From a recording studio in a castle in Germany to seasonal touring throughout Western Canada, singer/songwriter Norm Strauss has served more than three decades in the music business.
Serving up his solo show at Legacy Guitar and Coffee House Jan. 12, Strauss’ story is a full-circle tale of a once-upon-a-time teenaged drummer turned rock band front man-cum worldly singer/songwriter.
“My roots are fingerstyle — I learned to play guitar through listening to James Taylor and Paul Simon cassettes,” said Strauss. “My music has really changed in the last seven years or so. I was really writing rock songs…it’s now decidedly a folk-Americana sound.”
When once upon a time, the rocker was focused on guitar licks and heavier bass lines, “…Now I’m thinking ‘who can I get in to play banjo’ or ‘an accordion on that track would be nice’…”
A big part of Strauss’ musicianship lies in his work as a producer, a commitment that has led he and his wife to now spend eight months of the year in Dresden, Germany, where Strauss lends his musical know-how to helping a new recording studio, Castle Rohrsdorf, get off its feet.
“I’m not the only Canadian who has made the switch to Germany — it’s a more accessible music scene in terms of touring,” explained Strauss.
The father of four, who lived in Germany from 1998-2000 said he and his writer wife were looking to move back, as soon as their children reached of age; creating the time to perform short solo stints while home in Kelowna, B.C., Strauss admitted that his fire for live performance is fueled by the more intimate settings of house concerts.
His string of house concert performances across the globe has grown to the point where Strauss is now in search of a booking agent.
“For me, anyways, it’s a more natural way of being a performer…it’s less ‘performer-audience’ and more of a ‘friendship-storyteller’ relationship,” said Strauss, listing his performances in smaller venues as ‘refreshing’ and ‘freeing’ compared to the more formal approach of waiting back stage in a green room before being applauded onto a stage.
A storied career musician, Strauss’ go-to guitar even carries its own unique tale. Hand-crafted by Duncan Africa, his guitar was a prototype for luthier Jay Duncan’s Duncan Africa Society, which seeks to alleviate poverty in Uganda through teaching Ugandans the trade of guitar-making, as well as ensuring the profits from the sales of the guitars go to those who crafted them; visit duncanafrica.com.
“It’s the most stable guitar I’ve ever had,” said Strauss. “…people are always coming up to me and asking where I got it from.”
With 14 full-length solo recording projects on the shelf, Strauss is aiming for a mid-2014 album release, a follow-up to his 2012 release of 12 Track Mind, his premier recording foray into the folk-roots-Americana realm, with a hint of blues.
In addition to his solo releases, Strauss has appeared on eight compilation tracks, has had hundreds of his songs recorded and released by other artists and spent several years with Canadian folk trio Smith Funk and Strauss.
Those heading to Legacy on Jan. 12 can anticipate an evening of acoustic folk, in duo format, as longtime friend and bassist, Dean Clark, will join Strauss on stage.
To learn more about Norm Strauss, visit normstrauss.com.
