The C2C Sit Down with Tebey
As a long-time favourite of ours here at Country In The UK both on and off the stage, it was so awesome to have the super cool Canadian hitmaker Tebey back on these shores to play numerous shows during this years C2C Festival. He was last over here around seven months ago where he played Buckle and Boots Festival playing with a full band for the first time over here, along with some shows in London where Ian last spoke with him (read HERE) but on Saturday afternoon during the festival, we both sat down and talked a lot about football with him and picked up some news on his future tour plans for over here.
You made it! Two and a half years in the making, we’ve been talking about this date.
“Man, I can’t believe we are finally here. There’s just been so much anticipation for it getting back on course, but we’re here. It was pretty painless getting here actually and I had a couple of days off when I first arrived as well to really try and beat the jetlag. It’s actually strange because I travel so much and I should be used to it but for whatever reason, this trip I’ve really felt it.”
Was there a point where you thought that London might not happen for you when obviously Buckle & Boots in the summer went so well?
“Buckle & Boots was great. I figured this festival would happen, but I wasn’t sure to what extent and then there was the whole storm situation where I was getting all these texts from my UK friends about the roof. I was a little concerned, you know. Hotels and flights booked, you’re not getting that money back!”
You made it! Two and a half years in the making, we’ve been talking about this date.
“Man, I can’t believe we are finally here. There’s just been so much anticipation for it getting back on course, but we’re here. It was pretty painless getting here actually and I had a couple of days off when I first arrived as well to really try and beat the jetlag. It’s actually strange because I travel so much and I should be used to it but for whatever reason, this trip I’ve really felt it.”
Was there a point where you thought that London might not happen for you when obviously Buckle & Boots in the summer went so well?
“Buckle & Boots was great. I figured this festival would happen, but I wasn’t sure to what extent and then there was the whole storm situation where I was getting all these texts from my UK friends about the roof. I was a little concerned, you know. Hotels and flights booked, you’re not getting that money back!”
You’ve gone full band again this weekend, so after Buckle & Boots had you decided that was definitely what you wanted to do again?
“It’s all I ever want, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes you know. I play where I’m allowed to play but I feel like we’re growing it, the Indigo show was full, and we rocked it just like we would back home. That’s so important for me because our live show is such an important part of what we do, and the English audience just hadn’t seen that because I’d always needed to do acoustic. Playing the full band and it being packed out is cool, I can see it growing and I feel like we’re jumping the queue a little bit to be frank. We have got great support from all the radio stations, it’s like I’m co-hosting a show with Bob Harris this afternoon! WTF? It’s crazy. I wonder if I need to lower my voice and speak softer when I’m on air with him.”
I don’t know, you bringing the energy and him keeping it chilled could work as a cool double act.
“That’s what Mark, his producer said. Bob is very chilled, so you need to do what you do!”
It’s obviously a different setup here where you play three or four times over the weekend so you get a chance to play for so many different people on different stages, but you will see the same people at all three or four shows, is that such a unique thing?
“It is so unique. Other than South by Southwest in Texas, I personally don’t know of another festival that is like this. There are a lot of opportunities for artists that people have never heard of before because they are brand new and they are getting an opportunity to play in front of people, where a lot of festivals you wouldn’t get that.”
Back home you’ve just finished the first leg of the tour in Canada and had Nice Horse on the road with you. How were they to be out with?
“They’re great. For me its all about having fun on the road. Its more taxing being out on the road than people realise, you can get really tired so it’s all about good vibes. Good people that I want to be around, and those girls are awesome. We’re hoping to do a second leg in early fall when hopefully it’s not cold as hell. It was really difficult scheduling this tour, every province keeps changing its protocols like here and anywhere else where it changes every two weeks so you don’t know what you’ll be walking into, but we got through it and we’re going to do another leg where hopefully everything will be fully open by then as they’re already doing sporting events at full capacity in Canada.”
“It’s all I ever want, but beggars can’t be choosers sometimes you know. I play where I’m allowed to play but I feel like we’re growing it, the Indigo show was full, and we rocked it just like we would back home. That’s so important for me because our live show is such an important part of what we do, and the English audience just hadn’t seen that because I’d always needed to do acoustic. Playing the full band and it being packed out is cool, I can see it growing and I feel like we’re jumping the queue a little bit to be frank. We have got great support from all the radio stations, it’s like I’m co-hosting a show with Bob Harris this afternoon! WTF? It’s crazy. I wonder if I need to lower my voice and speak softer when I’m on air with him.”
I don’t know, you bringing the energy and him keeping it chilled could work as a cool double act.
“That’s what Mark, his producer said. Bob is very chilled, so you need to do what you do!”
It’s obviously a different setup here where you play three or four times over the weekend so you get a chance to play for so many different people on different stages, but you will see the same people at all three or four shows, is that such a unique thing?
“It is so unique. Other than South by Southwest in Texas, I personally don’t know of another festival that is like this. There are a lot of opportunities for artists that people have never heard of before because they are brand new and they are getting an opportunity to play in front of people, where a lot of festivals you wouldn’t get that.”
Back home you’ve just finished the first leg of the tour in Canada and had Nice Horse on the road with you. How were they to be out with?
“They’re great. For me its all about having fun on the road. Its more taxing being out on the road than people realise, you can get really tired so it’s all about good vibes. Good people that I want to be around, and those girls are awesome. We’re hoping to do a second leg in early fall when hopefully it’s not cold as hell. It was really difficult scheduling this tour, every province keeps changing its protocols like here and anywhere else where it changes every two weeks so you don’t know what you’ll be walking into, but we got through it and we’re going to do another leg where hopefully everything will be fully open by then as they’re already doing sporting events at full capacity in Canada.”
So, new music wise it’s been a busy start to the year with a single of your own plus Joe Nichols and Blake Shelton putting out a track you wrote. Your songwriting CV is pretty insane but how does it feel to seem these names adding to it?
“It’s cool, I don’t really sit back and take it all in to be honest with you. It’s all just go, go, go, go, go but maybe one day one day when I’m seventy and think that was really cool but right now it’s just keep going! Hearing those guys, they are two classic country voices and to hear those guys sing something that I wrote is incredible, it really is.”
Then we know you were going down to Tulum to record, so has it been finished or still in process?
“No. I’m actually going to Mexico next week haha! We’re building a house there and that will be done in September so I’m going to check in on that. I fly to Atlanta on Thursday then straight on to Cancun.”
When do you think we could hear more music or even a record then?
“Soon. We’re going to put out what I guess we would call a focus track in I think eight weeks to let the single simmer for a bit back home and over here then we’ll drop another song. I don’t think it will be the next single, just something to keep feeding the people music.”
Then you’re going to come back here and play more?
“Fall for sure! I’m already all over my agent and we’ve got a meeting whilst I’m here. Let’s go and let’s get back because you have to keep coming here. You can’t just show up every two years, you have to want to come back and do that grind. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a tour in the fall, sell some tickets and next year get a slot like Tenille (Townes) has on the main stage next year. I feel like you have got to come over here with boots on the ground, just like back in the day where you go and play the shows, pull up to a club, have nobody there and go and play the next one where there’s maybe like a hundred people there and If I’ve got to eat the humble pie, I’ll do it.”
“It’s cool, I don’t really sit back and take it all in to be honest with you. It’s all just go, go, go, go, go but maybe one day one day when I’m seventy and think that was really cool but right now it’s just keep going! Hearing those guys, they are two classic country voices and to hear those guys sing something that I wrote is incredible, it really is.”
Then we know you were going down to Tulum to record, so has it been finished or still in process?
“No. I’m actually going to Mexico next week haha! We’re building a house there and that will be done in September so I’m going to check in on that. I fly to Atlanta on Thursday then straight on to Cancun.”
When do you think we could hear more music or even a record then?
“Soon. We’re going to put out what I guess we would call a focus track in I think eight weeks to let the single simmer for a bit back home and over here then we’ll drop another song. I don’t think it will be the next single, just something to keep feeding the people music.”
Then you’re going to come back here and play more?
“Fall for sure! I’m already all over my agent and we’ve got a meeting whilst I’m here. Let’s go and let’s get back because you have to keep coming here. You can’t just show up every two years, you have to want to come back and do that grind. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a tour in the fall, sell some tickets and next year get a slot like Tenille (Townes) has on the main stage next year. I feel like you have got to come over here with boots on the ground, just like back in the day where you go and play the shows, pull up to a club, have nobody there and go and play the next one where there’s maybe like a hundred people there and If I’ve got to eat the humble pie, I’ll do it.”
Like you said, it must be quite refreshing for someone like yourself who can do the big capacities in Canada to do the half size here and have the more intimate shows.
“I’m lucky back home. It’s been a grind back there too but to be able to headline these shows and do a full tour with all the lights, production, band and crew is awesome!”
The light show is impressive though!
“I know, I pay for it, trust me haha! You know what I mean though, it’s part of the investment in my career. I use my songwriting money and reinvest it into my career so when I go out and tour Canada, we may only be playing a thousand capacity venues, but our light show is just as good as Jon Pardi or people like that and that’s what I want to accomplish, that’s what I want to do when I come here. I want to do a show that is on par with those American acts which is all about getting the opportunity.”
“I’m lucky back home. It’s been a grind back there too but to be able to headline these shows and do a full tour with all the lights, production, band and crew is awesome!”
The light show is impressive though!
“I know, I pay for it, trust me haha! You know what I mean though, it’s part of the investment in my career. I use my songwriting money and reinvest it into my career so when I go out and tour Canada, we may only be playing a thousand capacity venues, but our light show is just as good as Jon Pardi or people like that and that’s what I want to accomplish, that’s what I want to do when I come here. I want to do a show that is on par with those American acts which is all about getting the opportunity.”