Corb Lund is a Canadian country and western singer-songwriter from Taber, Alberta, Canada. He has released eleven albums, three of which are certified gold. Lund tours regularly in Canada, the United States and Australia, and has received several awards in Canada and abroad.
Corb Lund | |
|---|---|
 Country roots singer Corb Lund, as photographed by Alexandra Valenti in Austin, Texas in 2014. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Corb Lund Band |
| Born | January 29, 1969[1][2] Canada |
| Origin | Taber, Alberta, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | New West, Loose Music |
| Members |
|
| Website | www |
Biography
Corb Lund grew up in Southern Alberta living on his family's farm and ranches near Taber, Cardston and Rosemary.[3] Lund left his hometown of Taber and moved to Edmonton, where he enrolled in the Grant MacEwan College to study jazz guitar and bass.
Lund was a founding member of The Smalls. The band retired in the fall of 2001 but reunited in 2014 for a string of shows, the so-called "Slight Return" tour.[4]
Lund formed his country trio, the Corb Lund Band, in 1995.[5] He turned his attention to his own band exclusively when the Smalls broke up in 2001.[5] The band changed its name to "Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans" in 2005[5] shortly after guitarist Grant Siemens joined the group, and has been touring and recording under that title ever since.
Other media
Lund starred as the 50-year-old oilfield contractor Ray Mitchell in the 2022 Canadian film Guitar Lessons.[6]
Personal life
Lund currently lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, and spends much of his downtime at his family ranch east of Mountain View, Alberta.[7]
The Hurtin' Albertans
Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans are a Canadian country music band, formerly known as the Corb Lund Band. The Hurtin' Albertans is Lund's touring band. They have released nine albums to critical acclaim.[8][9] The band tours regularly in Canada, the United States and Australia. Much of their time is spent in the Canadian Prairies and the American southwest.
The band's members are:
- Sean Burns, bass
- Grant "Demon" Siemens, guitar and other strings
- Lyle Molzan/Brady Valgardson, drums
Former Members:
- Ryan "Vik" Vikedal, drums
- Kurt Ciesla, bass
- Karie Brown, bass
The band has toured Europe, where they played the UK Glastonbury Festival, and Australia several times. The group was featured in the movie "Slither" (2006) and were part of the soundtrack to the 2008 documentary, "Holler Back: (Not) Voting in an American Town." They have also provided accompaniment for an NBC special in 2006, on which former world figure skating champion and fellow Albertan, Kurt Browning, performed a routine to "Expectation and the Blues". Their music can also be heard in the ski film "Nine Winters Old."
Lund signed a three-album deal with New West Records (home of Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson and other major artists) in 2009. His first record on New West, Losin' Lately Gambler, was released in September 2009.
Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans played their 2009 single "Long Gone to Saskatchewan" in Ottawa for the 2011 Canada Day ceremonies in the presence of the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their Royal visit to Canada.[10]
Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans released their seventh studio album, Cabin Fever, on August 14, 2012. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums Chart. In June 2013, the album was longlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.
Corb Lund released Things That Can't Be Undone in 2015. Lund worked with producer Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell) to explore new styles and sounds on the album.[11] The album appeared on the !earshot National Top 50 Chart in December that year.[12]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [13] | US Country [14] | US Heat [15] | |||
| Modern Pain | — | — | — | ||
| Unforgiving Mistress |
| — | — | — | |
| Five Dollar Bill |
| — | — | — | |
| Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer |
| — | — | — |
|
| Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! |
| 25 | — | — |
|
| Losin' Lately Gambler | 20 | — | — | ||
| Cabin Fever |
| 1 | 51 | 13 | |
| Counterfeit Blues[19] |
| — | — | — | |
| Things That Can't Be Undone |
| 8 | 37 | 10 | |
| Agricultural Tragic |
| 31 | 31 | — | |
| Songs My Friends Wrote[20] |
| — | — | — | |
| El Viejo[21] |
| — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Heat [22] | ||
| Cover Your Tracks[23] |
| 23 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country [24][25][26] | |||
| 2002 | "No Roads Here" | * | Five Dollar Bill |
