When we catch up with Albertan folk troubadour Scott Cook, he has just returned from Trout Forest Music Festival in Ear Falls, Ontario. After years of constant touring, he and his partner Pamela Mae Johnson now have a house in Edmonton. He says he’s come to appreciate being home when he can, even if it’s not necessarily restful.
“It’ll be a busy couple of weeks,” Cook says, “The Fringe is on and I’m really excited to go out and see old friends.”
He and Johnson, who often perform together, are also hosting musician buddy Corin Raymond at their Edmonton home.
Raymond has a one-man play, Bookmarks, in the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. After the Fringe, Cook, Raymond and Johnson head out to play a number of shows together. It launches Cook’s fall tour. He starts out with seven Alberta dates, dips down into at least 12 different states, and circles back for more Alberta shows in November.
“This year we’re trying to find a little more balance by staying home a bit more but we’re still pretty full-on,” he says. “It’s hard to make a living in this business without keeping your foot on the gas.”
Cook is playing two Edmonton shows, as well as dates in Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Manning and Vermilion.
He says he loves playing in smaller spots as well as big.
“When you play in a small town, it’s the thing that’s happening that night. Whereas if you play in New York City it’s one of a thousand things. People in small communities tend to really appreciate it if you visit there, whereas in New York they don’t care at all,” he laughs.
In the midst of the touring madness, he is also recording a new album, his first since 2024, called Troubadourly Yours. It is scheduled to come out early next year. He’s been recording with Grammy-nominated, Edmonton-based producer Miles Wilkinson.
Cook started writing a song a month for his Patreon subscribers over three years ago. “I’ve got more than enough songs to make a record,” he says. “I’m trying to pick the ten most urgent feeling ones to put on this upcoming album.”
Cook is known for his heart-stirring poetic lyrics as well as thoughtful but fearless views on the world’s current issues.
“I spend a lot of time thinking about depolarization and bridging social divides,” he says. “When we’re touring it’s probably the biggest thing that occupies my mind, how to connect with different people in different places.”
Check out Cook’s website for a list of all the shows he has upcoming. The first is a benefit for Jasper with other musicians, on August 21.
“Leave a Light On” from Cook’s album Tangle of Souls:
