LITTLE ROCK — Many musical acts that share a bill are often thrown together. The performers work a stage for one night, but when the show is over they go their separate ways.
That will not be the case for singer-songwriter Hayes Carll and his opening act, singer-songwriter Corb Lund, for their performance at the Revolution Room. Carll and Lund have developed a friendship and working relationship even though they’re from different countries and in relatively different stages of their careers.
Carll, 36, is from Texas but has spent significant time in Arkan-sas, specifically studying at Hendrix College in Conway. Carll’s music is steeped in the Texas tradition that mixes folk, country and rock and his career has been on the rise since his 2011 release, KMAG YOYO, on the Lost Highway label.
Carll has drawn praise from Rolling Stone and his songs were featured in Country Strong, a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw.
Lund, 42, is from Alberta and recently released Cabin Fever, his seventh full-length album, on New West. Like Carll, Lund makes music that mixes styles, from traditional country to western swing to rock. Lund heard Carll’s music and later met him at a musical festival in Canada.
“I’ve recorded on his record,” Lund says. “He recorded with me the song ‘Bible on the Dash’ on my album. For that, he flew up here to Canada to sing it with me in the studio. Today most people just record a track and then e-mail it to you. They don’t have to be in the same room.”
It’s clear the two performers respect each other and have similar tastes in music.
“We are sort of like good mirror images of each other,” Lund says.
Lund’s Cabin Fever came about after a particularly long stretch of isolation. He had built a cabin in the woods outside Edmonton, aided by his longtime girlfriend and uncle. Soon after the cabin was finished, Lund’s relationship with his girlfriend ended and his uncle died.
He spent a lot of time in the cabin by himself trying to write songs for the album: “There wasn’t much to do but go out and get wood during the day to make the fire and drink whiskey.
“It was a very Canadianexperience.”
Lund, who says he grew up on a ranch and “on horseback,” indicates the different types of music that can be found on Cabin Fever are there for a reason.
“I kind of have a short attention span,” Lund says. “But I prefer records that have a variety of sounds. It is boring to write 10 midtempo country songs. My favorite records are like Queen and they’ll have an English folk song and then a piano ballad and then a rock song. They put all that stuff together.”
Lund started his music career playing in the Canadian punk/metal band The Smalls. He said his current musical direction is more appropriate to his stage in life.
“For 10 years I was in a heavy rock band,” Lund says. “Somebody said that rock music doesn’t ring true when you are 50. Songwriting, the kind of thing that I do now, you can do that whenever and whatever age you are.”Hayes Carll Opening act: Corb Lund 9 p.m. Thursday, Revolution Room, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock Admission: $16 advance, $18 day of the show (501) 823-0090
Style, Pages 31 on 12/25/2012