Corb Lund

Corb Lund grew up in southern Alberta in a ranching and rodeo family, and that background supplies most of his material. Before turning to country he played bass in The Smalls, an Edmonton band that mixed metal and punk. His solo records, usually made with his backing band the Hurtin' Albertans, draw on western swing, honky-tonk, cowboy song and rockabilly.

His songs deal in working detail: stuck trucks, cattle prices, old firearms, drought and debt, often played for a laugh that has something serious underneath. "Truck Got Stuck" and "Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer" are crowd favourites, while "Gettin' Down on the Mountain" imagines rural self-reliance after a collapse. Off the stage he has spoken out against coal mining on Alberta's eastern slopes.