A troubadour with worldly scope, Fort Macleod-based singer/songwriter John Wort Hannam is the next act in line for the Cochrane Valley Folk Club (CVFC), slated for a double-bill with country-pop duo PEAR Dec. 7 at the Cochrane Alliance Church.
With a mindset of making new music every two years, Hannam comes bearing album number five, Brambles and Thorns, for his Cochrane listeners; the album was nominated for three 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Over the last few years, Hannam has carried his songwriting tradition all over North America, as well as Europe. He credits a supportive family for his globetrotting.
“I owe (my wife) a lot. She allows me to run around the country and overseas and live this dream, while she keeps the home fires burning,” said Hannam, adding that his two-year-old son, Charlie, has become a big part of his inspiration as a writer.
“I’m always trying to be a better writer and sound more with less…I’m actually a very quiet, introverted person – the stage allows another side of me to come out,” said Hannam, emphasizing the importance in not taking his life for granted.
“I’ll play a festival, I’ll play a legion…I call my life ‘the beautiful life’ because I feel very honoured to be able to do what I do.”
It’s only been a matter of weeks since Denis and Lynae Dufresne, better known as country-pop duo PEAR, performed at the Bragg Creek Centre.
The acoustic fiddling duo is once again making their way out here, co-headlining the Dec. 7 CVFC show as a trio.
The pair is ecstatic with a recent invitation to join Johnny Reid’s Christmas tour. “We’re opening up for his show with a half hour set,” said Denis, adding that this is a tremendous opportunity for he and Lynae, who settled in Calgary in 2003 after a five-year tenure with international touring fiddle act, Barrage.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. CVFC shows are available for $25 at cochranefolkclub.com.
