Check-in on the Base #4: Side Stage With My Crew
Del opening for Colter, my wife taking my last name and The Prairie Town Basement Sessions
Howdy Readers,
Melanie and I each had a couple weeks of putting ourselves out into the world. Our Substacks have been beneficial in helping find new avenues to spread our thoughts and messages and each of us are lucky enough to have folks share their platforms. I spent an hour with Ian Krochak of Prairie Town Basement Sessions Podcast and she became an official contributor to the CBC.
Here are the links:
Prairie Town Basement Sessions: Season 3, Episode 8 w/ Blake Berglund
CBC: “I’m a feminist and I took my husband’s last name” by Melanie Berglund
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/first-person-choosing-husband-last-name-1.6767818
Howdy again Readers,
My third instalment to the “Where Have All My Horses” series went out this week as well to paid subscribers. As I divulged in Check-in on the Base #3, I was at a fork in the road with where the story was going and as I sat down to write over the weekend a completely different direction unfolded. As mixes were coming in for the Coyote record in 2011 I was spending the majority of my time in a van and on stage with fellow Saskatchewan songwriters, Chris Henderson and Jess Moskaluke - here’s a pull from the piece:
Introduced years prior in her search of material, I had remained in contact with Langenburg singer, Jessica Moskaluke. A sibling-like bond formed immediately and only strengthened as I moved from Medicine Hat to Vancouver and back. She would regularly join me on stage if a performance was within a couple hours drive or provide an ear if yet another relationship was proving its instability. As we continued to contribute to the others musical pursuits we found a chemistry with mutual friend and songwriter, Chris Henderson, formalizing a trio and forging a loyalty.
Without any harmonies or backing vocals recorded while with John in Ashcroft, I insisted on Jessica and Chris accompanying me on the album. We had as much as melded our careers and the vocal strength showed, pitching our trio in place of opportunities that came down the pike for any one of us. We worked the new songs on the road and I would book studio time in Regina to capture their parts. With every session, I’d send John the tracks and he continued to build the record, patient and supportive.
As I put the finishing touches on my album, the cosmos had other plans for Jessica. Despite the consistent challenging from Chris and I as to why she put as much energy as she did into posting cover songs to YouTube; viral did as viral does and almost overnight her numbers sky-rocketed into the millions. We would wake up on the road to her facilitating early morning phone calls with Nashville producers and Toronto-based record labels. I defined myself by my business sense and she was the one putting on the clinic. It was surreal to be on the fringes of her growth. The three of us continued play together as much as we could until our only option was to disband.
Providing value to subscription holders and building this venture is a dedicated focus. Those of you that have followed along and have the resources, I am grateful if you find a support tier that works. Every dollar is being re-invested in hiring graphic artists, video editors, illustrators and other collaborative ventures to get the highest quality content I can to you in the coming album cycle.
BB