The right moves

>> Luke Doucet settles down and tackles the
tough task of making great music

PHONE’S FOR YOU: Luke Doucet

By JOHNSON CUMMINS

“I’m not really that much of a guitar nut,” admits singer-songwriter Luke Doucet over the phone as he directs movers in his brand new home in Hamilton, Ontario. If Doucet is not a guitar nut, he certainly sends mixed signals on his new record, Blood’s Too Rich. His band borrows its moniker from Gretsch’s most prized axe, the White Falcon, and alongside his lyrical pearls, telling tales of dissolute characters that populate bus stations and all-night diners, are more than a few guitar solos.

Of course, when pushed, Doucet finally does fess up about the frothy fretwork. “I guess I do really like the instrument, but I think it’s really been abused over the last two or three decades. I think the ’80s kind of turned the idea of a guitar solo into a joke, and I guess I was a little self-conscious about guitar solos because they have become kind of tacky, but I just sat myself down and realized it really does sound beautiful on an early Neil Young record, a Stones record, a Flaming Lips record or a Dinosaur Jr. record—so why not try and have fun with it?”

For the uninitiated, it may sound like Doucet is one of the new fret-shredders taking up the torch from neck-wringers like Steve Vai, but nothing could be further from the truth. Doucet’s solos are kept on a leash and never overstay their welcome, and the one thing you should really know about Doucet is that the man is an expert songwriter. Having been a hired guitarist and producer since his teens, for such artists as Oh Susanna, Chantal Kreviazuk and most notably Sarah McLachlan, Doucet’s real talent continues to be as a songwriter, first and foremost.

“I come from a really blue-collar approach to music, which was instilled in me by my father, who was also a musician. You have to show up on time, you have to be musically prepared and you have to get paid. I have been really lucky to work with these people and I’m really scared that the phone will stop ringing when people want me to work for them, but I just have to write songs and I actually have a real need to perform them for people. I know incredibly talented guitarists who are now 55 and the phone just doesn’t ring anymore, and that scares the hell out of me. Hopefully I can get enough of an audience that enjoys my songs that when I’m 60, I will still have a gig to go to and be able to play them for people.”

Before his move to Hamilton, Doucet had lived in 18 different cities, including Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto. One of his most recent extended stays was when he and his wife moved to the songwriter’s Mecca, Nashville.

“We lived there for a while and at first were planning on just coming back to Canada in the warmer seasons, before permanently settling there. As soon as we got back to Canada, after two days, we both agreed we weren’t going back. I quickly realized where I feel comfortable, and I spend so much time on the road that when I come home, I want to feel safe and be close to family. Canada is definitely that place for me.”

With Angela Desveaux at
Club Lambi tonight, Thursday,
March 27, 9 p.m., $15, all ages