LAC LA BICHE - The 2025 season of the Music in the Forest series at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park gets underway on March 20 with a performance by Edmonton-based blues and roots musician Sean Pinchin.
For Pinchin, this concert marks his first time in the Lac La Biche area and he feels honoured to be included in this year’s programming at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park.
“It will be my first time visiting the region and will also be my first show of the year. [it’s] exciting,” Pinchin told Lakeland This Week.
Describing his musical style, Pinchin explained he has always felt like a singer/songwriter with a heavy lean towards the blues. He is inspired by old country music, blues, and folk music, as well as grunge rockers from the 1990s. The musician lists Nirvana, Kelly Joe Phelps, Chris Whitley, Eric Clapton, Big Sugar, and Jimi Hendrix as some fo his influences.
“I was first star struck by the ‘Unplugged’ series with Clapton and Nirvana. I was instantly addicted to acoustic guitars, still am,” he said. “I was about 14 years old when I started learning the guitar.”
Pinchin is also a big fan of country music legends Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, who have also served as inspirations.
“I think for me, a good story really inspires that lust for a new song. People in honest situations with a little humour, perfect,” he said.
Pinchin has had his share of accomplishments and accolades. These include a Maple Blues Nomination for Best New Artist in 2014, receiving the Juno nomination for Best Blues Album of the Year in 2017, as well as being recognized by the Toronto Blues Society as semi-finalist for the Road to Memphis Challenge in 2019.
For Pinchin, his biggest achievement is the Juno nomination from 2017.
“This nomination put me on the map for a bit and I was lucky to see that side of the industry,” he said.
In recent years, Pinchin has written and recorded a number of singles, including ‘Believer,’ which is about his fiancé Julia, ‘Spring Bee,’ a jam he made when learning to record multi tracks at home, as well as ‘Gonna Be OK,’ a song about staying positive and having hope during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
While Pinchin has a small setup in his home for making music, it is by no means a studio. Although he has always relied on the help of professionals when recording, he does make home demos and some song bits here and there.
In addition to the March 20 gig at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, Pinchin has shows planned for Spruce Grove, Vermilion, and Edmonton.
When touring, Pinchin loves the freedom of being on the road.
“Seeing new towns, getting new perspectives, meeting new people . . . I feel reborn each and every time I return from a blast of shows. Alberta has some really special places to play too."
The Sean Pinchin show on March 20 will take place at the Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park Community Facility. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m.
For more information about the concert, please contact the Alberta Parks Lakeland District Office at (780) 623-7189.
