× Jerry Leger reveals "The Influences" and announces more tour dates

Jerry Leger reveals "The Influences" and announces more tour dates

15-08-2018

Judging by music journalism these days, it seems that ever since “post-punk,”we’ re living in a “post-everything” world. So why not just start over again from the beginning? It’ s easy to feel that way when listening to Jerry Leger’ s latest new album Nonsense And Heartache, because that’ s precisely what it suggests through its combination of primal rock and roll, and raw, confessional balladry.

The separation between the two is evident by the album’ s title, and it is in fact two distinct collections of songs presented on two slabs of vinyl. In many ways, Jerry Leger’ s artistic path has been leading up to this ambitious display of both sides of his musical personality, fueled by countless nights playing in Toronto bars with a loyal band equally committed to keeping rock and roll’ s original flame burning. But while many others have made the same commitment, there’ s always been something special about Jerry Leger’ s songs that few can match. It bears repeating, and is hardly an understatement, that he manages to channel the youthful vigor of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Neil Young and Rick Danko, sometimes all within the same song. But at heart, Leger is driven by a quest to convey in his own manner the purity embedded in the grooves of the vintage rock, country and soul recordings he so dearly loves. This trait attracted early support from fellow singer/songwriters like Ron Sexsmith, and his staunchest ally, producer and label head Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies. Employing his distinctive live-off-the-floor recording approach on Nonsense And Heartache, Timmins focused on capturing the chemistry between Leger and his core musicians: multi-instrumentalist James McKie, bassist Dan Mock and drummer Kyle Sullivan, along with guest vocalist Angie Hilts. The ragged-but-right results perfectly complement Leger’ s tales of characters on the fringe, attempting to unravel life’ s mysteries.

Leger describes the album himself by saying, “Mike came up with the idea of doing a double album, but it’ s really two different records—Nonsense and Heartache—packaged into one. He had the idea to record one album as electric, bluesy, dirty rock and roll, with James and I on electric guitars, Dan on electric bass and Kyle bashing away. The other album was intended to be more of a singer/songwriter record with me on acoustic guitar or piano, James on fiddle or lap steel, Dan on upright and Kyle using brushes and percussion. So, it’ s not an ego trip for either of us. It just felt like it made more sense to put them together, plus the fact that neither is overly long, just about 35 minutes each.”

Last spring Jerry Leger & the Situation toured Europe and made a great impression that got them an invitation for Take Root Festival. On this same tour they did a session with The Influences which has been revealed today:

Find tour dates for Jerry Leger & The Situation here:
26 OCT: Zeist (NL) @ De Peppel 
28 OCT: Edam (NL) @ A Walk About Music 
31 OCT: Norderstedt (DE) @ Music Star 
02 NOV: Deventer (NL) @ Burgerweeshuis / Route 77 
03 NOV: Groningen (NL) @ Take Root 

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