When we’re living in uncertain times, one of the things that we can hold onto is hope. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald’s latest release, Love Valley, is a timely fit for these uncertain times when all we can do is go with the flow.
Fitzgerald started writing Love Valley in 2019 and put the finishing touches on the album at the start of this year – just before the world shifted to the way we know it now. For his fifth full-length release, Fitzgerald got re-familiarized with writing songs at home in Calgary and on his own. The result? An album inspired by life itself: simple pleasures, reflections of the past, and hopes for the future.
As he was wrapping up the album, Fitzgerald envisioned bringing the songs to life in a new way. This past summer, he hosted a total of 58 shows in his backyard with small, intimate crowds before deciding to bring the show on the road with The Farm Tour. Each show has a capacity of 20 guests in total (socially distanced, and all COVID-friendly measures considered) in The Greenbriar, an open-air tent set up and taken down at an outdoor location that is revealed on the day of the show. The Farm Tour will be stopping by Vancouver on Saturday, October 31st.
We had the opportunity to chat with him last week about his new album, tour highlights, and songs he’s been listening to on repeat.
asapmusicblog.ca: So part of the story for your latest album, Love Valley, is that it was written through a large part of 2019 and the start of 2020. One thing that you’ve mentioned about the process of creating the album was getting familiar writing songs at home again. What were some of the learnings you had in this process?
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald: Well, I think you end up being reliant on yourself creatively and sometimes that’s easy – you know exactly what you want, but it feels like it’s almost harder sometimes to get started. The one thing that’s nice about collaboration is that you’re combining everyone in the room’s approach to a song or to their instrument or to a rhythm – you get almost these jump off points.
What I found with learning how to write again on my own – I mean, throughout time I have added songs that I wrote on my own, but those have been more like things I’ve found in a moment here or a moment there. To actually craft a whole album and to just do that at home – the first step is even just forcing myself to just be diligent about not getting deterred creatively and then being at home and finding something to eat or getting an errand done or something, you know? There was a lot of that, too, but it was rewarding to do it that way.
a: In the track “I Love You”, you mention a Joni Mitchell song playing on the radio. I’m always curious when songwriters include mentions of songs – which Joni track did you envision when you wrote the track?
MBF: Oh, that’s funny! The reason why Joni Mitchell popped up for me in that song specifically… I was just thinking of an artist that I would want to hear on the radio. I envisioned it almost like opening up the back door and just hearing the radio on quietly in the kitchen and just hearing a snippet of something. There are so many songs that she has that would be awesome to walk in on or to have fill the home when no one’s there. I started to think that’s important for music – to just fill a space even when no one’s there. But if I had to just pick one, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘paved paradise, and put up a parking lot...’ (Editor’s note: ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, for the record.)
a: Continuing on the topic of Love Valley. One of the main themes woven throughout the album at its core is about life in the past, present and future. There’s also another theme that comes up around simple pleasures – what are some of the simple pleasures in your life that help you stay grounded?
MBF: My favourite and what I talk about on the record a fair bit is an early morning, quiet cup of coffee. Even these days, I like just having a little bit of CBC going on and that early morning relax time.
a: You’re in Salmon Arm tonight for a show and if I counted correctly, it’s the 22nd show of this leg of the Farm Tour. What have been some of the highlights so far touring across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and now B.C.?
MBF: The typical Canadian tour already has a lot of driving and then on top of that, you factor in building a tent for three hours and taking the tent down for three hours – you really do earn your evening in the tent, that’s for sure! I’ve just loved an opportunity to see the country and then to participate in a tour that’s different than I’ve ever experienced, and the fact that it’s happening this year in a year that I wouldn’t otherwise be playing. I think that’s so cool and I’m thankful for that.
The other thing we did with both the backyard tent and the farmyard tent is that we made the show schedule packed – I play five or six nights a week. The reason for doing that is with everything that’s going on this year, I thought that the answer was probably going to be smaller crowds and more evenings. You get to just get to spend the time with lots of people in small increments.
a: This year has definitely been, as you mentioned, different in many ways. I personally feel like music has been the constant for me, like listening to songs that I find comfort in or that I love. Are there any songs that you’ve been listening to this year on repeat?
MBF: There’s this song called “Deep In Love” by Bonnie Light Horseman – that one’s been on repeat in a big way. “AUATC”, the new Bon Iver tune – that’s been on a lot in the car. Outside of that, it’s been CBC in the morning – whatever’s playing on there and I’ve also become more interested in Spotify playlists with these new songs coming out this year, so I’ve been checking out a few of those!
a: If there was one message you would want your music to convey to the listener, what would it be?
MBF: I’ve actually thought about this a bunch over the years. For a while, there have been times I would have struggled to pull out my main connection point to music and what I hope people pull out of the music I make. I think no matter what I’m talking about, whether it’s sad or happy, I do feel like there’s always an element of hope in there, you know? I think that probably aligns with who I am and if I had to think about something I’d want to convey, I think hope would be pretty much bang on.
—
Learn more about Michael Bernard Fitzgerald and The Farm Tour at http://www.michaelbernardfitzgerald.com and listen to Love Valley now on Spotify or Apple Music.
