Prolific Canadian musician Rob Moir brings his ‘painstakingly personal and honest’ tunes to Red Deer this month.
Marking the release of his debut CD This is the Lie, he plays The Hideout Bar & Restaurant on Feb. 4.
The CD offers listeners a vivid glimpse into his gift for expressing himself musically, from the compelling title track to the storytelling richness of A Town With No Heart.
After five years of fronting the Toronto indie-punk band Dead Letter Dept., Moir has embarked on his first solo venture as a performer. Influenced by folks such as Springsteen and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Moir clearly has a way of connecting with listeners.
As to the tunes, things have changed sonically somewhat over the years but his skills shine through no matter what the genre.
“I’m mellowing as I get older,” he says with a laugh during a recent chat from Victoria.
A knack for creating music surfaced early.
“Both my parents were music teachers, but the songwriting aspect came as more of a surprise.”
He also started up pretty early with the guitar, but found that after a few lessons it was way more fun to get together with his friends and jam.
And as he honed his skills on the instruments, he found songwriting to hold a particular attraction. To this day, he performs mostly his own material with few tunes by others included in the mix.
“Even today, I don’t know a whole lot of covers.”
Looking ahead, Moir is also planning touring stints to Europe. As for performing, he’s quite at home on stage — chatting with the audience between songs comes naturally. Part of the charm of his overall style likely stems from the fact that Moir doesn’t take himself overly seriously. “I quite like the fact that I don’t sing perfectly – it’s much more of a real performance.”
And the musical style of this talented sojourner will continue to evolve, he says. “I’m thinking of getting grittier for the next project,” he says.
In the meantime, Moir is treasuring the experiences of playing the country.
“The reason I do this, mainly, is that I am an adventurer,” he says. “Everyday is a new experience.”
mweber@reddeerexpress.com
