Saskatchewan born Blake Berglund is journalistic writer, songwriter and an artist who does more than simply write music. He is a country cowboy who has combined his cowboy culture with formal piano training and grunge music, blending it into musical endeavors that earned him a Canadian Country Music Association nomination for 2017’s Roots Artist Of The Year. He and fellow Saskatchewan songstress Belle Pain earned a Duo of The Year nomination from the Saskatchewan Country Music Association, which garnered direct support for Dwight Yoakam. Berglund is also the current Saskatchewan CMA Roots Artist Of The Year.
A recent story on CBS News featured the independent artist knocking on doors to sell his debut album, which was recorded on a small budget. His goal was to sell $1,000 and he surpassed that amount in just one month with the help of community members who welcomed him into their homes. Between 2008 and 2012 Berglund sold an astonishing 10,009 albums in his door to door sales endeavor. This opened up his creativity to develop a narrative to “Reclaim the Spirit of America’s Country Music”, a five-week journey of the United States searching for venues, artists, and communities dedicated to the genre. He documented the narrative through a series of blog posts read by tens of thousands that would eventually become Realms, his latest album released on September 1, 2017.
This collection of thought provoking representations of physical, emotional, and spiritual tongue-in-cheek tales from a storyteller on a journey is like that of a 90’s Pink Floyd. Take “Pretty Good Guy”, a great tune with a bit more rock to it, that touches on the subject of a guy who marches to his own drummer, who is who is he is.
He’s gone and cheated on a couple of his lovers
He never tells the cops his real name
They call him boss or hoss or handsome
He’ll never pass a chance to get high
You can always judge a [bend] by their covers
Bet your ass he’s a pretty good guy
Throughout the album, among Berglund’s messages of spirituality, tranquility, and equality – he delves into deeper darker, albeit important issues as well. “Crooked Old Earth” is a quirky rhythmic tune touching on what could be a satirical political statement, but it’s done with a heartfelt, almost apologetic way:
Innocent kids and airplanes
Anxiety and hurricanes
Locusts swarm across the plains, like we said they would
Whales littering the beach
Needles washing in the streets
You can make love to the computer screen for $6.99 a month
It’s just a trip straight to the grave from the day of our birth
I wouldn’t wish my enemies this Crooked Old Earth
Soft, almost acoustic guitar along with a little steel guitar adds the country vibe.
“The Grip” is played with strumming guitar, but sung with the dark tone of The Doors’ Jim Morrison. It’s a tune that any listener could relate to given any situation that might have “a grip” on their life: “You don’t know the grip until you need to pull away / It comes like a nail from under your ribs / And settles in a resting place”.
The stellar songwriting ability and vocals of Berglund create this image of a shadowy hand literally holding one down:
It’ll tease, taunt, chase you ’til you’re caught
It’ll haunt and settle in its state
It’ll poke, prod until it gets what it wants
Knowing that you’ll never be the same
Berglund’s album is far from today’s country; it’s not bro-country, but an eclectic collection of deep rooted country music. While Realms might not be for everyone, it’s easy to listen to and very thought provoking.
For more information on Blake Berglund, visit his website: www.blakeberglund.com.
Realms Track List:
- Realms (Reprise)
- Pretty Good Day
- Moose Mountain
- Crooked Old Earth
- Heat Of The Sun
- Men My Age
- The Grip
- Jesus In A Backbeat
- Interloper
- Realms