Shauf wants us to find the answers ourselves. For example, why is an unnamed character smiling at Norm (the narrator) through the windows of the “Halloween Store”? Why is there a sinister string section that sounds like something from a horror movie at the end of the track? We wait for an answer but never get one. He’s an elusive storyteller, one who only leaves breadcrumbs, offering a brief snapshot into the narrator’s points of view. Now we have Norm, Shauf’s eighth album that continues his dive into narrative driven stories. Not bad for a guy from small town Saskatchewan. His soothing voice even attracted the attention of Barack Obama, who once called the singer-songwriter one of his favourite artists. Things kind of go a bit sideways by the end of it.When Andy Shauf gained the attention of the public with his 2016 album, The Party, he was put on a pedestal, called a “gifted storyteller” who would reinvigorate the indie music scene with his blend of baroque pop and folk. Norm’s desire for love is maybe not being met by a healthy mind. But if you listen a few more times and really pay attention to the lyrics, you realize there’s something a little more sinister happening. “On first listen you might think this is really just some nice songs about unrequited love. The album is part of an ongoing theme in which Shauf’s music is based on fictional stories and characters. Shauf hit the road armed with some new material, courtesy of Norm. I’m just trying to not take it for granted this time.” “I’m trying to not have it be lost on me that I’m getting to see a lot of places that people don’t really get to travel to very often. “I’m trying to really look at it differently this time around …,” he said. That’s followed by 12 stops in Europe, including London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Leeds and Glasgow, to name a few. The North America leg of his tour includes 13 Canadian dates, one of which is at Saskatoon’s TCU Place on March 16. Now that we’re back out on the road, it’s an adjustment again.”Īlthough he learned to appreciate the consistency of home life, Shauf is again finding his stride amid the chaos of the road. I just started to use the opportunity at home to get into some better habits and get into better routines and stuff. I was drinking a little too much and I ended up quitting that. “It was an opportunity for me to lose a lot of bad habits that I had maybe picked up in the decade of touring. “It was kind of the first time that I had slowed down like that and had that much time at home,” he said. The fruits of his labour were finally unveiled last month when the new album dropped. It really takes a toll on you.”ĭuring the COVID lockdown, Shauf spent a lot of time writing music in his Toronto studio. I’m glad it’s starting to come back because those two years, 20, those shows were a lot of work. I didn’t realize how long it would take to get that feeling back of comfort onstage. “Back in the day, it was like 10 years straight of touring. “I thought it would take a few weeks or maybe a few months but really it did take a couple years to get back into it and get that confidence back,” said Shauf, who was born in Estevan and moved to Regina in high school. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His first show back in late 2021 was “very shaky - literally shaking for most of the show.” “I’ve done a little bit of work to try to get out of my head and back to the realization that people want to be at these shows and people are excited.”Īlthough he has been performing for many years, Shauf admits that he felt “a little shaky” after so much time off. “Those years that we were stuck at home really seeded a bit of doubt in me, specifically where I kind of just didn’t feel like I was totally in my element when I was onstage anymore. “I finally feel comfortable onstage again,” said the multi-time Juno nominee, who was a headliner at the 2022 Regina Folk Festival. That’s especially true for Shauf, who initially struggled to find his rhythm. It’s like we’re getting back into the swing of it.” “We’ve done quite a bit of touring since things allowed us to get back out on the road, but this will probably be the first tour where it’s almost feeling like things are back to normal. “It’s a lot to take in … and there’s a giant mountain ahead of us,” Shauf said via telephone during a recent stop in Fort Worth, TX. Activate your Online Access Now Article content If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt.
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