| 2003 | "Five Dollar Bill" | * | |
| "Roughest Neck Around" | * | ||
| "Time to Switch to Whiskey" | * | ||
| 2004 | "(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots" | — | |
| "Roughest Neck Around" (re-release) | — | ||
| 2005 | "Truck Got Stuck" | 27 | Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer |
| 2006 | "Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer" | 15 | |
| "Counterfeiters' Blues" | — | ||
| "Truth Comes Out" | — | ||
| 2007 | "I Wanna Be in the Cavalry" | 28 | Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! |
| 2008 | "Family Reunion" | 45 | |
| "Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier" | — | ||
| 2009 | "Hard on Equipment (Tool for the Job)" | — | |
| "A Game in Town Like This" | — | Losin' Lately Gambler | |
| "Long Gone to Saskatchewan" | 46 | ||
| 2010 | "Devil's Best Dress" | 45 | |
| "This Is My Prairie" | — | ||
| 2012 | "Gettin' Down On The Mountain" | — | Cabin Fever |
| "Dig Gravedigger Dig" | — | ||
| "September" | — | ||
| 2013 | "Bible on the Dash" (with Hayes Carll) | — | Non-album single |
| 2015 | "Run This Town" | — | Things That Can't Be Undone |
| "Washed Up Rockstar Factory Blues" | — | ||
| "Weight Of The Gun" | — | ||
| 2020 | "I Think You Oughta Try Whiskey" (feat. Jaida Dreyer) | — | Agricultural Tragic |
| 2021 | "This Is My Prairie" (feat. Brett Kissel and Terri Clark) | — | Non-album single |
| 2022 | "Highway 87" | — | Songs My Friends Wrote |
| 2023 | "Old Familiar Drunken Feeling"[21] | — | El Viejo |
| "Out on a Win"[27] | — | ||
| 2024 | "Redneck Rehab"[28] | — |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots" | Joel Stewart |
| "Roughest Neck Around" | ||
| 2005 | "The Truck Got Stuck" | |
| 2006 | "Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer" | |
| "Counterfeiters' Blues" | Thaddeus Grant Fenton | |
| "Truth Comes Out" | Trevor Smith | |
| 2007 | "I Wanna Be in the Cavalry" | |
| 2008 | "Family Reunion" | Trevor Smith/John Kerr |
| 2009 | "Hard on Equipment (Tool for the Job)" | Trevor Smith |
| "A Game in Town Like This" | ||
| 2010 | "Devil's Best Dress" | Christopher Mills |
| 2012 | "Gettin' Down on the Mountain" | Fish Griwkowsky |
| "September" | Trevor Smith | |
| "Dig Gravedigger Dig" | ||
| 2013 | "Bible on the Dash" (with Hayes Carll)[29] | Blake Judd |
| 2014 | "Just Me and These Ponies (For Christmas This Year)"[30] | Trevor Smith |
| 2015 | "Run This Town"[31] | Joshua Shoemaker |
| 2016 | "Washed-Up Rock Star Factory Blues"[32] | Ryan Hamblin |
| "S Lazy H" | Trevor Smith |
Awards and achievements
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo – Five Dollar Bill | Nominated |
| 2006 | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo – Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer | Won |
| 2008 | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo – Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! | Nominated |
| 2010 | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo – Losin' Lately Gambler | Nominated |
| 2013 | Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo – Cabin Fever | Nominated |
Corb Lund Band
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2004 | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated |
| Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won | |
| Independent Group or Duo of the Year | Won | |
| 2005 | Group or Duo of the Year | Nominated |
| Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won | |
| CMT Video of the Year – "Roughest Neck Around" | Nominated | |
| Independent Group or Duo of the Year | Won |
Corb Lund
| Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Male Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won | |
| Album of the Year – Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer | Won | |
| Independent Male Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won |
| Independent Male Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won |
| Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year – Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won |
| 2010 | Fans' Choice Award | Nominated |
| Male Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won | |
| Album of the Year – Losin' Lately Gambler | Nominated | |
| CMT Video of the Year – "Devil's Best Dress" | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2012 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2013 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Won |
| 2014 | Roots Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated |
| 2021 | Alternative Country Album of the Year – Agricultural Tragic | Won[33] |
| 2022 | Alternative Country Album of the Year - Songs My Friends Wrote | Won[34] |
- 2010 Emerging Artist of the Year (nominated)
