Hot off the heels of a six-week tour, singer-songwriter Dustin Bentall is scheduled to perform at the Brackendale Art Gallery Saturday Nov.14
"I'm excited," said the Vancouver-based folkster. "I've seen a few shows there but I haven't played there."
The psychedelic-rock-influenced musician said he plans to perform older material off his debut album, Street With No Lights, as well as pieces from his newest record, Six Shooter. The sophomore album has a noticeably countrified feel, which Bentall attributes to the location of the recordings, Ashcroft, British Columbia.
"There wasn't anything written up there for the album, so as far as the writing goes [Ashcroft] didn't really influence it, but the way it went to tape and translated into the recording, it's definitely there."
Bentall, the son of Canadian music legend Barney Bentall, said he chose to record in the gold rush trail village for a few different reasons, including the fact that his family owns a ranch there.
"I'm quite familiar with the area and I love the town, I love the atmosphere and the desert kind of vibe there," he said.
Bentall said he didn't want to record this album in a big urban centre because people would always drop by the studio and musicians would wander off to meet friends when they weren't playing. He said the band members were much more productive recording in Ashcroft because they didn't feel pressured to get everything done in as few days as possible.
"I just wanted to have everybody in one place in a small town in the studio so we could really focus and that was great. It made the whole vibe different Nothing was rushed. It was so laid back and there wasn't that pressure. We kind of got more done in the time that we're working. It was more efficient."
After inviting one of his favourite Canadian musicians, Luke Doucet, to record on the Six Shooter album, Bentall said he's very pleased with how the recording turned out.
"We got him to come in for a couple of days and we got him and Adam [Dobres] doing a gunfight dual, playing, trading licks back and forth on a couple of the songs, which is something I wanted to see happen."
The album was named after the title track because that was the name of the "most bust-ass" song on the record, said Bentall.
"It's the one we usually finish the show with each night. I went for that as the title track because it summed up the album. It's got a lot of a western theme to it so that's that."
Before Bentall headed into the recording studio, he was touring around Alberta with Sam Roberts and Matt Mayes both of whom have the same agent as Bentall.
"We're all similar-minded people and musicians and songwriters it was amazing. We all made fast friends," he said. "They're unbelievable people, some of the classiest, nicest people I've ever met. It was very genuine."
Fans can look forward to seeing many future collaborations with himself, Mayes and Roberts, he said. But for the upcoming 麻豆社国产show, fiddler Kendel Carson and guitarist Adam Dobres will be supporting the songwriter.
Admission costs $20 and tickets can be purchased at the Brackendale Art Gallery and at the Bookshelf.
