As the old adage goes, you can do anything you put your mind to. For Victoria, B.C. pop musician Sam Weber, that means approaching his current Canadian tour as though his life depended on it.
While some acts are content to hit the major Canadian cities, Weber is taking great care to include the country’s larger cities such as Montreal and Ottawa, in addition to seemingly far-flung places like Golden, B.C. and Ripples, N.B. during his 34-date tour.
Performing at Moncton’s Plan b Lounge on Wednesday, May 20, Weber says that he feels a certain affinity with Canada’s small towns.
“At this point in my career, touring is about making great connections with venues and people throughout the country,” he says from a Montreal tour stop. “We really like the idea of forming good relationships with people, which will, hopefully, allow us the opportunity to come back to places like Moncton in the future.
“I can appreciate bands wanting to stick to a tour route that has recognized city names on it, but realistically, I think a lot of touring acts will tell you that some of the best shows they have ever played happen in those smaller cities, towns and villages. That’s what a big part of my tour is about; reaching out to people in those smaller, off the beaten path places.”
At just 22 years old, Weber is a young musician with the makings of an old soul. Growing up, he saw his father playing piano and drums before he eventually enrolled in piano lessons himself.
After having music drop off his radar altogether for a number of years, Weber picked up the guitar, enrolling in private lessons before moving on to become a guitar teacher himself.
It was around the age of 15 and 16 that he began writing original material, some of which can be heard on his debut effort, Shadows In The Road. Released via Canadian indie label Cordova Bay Records, the album is a captivating snapshot in time of an artist finding his voice in music.
Weber says the bulk of Shadows In The Road was done at different studios throughout B.C., including a significant amount of material he recorded at home. Given the fact that years passed between the time that some of the songs were recorded and when they were eventually released, he insists his next studio effort will be taken from a more narrow timeline.
“Shadows In The Road is comprised of songs and recording sessions that cover such a wide berth of styles and players. I’ve probably got about four albums’ worth of material that is just waiting to be recorded, but for better or worse, I am already sick of some of those songs,” he laughs.
“I do want my next album to be more concise as well as more organic. I’m of the mindset that if something isn’t working after a few tries, maybe it isn’t working for a reason. I’m much more determined to make my next album a snapshot in time of what’s happening at that moment in my life, make it to the best of my abilities, and then move on. That will be the idealistic way my next album unfolds, because at the end of the day, I just want to put out a record that feels good.”
What: Sam Weber
When: Wednesday May 20, 9 p.m.
Where: Plan b Lounge, 212 St. George St., Moncton
https://youtu.be/rNTaKSz4gGQ