Juno-nominated, Canadian Folk Music Award-winning Luke Doucet’s hard-playing, hard-touring efforts have won praise from critics in his native Canada, the States and abroad. With Steel City Trawler, out on Canadian indie Six Shooter Records (Elliott Brood) on September 21, 2010, Doucet returns to the basics of rock and roll, where simple parts make for complex and memorable wholes.
With Steel City Trawler, Doucet delivers a group of songs that come from the heart of the post-industrial landscape and mindset, with traces of rock eras past and present aligning with his signature guitar chops. The result is a gritty, roll over rock terrain. The album was produced by Andrew Scott of Sloan, who also guests on the album. The packaging includes an accompanying comic book created by renowned Hamilton, Ontario-based graphic artist, David Collier, who has been published alongside the late Harvey Pekar, among other comic legends, and includes Doucet as a character/narrator.
The album’s first single, “The Ballad of Ian Curtis,” finds Doucet dissecting and reassembling elements of classic ‘80s Brit rock as requiem and homage to Ian Curtis (Joy Division), while also featuring vocals unexpectedly reminiscent of Curtis’ successor, Bernard Summer (New Order). The track is now streaming at www.lukedoucet.com. Undercurrents of melancholic melody are buoyed by catchy, effortless piano, drum and bass arrangements steered by Canadian rock stalwart Scott.
Known as one of Canada’s finest guitarists, Doucet was handpicked by Sarah McLachlan as her primary guitarist while still in his teens, and his playing is instantly recognizable on her albums and as a driving force in her live shows. Born in the Maritimes and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Doucet’s solo releases have explored pop, roots and “Canadiana.”
On Steel City Trawler, Doucet plumbs the heart of town on the verge of being abandoned to industry with a riveting, timeless set of tunes. With the inclusion of David Collier Traces’ comic book, Steel City Trawler captures the sounds and sights of a stagnant Northern town caught in an era where blue collar industry matters less and less and the “working class hero” is a dying breed. It’s a story that’s universal for many parts of North America, and Doucet sets it to music with a sensitivity and empathy that rings true from the first listen.
Look for fall UK and North American tour dates to be announced soon!
Luke Doucet – “The Day Rick Danko Died” Live at the Mod Club
