“I guess I kind of fell into music. I came from a musical family where there was always someone at my house playing the piano or drums or some kind of instrument,” said Temple. “But I never considered it to be a career and then one day I noticed music had just taken over my whole life.”
From his humble beginnings playing with an acoustic guitar in a quaint folk band, Temple hopped around from different bands until he branched off into a solo career, finding his own twangy country jazz sound.
“When I was growing up my dad was always listening to all that kind of swing and jazz music like Duke Ellington and Count Basie so I got really inspired by that,” said Temple. “So I started trying to do that but with acoustic instruments—making more of a western swing sound.”
Over the past three decades in the music industry Temple has played hundreds of gigs across the country—and he has no plans to slow down. The musician is currently touring Western Canada and will make a stop at the Olive Bistro and Lounge, June 24.
As of late, Temple said he’s been backing up his own acoustic guitar with the help of a few musical pals—Rob Foremen on standup bass and Kyler Tapscott on electric guitar.
“We’re kind of a classic rockabilly trio, but we play all different kinds of styles of music,” Temple said. “People always get up and get dancing.”
Along with being a swinging good time, Temple described his music as personal and familiar, using infectious lyrics and compelling melodies.
During his career, the twangy rocker has crafted eight studio albums and has appeared live on Much Music television and CBC radio.
For the upcoming Jasper affair, Temple said he’ll be playing a lot of tracks from his most recent album Day for Day, which was released in 2015. For this collection of songs, Temple said he wanted to create something more upbeat than his previous work.
“I made sure the lyrics weren’t heavy so everything just stays fun,” he said.
Even after all these years of late night jam sessions, impromptu writing circles and countless gigs, Temple said he still manages to find artistic inspiration to fuel his career.
“I don’t think anything changes when you get older—inspiration is always there,” Temple said. “It’s like what Keith Richards says ‘all the songs are out there you just have to tap into them’.”
Temple will bring his swinging tracks to the Olive Bistro and Lounge, June 24 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought ahead of time at the Olive Bistro for $15 or $20 at the door.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