- 2010 Albums of the Year: No. 38
Gold Records
- 2002: Five Dollar Bill (As ranked by the Canadian Recording Industry Association)
- 2005: Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer (As ranked by the Canadian Recording Industry Association)
- 2007: Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (As ranked by the Canadian Recording Industry Association)[35]
- 2008 Outstanding Roots Recording (WON)
- 2006 Outstanding Independent Recording (WON)
- 2006 Outstanding Roots Recording (WON)
- 2006 Songwriter of the Year (WON)
- 2005 Entertainer of the Year (WON)
- 2003 Outstanding Album (Independent) (WON)
- 2017 Roots Solo Artist of the Year[36]
Edmonton Music Awards (Canada)
- 2013 Male Artist of the Year (WON)
- 2013 Country Artist of the Year (WON)
- 2013 People's Choice Award (WON)
- 2013 Best Country Artist (nominated)
Edmonton Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Awards (Canada)
- 2013 Ambassador of the Arts (WON)
CMC Music Awards (Australia)
- 2011 International Artist of the Year (nominated)
- 2008 English Songwriter of the Year (WON)
U.S. Independent Music Awards
- 2007 Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album (nominated)
- 2003 Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year (nominated)
Country Music Association (Australia)
- 2007 Global Country Artist Award (nominated)
Indie Acoustic Project
- Best Lyrics, "Best CDs of 2007" Awards (WON)
- Best Male Singer-Songwriter, "Best CDs of 2006" Awards (nominated)
The Indies (Canadian Independent Music Awards)
- 2008 Favourite Folk Artist/Group (WON)
- 2007 Favourite Country Artist, Group or Duo of the Year (WON)
- 2006 Favourite Folk Artist/Group (WON)
French Association of Country Music (France)
- 2006 Independent Artist of the Year (WON)
- 2005 Independent Artist of the Year (WON)
Canadian Association for Campus Activities
- 2007 Best Contemporary Music (Recording) (WON)
Artist also appears on
2005
- Carolyn Mark – Just Married: An Album of Duets, "Sweet Thing", Mint
2006
- Various Artists – Untitled Promo CD PROC 515, "Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer", Warner Music Canada
- Various Artists – Slither: Music from the Motion Picture, "(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots", Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.
- Various Artists – 30 Years of Stony Plain, "The Truth Comes Out", Stony Plain Records
- Various Artists – Worlds Best Award Winning Country Vol. 5- World's Best Award Winning Country CD, "Truck Got Stuck", Pid
2007
- Various Artists – Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson, "MC Horses", Stony Plain Records
2009
- Various Artists – AB2 Alberta's Playlist, "A Leader On Losing Control", Alberta Foundation For The Arts
2010
- Great Canadian Song Quest, "The West Just Fades Away", CBC Radio 2
- Various Artists – The Americana Music Association, "Devil's Best Dress", Red Ink
2011
- Various Artists – Have Not Been The Same Volume One: Too Cool To Live, Too Smart To Die, "In Contempt Of Me", Zunior Records
2013
- Various Artists – Festival Man: Truly Great Artists Playing Geoff Berner's Songs, "That's What Keeps The Rent Down", Dundurn
2014
- Various Artists – An Americana Christmas, "Just Me And These Ponies (For Christmas This Year)", New West Records
Charity work
In March 2008, the United Nations Children's Fund announced that the band had donated the use of the song "Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier" as the theme song of UNICEF Team Canada, the Canadian national equestrian skill-at-arms team, to support the team's work with UNICEF to provide food and medical care to AIDS orphans and infants infected with HIV in the global south.
In March 2010, Lund appeared as part of Young Artists for Haiti to record a benefit version of K'naan's song "Wavin' Flag".
On July 11, 2010, Lund headlined the Medicine Hat Flood Relief Show, which raised $68,000 for Canadian Red Cross 2010 Flood Relief campaign, which benefits those affected by the disastrous flooding in Southern Alberta.
Lund has supported the Centre for Family Literacy in Edmonton, Alberta since 2010.
Lund co-hosted and headlined the "Fire Aid" benefit concert supporting victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in 2016.[37]
In 2021, Lund publicly expressed opposition to proposed coal mines in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, citing concerns of fellow southern Alberta ranchers about possible water pollution.[38] In June 2021, Lund held a small benefit concert in support of landowners.[39]
References
External links
- Corb Lund official website
- Corb Lund at New West Records
- Corb Lund discography at Discogs
- Corb Lund at IMDb
- Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca