After releasing his first album in nine years — Take It Home — Tom Cochrane will be bringing it to Edmonton. He says his new album is a “tribute to his roots and the music he grew up with,” and the lifestyle of the travelling band. Cochrane says, “It’s a lost lifestyle: living with five guys, sleeping in vans, and all the disturbing and wacky characters you meet along the way.”
Part of the delay in putting out his latest record came from wanting to make an album that works as a whole. “It has to hang together and I need to be proud of it,” says Cochrane. “A record needs to be made if it will mean something.” Also, he says, albums that are from the heart are easier to play.
With new songs and so many hits over the years competing for play time in the show, Cochrane admits it’s difficult to settle on a set list. “There are lots of songs to choose from, but we have to choose at least a few classics people want to hear. It’s juggling the classic songs and bringing in new stuff.” One classic that always gets played is “Big League,” which Cochrane also performed at the Oilers 1984 Reunion back in October. Wayne Gretzky had personally called up Cochrane to participate, and Cochrane says, “It was a great thing to be a part of. I was stoked because Edmonton is a great music town and a great sports town.”
Cochrane’s always eager to play the city because Edmonton’s had a significant influence in his life. He has many cathartic moments in the city, including after he broke up with a girlfriend and hung around Jasper Avenue, sitting on the side of the street and writing songs. Cochrane says, “The city has a beautiful northern spirit.”
Catch Tom Cochrane live at the River Cree Resort & Casino on February 21 at 9 pm.
River Cree Resort & Casino | 300 East Lapotac Blvd., Enoch | 780-484-2121
