Jake Vaadeland is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist from Saskatchewan, Canada, which has a thriving roots and old time music scene, my wife and I first discovering this at the wonderful Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival, Big River, SK, held in August each year. Keeping in touch with organisers Tracy and Norm Lalonde since then, we’ve met up with their son Jaxon, a great banjo player, on a couple of his trips to the UK.
This year he’s joined Jake Vaadeland’s touring band The Sturgeon River Boys, and May this year saw them playing a dozen shows in the UK, including London’s Green Note, Newcastle’s Cluny and Brighton’s The Great Escape.
Vaadeland’s style blends bluegrass and 50’s rockabilly, with a liberal dose of old school country; he is also a very cool dude, a snappy dresser with slicked back hair, in retro style, as told in his song ‘Retro Man’ from his latest release, an expanded version of the album of this name.
With all original songs, Vaadeland enjoys telling stories with classic themes of love, betrayal and life on the road. ‘I Ain’t Going Back to Nashville’ is a high energy tale of tough times as a new kid on the block in Nashville, the official video a fine pointer to the sheer joy of Vaadeland and his band’s live shows.
Vaadeland received two Saskatchewan Music Awards in 2022 including Album of the Year for ‘Everybody But Me’, along with the Folk/Roots Artist of the Year, and four Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, including Fans Choice Entertainer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year.
His album, ‘Retro Man’ also finished at No. 2 in fan voting for the Best Saskatchewan Albums of 2021.
Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys return to the UK in August and September following dates in Denmark and Germany, kicking off at the Long Road Festival and with some eleven dates including the British Country Music Festival in Blackpool and Castro’s Barbershop London. A great live act, not to be missed!
