LORRIE MATHESON
Sat, Feb. 15 (4-6 pm)
The Black Dog

"When I did this record, National Dust were still together, and this one was just a side album, essentially," says singer/songwriter Lorrie Matheson over the phone from his Calgary home. "I was working on [Calgary singer Joel Stewart’s] album with Lyle Molzan and Greg Brown, and I was so blown away by these guys. And Joel said ‘Do you wanna make a record with these guys?’ and I said ‘Yeah, but I can’t afford it’. And he said he’d front me the money." Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Matheson booked a week off work and came up to Edmonton to record with the veteran rhythm section.

"I had a bunch of songs that the guys in my band weren’t into, so I showed them to Lyle and Greg and said ‘pick the ones you like, and we’ll record them.’ And we went from there. It was just supposed to be a side thing."

The Gods of Rock take a perverse delight in tormenting their subjects, however, and shortly after the solo recording, National Dust fell apart, leaving behind two fine records (Blind Luck Ain't No Luck At All and last year’s Welcome to Utopia) and a bewildered singer with an unreleased solo album (now titled You Should Know by Now).

"After the band broke up, I kinda thought, I don’t want to do this again. I wanted to do an album by myself so that I could play the songs solo. But in order to do this I needed to make an album that wasn’t big, loud, and rock."

Like this one?

"Like this one," he acknowledges sheepishly. "You need a rock band to do these songs. You need the Attractions."

And they aren’t getting together for Elvis Costello anymore, much less Matheson, so it’s back to the acoustic guitar and floor stomp, easier than throwing an ad hoc band together but difficult for a man who’s always had a band name and a host of strong-willed musicians to back him up. "Yeah, that’s part of the reason why it took so long for me to put this one out," assents the singer.

But couldn’t he just find another pseudonym to put it out under, like Will Oldham does with Bonnie Prince Billy, or the Palace Brothers? Matheson laughs derisively.

"Yeah, but you gotta be some kind of art school, no-talent bum to get away with that kinda crap." He mumbles under his breath. "Indie rock, sensitive guy crap."

Despite the (relatively) high-priced session help and slicker production, You Should Know by Now isn’t a radical departure from any of Matheson’s other work. It’s still "prairie pop," heartfelt and well-crafted, brimming with melodic hooks and Matheson’s razor-edged lyrics. Released in Calgary a couple of months ago, You Should Know by Now automatically jumped on the charts at CJSW and has sold briskly at local stores. Touring at his usual erratic pace, Matheson will deliver up bare bones versions of a few of his new songs, plus a chunk of his back catalogue, in smaller, more intimate venues.

Or as Matheson puts it: "You know how Bob Dylan has the Never-ending Tour? I have the $100 Dollars and All the Pride You Can Eat Tour."