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BIO
Photo By Erica Chan
TRAVELLING THIS STRANGE PATH
By Jordan Kawchuck
.LEEROY STAGGER
3 AM Revelations
Waking up at ungodly hours would kick the shit out of most of us. But if you’re Leeroy Stagger, you breathe. You pick up a guitar. And you greet the coming dawn with words, music, and grace.
“Most of these songs were composed in the wee hours of a new day. The witching hours, you could call them. Where my mind is active and there’s a peace and spirit I embrace in the quiet of life.”
That liminal space is exactly what Stagger would call his 3 AM Revelations—and there could be no better title for his 13th full recording. For it’s in that sacred and moonlit window that brought forth his strongest, most passionate songwriting to date.
In these musical revelations—recorded in Stagger’s new Victoria home studio made of “beautiful rough-cut wood”—we hear gratitude, struggle, rebel rousing, balladry, compassion, and humour. We go to worlds as small as the back of lousy Dodge Dart, and worlds as vast as the Alberta Skies and as ethereal as human connection.
“This is a record of the human spirit. Of suffering and joy. Of heroes and everyday stories. And of addiction and redemption.”
Similar to like-minded songwriters as Jason Isbell and Steve Earle, Leeroy Stagger uses his long-term sobriety for muse, muscle, and music. Take the recovery song “These Days”, which still yearns for a greater meaning, even after 16 years of sobriety.
“The song is a reminder to myself to find the humanity in my interactions. To meet my fears with more love. That I have to work very hard to transcend that world that lives inside of me.”
Stagger easily shifts to raucous singalong songs that stick in your head like chewing gum. Tunes like “Count To Ten” ( a collaboration with Dennis Ellsworth), “Mediocrity Pill” (co-written with Jay Malinowski), and “Watermelon Pink” were born out of one manager’s challenge to deliver hooky-as-hell rockers to compliment his more contemplative tunes.
“She wanted more “bangers”. And so I banged on. I’m always one to prove someone wrong, so I rolled up my sleeves, and wrote those songs, which was a cathartic, cosmic blast.”
3 AM Revelations is the result of what Stagger calls his “third attempt” at making this record, meaning his listeners can look forward to two more collections in the can. And if 3 AM is three times the charm, as well as the bewitching hour in which to write beautiful music, Leeroy Stagger has tapped into something remarkably moving.
“That’s what I wanted this record to feel like—like riding a wave. And hold on, because we don’t know what’s coming next. It’s a chance to climb up the mountain and have a look around to decide if we like what we see. In the end, we hang on tight or loosen our grip a little. Either way, it’s gonna be OK.”
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3 AM REVELATIONS
“This is a record of the human spirit. Of suffering and joy. Of heroes and everyday stories. And of addiction and redemption.”
Similar to like-minded songwriters as Jason Isbell and Steve Earle, both of whom he has toured and played with, Leeroy Stagger uses his long-term sobriety for muse, muscle, and music. Take the recovery song “These Days”, which still yearns for a greater meaning, even after 16 years of sobriety. Stagger is propelled by the drum engine of Rocknroll legend Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Pearl jam) on the track which harkens back to stagger’s hero Steve Earle’s “El Corazon” album
“The song is a reminder to myself to find the humanity in my interactions. To meet my fears with more love. That I have to work very hard to transcend that world that lives inside of me”
Stagger easily shifts to raucous singalong singles that stick in your head like chewing gum. Tunes like “Count To Ten” (written by PEI’s Dennis Dllsworth), “Mediocrity Pill” (co-written and featuring Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski), and “Watermelon Pink” are hooky-as-hell rockers to compliment his more contemplative offerings.
We were referencing lots of Replacements and Lemonheads with this record, Joel Plaskett stopped in handful of times and offered up his expertise on the production of the era and encouraged me to let go of my inhibitions and finish the album.
3 AM Revelations is the result of what Stagger calls his “third attempt” at making this record, meaning his listeners can look forward to two more collections in the can. And if 3 AM is three times the charm, as well as the bewitching hour in which to write beautiful music, Leeroy Stagger has tapped into something remarkably moving.
“That’s what I wanted this record to feel like—like riding a wave. And hold on, because we don’t know what’s coming next. It’s a chance to climb up the mountain and have a look around to decide if we like what we see. In the end, we hang on tight or loosen our grip a little. Either way, it’s gonna be OK.”
Stagger has been around long enough now that he is revered and respected among his peers, and continues to watch his loyal and dedicated fanbase grow through his live shows Ias well as his respected radio show, The Dirty Windshields Radio Hour on Canada’s oldest Independent Radio Station CKUA. His records keep getting better and better and his star continues to rise. With a career that spans more than two decades and having worked with industry luminaries like Danny Goldberg and True North Records, Stagger is full of stories and songs to fill our hearts and minds in this new world we move forward into.