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Jerry Leger loves the troubadour life
Toronto singer/songwriter releases You Me And The Horse
By Kerry Doole
There is no shortage of talented young singer/songwriters in this city, but, at just 23, Beaches resident Jerry Leger has already gained more attention than most. Earning the admiration of such respected older peers as Ron Sexsmith (who called Leger “one of the best songwriters I’ve heard in quite some time”), Don Kerr and Josh Finlayson (of Skydiggers) has certainly helped the cause, and Leger’s just-released third album, You Me And The Horse, justifies their praise.
His songs are rich in poetic imagery and full of vivid characters and stories, while his unaffected vocals and the sparse and clean production of the record (it’s co-produced by Finlayson and Tim Bovaconti, Ron Sexsmith’s guitarist), provide a very sympathetic setting. Over tea at The Gladstone recently, Leger recalls that “when I initially met with Josh about doing a record, he said, ‘we should do one that is very stripped down and acoustic.’.I had the same idea in mind. I was reconnecting with the first few Gordon Lightfoot albums, and I just loved how it had that full yet sparse sound, yet sparse, so we were already on the same page going in. Tim co-produced, and he can adapt to anything.”
The new CD represents somewhat of a departure from Leger’s two earlier albums, his self-titled 2005 debut and 2007’s critically-acclaimed Farewell Ghost Town, he says. “This one has a little more story-telling. It’s more in that folk tradition. I often sat down and had a story in my head, or at least the beginning of a story. They don’t always need a resolution. The story songs are the ones you can work on for a bit. You can go back and edit, while those personal ones that throw in your own feelings are best when they all come out at once.”
Leger cites the likes of Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot and Hank Williams as crucial inspirations. “Dylan and Lightfoot were definitely big influences, and Neil Young. In high school, I’d skip class, go to the library, and break apart Dylan lyrics. I love country too, and I take from both. I found out from reading Chronicles that Dylan was a big Hank fan too. That was cool. The music I listened to was inside the family home. I never thought of it as being a different generation’s music. I always connected with it. Those are the building blocks for anything, the stuff you grew up with.”
Open mic nights in the East End are where Leger got his start as a performer. “There’s a coffee shop, GrabaJava,” he recalls. “At 15, I had this huge urge to play in front of people. They had an open mic kind of thing, but it was the same two guys all the time. I went there with a few school chums, played a few songs, and went from there. Then I started sneaking into the bars. The open stage nights are a good way to start if you’re trying to see how people react. You don’t have to be self-conscious.”
His confidence as a performer was boosted when he and his band, the Situation, played their first gigs in the U.S. last fall. “We got an invitation from the guy in Raleigh, North Carolina, who mastered this record and the previous one, Jeff Carroll. He said ‘you should come down here. People will love you.” And, yes, Raleigh’s a fun place to play. I asked around, and Ron Sexsmith gave me some names in Nashville. We played a place called the Basement, a cool place that’s good for indie acts and songwriters not doing that kind of country. That was great, with lots of people, but the second gig in Nashville was at a club that was closing down in a week. There were five very supportive people there! I was very proud when in the States a couple of really elderly gentleman bought the record and were really excited. They gave us the stamp of approval, and that felt great.”
In true troubadour/hobo fashion, Leger finds travel appealing. “There is something romantic about being a traveling musician, with guitar on the back. The States thing was like that for us, really touch and go. I like the troubadour image.”
You Me And The Horse is out on Golden Rocket Entertainment. Go to
www.myspace.com/jerryleger for more information. Jerry Leger plays the Cadillac Lounge on March 14.
Publication Date: 2009-03-01
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Lightfoot influence on Toronto troubadour
