The blues, he said, are made for Brandon Isaak. And Isaak is made for the blues. The North Cowichan singer-songwriter hits the road from his home near Duncan in September and October, playing shows in Alberta, the Okanagan, Vancouver Island, and the Yukon. After three shows in three nights in Alberta to kick off the tour, Isaak will play solo at Mackie House in Coldstream on Thursday, Sept. 11; and he and his trio will play the Vibrant Wine Vineyard in Kelowna Saturday, Sept. 13. The tour continues Saturday, Sept. 20, with a CD release night at Osborne Bay in Crofton, then picks up again at the Cobblestone Music Venue in Cobble Hill, between Victoria and Duncan, Saturday, Oct. 18. "My dad was a professional musician, and he took care of the family his whole life making money by playing music," said Isaak, 55, enjoying a slice of sourdough bread with peanut butter while chatting to a reporter on the phone. "So I grew up around rehearsals, dad going out on tour. I fell in love with music honestly. "For me, the blues is the most natural thing to play, they called to me. I played different styles, country and jazz, but the blues, the blues was it." The tour is to celebrate the latest album from Isaak, known for his gravelly voice and deep respect for tradition. Walkin' With The Blues is his most authentic and electrified blues album to date. "A bunch of my last records were more acoustic-driven. This is kicking off some dust and getting into the electric stuff," said Isaak. The album pays tribute to a lot of the great old blues masters like T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Reid, and Ronnie Earl. "It's a tribute album to a lot of the great blues guitar players I grew up loving." Recorded live off the floor at his home-built studio in North Cowichan with minimal microphones, vintage gear, and a soul soaked in the genre’s deepest roots, the record is a love letter to classic blues — gritty, emotional, and defiantly old-school. “This is the most straight-up blues record I’ve ever made, and I could not be more pleased with how it turned out,” said Isaak. “I wanted to make a record with strong lyrics, soulful playing, and zero tolerance for wanking — and I think I’ve achieved this.” The album marks Isaak’s first time producing and engineering on his own, a feat he describes as both a challenge and a dream realized. The lead single and title track, “Walkin’ With The Blues,” captures Isaak’s hallmark songwriting style — equal parts heartbreak and hard-won wisdom. Lyrics like “With the blues as my companion / down this long hard road / we’ll keep on walkin’ / and share this heavy load” show Isaak’s emotional range, drawing listeners deep into his world of lost love and gritty perseverance. Themes throughout the album stretch from life and love to death, sex, and even murder — all delivered with what Isaak calls “gusto and passion.” The record was made with Isaak’s touring band, The Saints of Swing, on Vancouver Island. “We built this in a single room with ribbon mics, cold beer, and heart,” said Isaak. “Every note played was real, unfiltered. The drums, the guitars, the feel — it’s all there, honest and alive.” Isaak and his wife moved to North Cowichan nearly four years ago, buying a small home and building a recording studio there. He also built an outdoor sauna, he said, "to make a guy look forward to winter." And to soak up the heat after returning from the road. "I don’t hit the road like I used to when I was a kid and we'd go out for a month, sleeping in vans or on floors," said Isaak. "We played to get experience. "Now, we might fly somewhere, or pick a festival, do three or four dates and call that a tour. I still love to get out on the road, but now we're playing better gigs and we can pick and choose where we play. And I'm older and I want to have a sauna." Isaak has spent nearly four decades on the road, touring across three continents, including 13 trips to Europe. He was a 2024 Juno Award nominee for Blues Album of the Year, and Isaak had four nominations at the 2023 Maple Blues Awards. He was recognized for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album/Producer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Acoustic Act of the Year. His shows, he said, are very interactive. "I've had a lot of people ask me why our show isn't billed as a comedian," said Isaak. "There are a lot of laughs involved. I'm very interactive with the audience, I love to talk to them. I'm not just up there with a wall between me and the audience." After some time off, Isaak will return to the road for Halloween weekend in the Yukon, playing Oct. 31 in Marsh Lake, and Nov. 1 at the Old Firehall in Whitehorse. Isaak is booked to play with the six-piece Saints of Swing, Nov. 15 at the Blue Frog in White Rock. It's the first time Isaak will play with that many musicians on stage. He'll also play Nov. 21 at Hermann's Jazz Club in Victoria. More information on the musician can be found on his website, brandonisaak.ca [https://brandonisaak.ca/home]. Tickets for all shows are available through the venues.
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