey Bastard, drummer Chase Hamilton, guitarist Sean Adam vocalist Mark Russell and guitarist Ross Ferguson.

“From writing to studio  to all of production, it’s been almost three years,” Russell said.

“ It was surreal holding our very first vinyl. We all had a great time at the jam room  touching it, holding it, rubbing it all over our faces,” Russell continued, adding they had a vision for the album, which they released on Cursed Blessings Records.

It’s a long weekend.  If you, like me, don’t travel on long weekends, there’s lots happening in Lethbridge including plenty of alt country and country music and Winnipeg musicians visiting Lethbridge this week.

Things start early as rising local country musician Brayden King and B.C musician Beamer Wigley kicks off his Bad Night to be a Beer Tour tonight (Tuesday, May 16) at the Slice. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

Down the street, it is open mic night at the Owl Acoustic Lounge on Tuesday.

 The Slice turns things up on Wednesday, May 17 with a big, loud, Winnipeg metal show with metalcore band  Hopscotch Battle Scars and Straight Edge metal core band  XMeans to an XEnd.

 Local mathcore band Abrupt Decay are also part of this show, which begins early at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover.

 For something a little more mellow, Randy Epp and  Sheena Lawson return to the Watertower Grill to play some jazz music from 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, May 17.

 The Geomatic Attic also has a jazz show on Wednesday as they collaborate with the Lethbridge Jazz and Blues  Society to welcome the Nick Maclean Quartet with internationally  acclaimed trumpet player Brownman Ali . Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 members, $42 non members

 For more country music, Tom Price plays Festival Square outside of the Telegraph Taphouse, Thursday, May 18 beginning at 6 p.m. 

The Slice has a very special show on Thursday, May 18 as  they welcome back Winnipeg singer songwriter Romi Mayes, who will be paying tribute to alt country maven Lucinda Williams beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets are  $22.63 through eventbrite.

Winnipeg blues rock singer songwriter Romi Mayes makes a long awaited return to Lethbridge to play the Slice, Thursday, May 18 to play her favourite Lucinda Williams songs.

 Mayes, who has been a touring musician for 30 years has been taking a little break from the road. She played South Country Fair in 2015 and the Slice in 2014, but couldn't resist hitting the road again at the behest of John Scoles, owner of popular Winnipeg venue Times Changed who wanted to put on a special show in honour of popular alt country songwriter Lucinda Williams’ 70th birthday.

“The world is ever-changing and the music industry has been in flux right along with it. With the global economy shifting, gasoline prices soaring, and digital technology taking over as a stream and download world, you can imagine that it has been tricky for touring musicians to navigate how to make a living from hitting the road.  In about 2016 I realized I was losing more money that I was earning and looking at my career as a business, it was a failing business model. I still believed the music, the songs, the material were worthy and hardly a failure, but the business of touring seemed like a pipe dream for making a living anymore. I chose to take a long break from the road and only do one off shows here and there that made lucrative sense. I also haven't recorded new material in about eight years which really slows down the possibility of touring a new album. All that compiled together topped with the Covid cherry on top and it just seemed to make sense to stay close to home,” she wrote in an e-mail.

“John Scoles, the owner of our Winnipeg local Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club called me last fall (2022) and asked if I wanted to put a show together for January 26, 2023 to honour Lucinda Williams' 70th birthday. I had done a song or two of hers over the years but hadn't attempted to do 90 minutes of her material before. I needed a challenge and I knew this would be a perfect fit. That pushed my band and I to working hard to create this show. Once we had this show under our belt it was unanimous that we wanted to continue doing this show a little longer and tour it. I added a fifth member to the band for these shows and we have worked hard to get these songs ready. It is not so much a tribute as honouring her material. I can't sing like Lucinda and I really don't want to try to imitate her style. It's 90 minutes of Lucinda Williams songs done in my style. 

“I have seen her live before for sure and have been a big fan.

Back in the day when I heard Lucinda Williams’ album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, it couldn’t have come at a better time. I was singing in country and bluegrass bands and identified much more with Lucinda Williams than the sweet bluegrass sounds of Alison Krauss. Lucinda’s songs were gritty and sexy and loose and breathy and that was not only tangible to me but also inspiring and achievable. 

As fate would have it, it wasn’t long before I found myself recording and touring with Gurf Morlix, the very man who had performed with and produced Lucinda for much of her career.

It has all brought me to today where I have the opportunity to share some of her kick ass repertoire on the road with a great band,” she wrote adding the show will be 90 minutes of Lucinda Williams songs, but none of Mayes‘ original music.