From playing at bars and saloons to performing at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and touring with the late, iconic Canadian artist Stompin’ Tom Connors, Hus appreciates venue diversity.
“We’re sort of at an exciting point, career-wise, where we get to play a variety of places,” he said.
The musician doesn’t shy away from travelling, and doesn’t mind spending time on the road. Currently, he’s on his Never Ending Highway Tour, with performance dates secured until March 2014.
Travelling often and meeting new people is the root of inspiration for Hus’ songs about Canadian history. “The music has been an outgrowth of my experiences, especially now that we’ve been pretty busy with touring and playing almost all the provinces every year.”
Song material, or what Hus calls “tidbits,” come from anywhere, including story fragments or characters that he meets. “I collect these tidbits everywhere and I don’t really write them down ... I figure if it’s a good enough idea or a melody then I’ll remember it; I feel like if I forgot it, it wasn’t a really good idea.”
Some of these tidbits are compiled in his recently completed album, a follow-up to 2010’s Hockeytown. “I can’t wait for it to come out,” he said. An official release date has yet to be set.
Around the same time as Hockeytown came to fruition, Hus further solidified a friendship with Stompin’ Tom while touring with him between 2009 and 2010. He was even a pallbearer at the musician’s funeral in early March and played at the memorial service.
Hus maintains a deep respect for the Canadian legend. “I really admire that he was an uncompromising artist and followed his own muse...and whether you like his music or not, you can’t really criticize his sincerity.”
The respect was mutual. Stompin’ Tom once said: “I’ve been looking for 30 years for a young guy who’s proud to write songs about our country. I’d like to pass the torch to Tim Hus.”
While Hus is flattered by the comment, his humility shines through. “Getting to play Canadian country music with Stompin’ Tom is like playing hockey with Wayne Gretzky.
“We don’t have that many icons and he certainly was one.
“Stompin’ Tom’s legacy—in my opinion—is that he gave young musicians a second option because he took a nation that was playing second fiddle to the stage and he showed everybody that you can actually have a career in Canada and you can actually become a star and an icon just singing about these little Canadian towns.”
