by Kyle Wells [email protected] With an old-timey sound and some familiar sounding tunes, April Verch will be coming to Max Cameron Theatre on Thursday, November 3 to get back to basics.
The tour is promoting Verch’s eighth album, called That’s How We Run. The album builds off Verch’s ongoing stretch from her Canadian folk music roots into the lands of bluegrass, Appalachian folk and other traditional Americana music. That’s How We Run features instrumentals and vocal tracks of both original and traditional songs.
Verch, speaking by phone from Portland, Oregon, said life is kind of like a continuous tour for her these days and she’s on the road playing shows for at least 250 days of the year. She said she plays a lot of shows in the United States typically, but this year has been focusing more on getting to communities in Canada she may not otherwise normally play. This includes the Powell River show which will be a first time visit for Verch.
Verch said her records tend to reflect what kind of music she is into at the time and that this album sprang from her growing interest in old-time music from south of the border. While travelling around on tours, Verch said she has had the opportunity to meet and play with musicians who have inspired her with this particular style of music.
Growing up in the Ottawa Valley, Verch found herself surrounded by traditional Canadian and classic country music. She took up step dancing at the age of three and decided soon after that she wanted to learn to play the fiddle. Her parents, at first skeptical given her age, bought her her first fiddle at age six. By 10 years old she knew that she wanted to play music as a career.
“I think part of it was that I liked the instrument,” said Verch, “but since family were around that kind of music, everybody was having a good time, there was the social aspect to it as well.”
Traditional music appeals to people, in Verch’s opinion, because it brings a lot of people back to early times in their lives or to family roots that hit home. She also believes that it’s just good music that contains energy, tells familiar stories and feels honest.
“It’s about a people and a history and a time in our life that we can all remember and respect,” said Verch.
Variety is the spice of Verch’s live performance. She said that audiences can expect a mixed bag of musical influences and activities on stage, including everything from instrumental tunes, to some step dancing, to some harmony singing. She will be accompanied by Clay Ross on guitar and percussion and Cody Walters on bass and banjo, bringing even more variety to the show. She said there’s a healthy amount of interaction with the audience to bring them into the performance as well.
“It’s always interesting and changing,” said Verch. “We like to talk and get to know the audience, let them know where we got things and why we like them or picked them, and it ends up feeling more like a big kitchen party.”
Tickets for the show are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and $12 for youth, available at Powell River Academy of Music, Breakwater Books and Coffee, by telephone 604.485.9633 or at the door. The show starts at 7:30 pm with local band Ceilish opening.
