Blake Berglund, Musician and Author, takes us on a journey from the farm in Kennedy, SK., to the vibrant streets of Nashville, Tennessee, tracing the thread of lightning that connects him to his father. As he grapples with the passing of his father, he finds solace and inspiration in the stormy nights and the memories of his farm upbringing. Blake performs 'Farming Wives,' a song from his new album 'Left of the Right,' he shares thoughts on the importance of the matriarchy in the Berglund family. This episode captures the essence of love, loss, and the enduring connection to the farm that shapes the lives of the Berglund family.
Blake Berglund grew up on a horse operation in southeastern Saskatchewan, doing about five hours of chores a day around school, hockey and piano, with his brother and sister covering for him when he needed time to practise. He is a country songwriter and writer now, and this conversation finds him in a farmhouse outside Nashville, months after losing his father.
Dan Aberhart knows the family, and the conversation is unhurried. It moves between the work that shaped him, what it means to go back to the farm when life gets hard, how his family is carrying on together, and the independent music business he has built.
What's Inside
- The horse operation his family ran through the nineties, and the division of labour between three siblings that made music possible at all
- Why he describes manual work as something closer to a spiritual practice than a chore, and what going back to the farm still does for him
- Losing his father, and what the family experienced in the room at the end
- Why he hopes the grief never fully leaves, and what he thinks it is evidence of
- Two years without alcohol, and what changed on the other side of that decision
- Building an independent music business rather than chasing radio, and treating songs as assets rather than promotion
- The concept record he made about all of it, and how subscribers get it
- A live performance of a song written for his mother and sisters
- This episode captures the essence of love, loss, and the enduring connection to the farm that shapes the lives of the Berglund family.
Connect with Blake:
The Straight & The Narrow Substack: https://blakeberglund.substack.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/blakeberglund
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blakejohnberglund
Website: https://blakeberglund.com/
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