Calgary–based indie folk musician Taylor Lang is set to hit the amphitheatre stage at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park on July 22 for the next performance in the Alberta Parks Music in the Forest series.
Lang has given his particular hybrid musical flair the label “fingerstyle folk”, attributed mainly to the layers of storytelling combined with the percussive guitar and fingerstyle elements that have become a major part of his persona.
“I played a lot of roots rock when I first started doing solo shows, but in the last few years I've branched out into more of a technical acoustic style,” he explained.
Lang’s musical influences have played a significant role in shaping his own unique style of playing. He credits the sounds of The Tragically Hip, Dallas Green, Dan Mangan, and especially guitar virtuoso Jon Gomm, for his current stylings.
“Jon Gomm plays songs that seem quite literally impossible to be from a single guitar. But discovering his music changed my entire playing style, and learning his techniques has opened up amazing new methods of playing that I never would have had before,” he told Lakeland This Week in his pre-show interview.
Tour stop at Churchill Park
The Churchill Park gig is one of several stops on Lang’s schedule throughout the months of July and August. He’s looking forward to playing in the park’s amphitheatre, saying that he has played large events such as music festivals, he’s partial to smaller intimate settings which enable him to form a connection with his audiences.
“I stick with smaller venues -what musicians call "listening rooms", because the people in them are actually there to listen and absorb what you're doing,” Lang said. “It's much more fulfilling to play to a few dozen people listening, than a few hundred who couldn't care less.”
“It's much more fulfilling to play to a few dozen people listening, than a few hundred who couldn't care less.”
— Next-up Music in the Forest performer Taylor Lang
Like many who earn their living in the music industry, Lang was forced to take a hiatus during the COVID–19 pandemic. But he’s back with a vengeance for the 2023 season, with plenty of gigs on tap around Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The upcoming July 22 show isn’t Lang’s first foray into the region. He took his one-man show to Lac La Biche in 2019 on a bitterly cold winter’s day for a rare, off-season concert at the park. He said it was an experience he won’t soon forget.
“The seats began to fill up before showtime. Before I knew it, the hall became this glowing community haven of light and warmth and music out on this dark frozen lake, and I played and sang until my voice gave out and my hands could hardly move,” he said with a lighthearted grin, recalling the pleasing memory. “Furthermore, the people were so welcoming and receptive, making it one of the best shows I’ve ever played.”
Prior to striking out on his own, Lang belonged to a band named Blaeser, with all his recordings to date having the full band arrangements on them. That said, there is a solo album in the not-so-distant future, one which will most likely feature many of the songs he has recorded with his old bandmates, though they will be more acoustic in nature.
“I'm likely going to try to release stripped-down versions of everything over the next year or so - when I have time to sit down and do them properly,” he explained. “Aside from that, I'm always trying to learn interesting new techniques and tricks that are as much fun to watch as well as listen to, so I've got some songs in the works that really test my capabilities.”
So, what can those who attend Lang’s performance on July 22 expect to see? According to the artist himself, attendees will be in for more than a few surprises, including a medley of sounds coming from his guitar that won’t just be string-assisted.
“There will be some funky tapping/percussive acoustic tricks and pedal magic, peppered with a lot of insights into the ways and whys of my writing style,” he said. “But mostly, it'll just be a fun evening of sitting around, sharing stories and making new ones, and generally appreciating the fact that we all get to experience this world together for a couple hours.”
The Music in the Forest series is hosted by Alberta Parks at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park. The series features independent artists and musicians from across Alberta. Show continue each month through the summer. Ticket information can be found at the Alberta Parks website.
