When we reach veteran Canadian roots rocker Barney Bentall, he’s on the road to his ranch in BC’s Cariboo region.
The journey is right on topic as we discuss his latest musical project: a theatrical show with a hefty dose of ranch life stories.
“People seem to gravitate towards the ranching stories, to all the things that can go wrong, more than just another rock ‘n’ roll story,” says the JUNO Award winner.
“My Life in Ranching and Rock & Roll” brings together stories, songs and visuals.
“In a certain sense it’s autobiographical,” he says. “It focuses on a certain phase of my life but also chronicles how I came into music, growing up in Alberta as the son of a Baptist minister, all those things that led me to where I am today.”
The show will hit the road in the fall and tour into next year at least.
In the meantime, Bentall and his longtime band, The Legendary Hearts, will hit various music festivals on the summertime circuit.
He and the band rose to prominence in the late 80s with their hits “Something To Live For” and “Come Back To Me.”
The group is still going strong, playing several shows a year.
“I’m looking around at the guys and we’ve been playing together, some of us, for pretty much 40 years. I consider that to be one of the things I’m most proud of,” Bentall says.
“It’s just a wonderful group of individuals and we’ve been together so much. We can not play for a long time, get together, and all that muscle memory and that common experience is just right there,” he says.
“That kind of chemistry you get from those hours playing and travelling and touring. I feel very fortunate to have that.”
Bentall ranched nearly full time from 2000 to 2006. He was once working with another rancher, sorting cows.
“And the rancher said, ‘Let me get this straight, you used to tour around the country and you’d have audiences cheering for you and thinking you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. And you choose to ranch?’”
“He was puzzled and I said, ‘I don’t know how to explain it, for me I love the adventure of it all. You only have one life to live and I love these experiences.’”
His upcoming adventures include a busy summer ahead, writing and performing. And, of course, the ranch.
“I’m heading out now to help my son Dustin. We’ve got to get the hay crop in. That’s my life. In some ways you can’t write it, you can’t script it,” he says. “It’s one thing to the next.”
Barney Bentall & The Legendary Hearts play the Canmore Folk Music Festival on August 3. Details can be found on his website.
“Something To Live For” by Barney Bentall & The Legendary Hearts:
