Aaron Pritchett is in for a hectic start to the New Year.
The Nanaimo country singer is kicking off 2019 with a “pretty intense” coast-to-coast Canadian tour that will see him play 36 shows in 40 days.
“Right now it’s kind of the calm before the storm…” Pritchett said while getting ready to head out on the national trek. “[I’m] just preparing for that mentally, physically and literally with so many details to cover before we get on the road. But everything’s coming together quite nicely and I’m really looking forward to it.”
The tour kicks off on Vancouver Island on Jan. 11 with a pair of shows at the Queen’s in Nanaimo on Jan. 13 and 14, with the first date already sold out. They’re Pritchett’s first hometown gigs since playing at Party in the Park two summers ago.
Fans who can’t wait can experience Pritchett’s music in video form. Last month the singer released the music video for the new song Better When I Do, directed by Cole Northey, son of Craig Northey, guitarist from Vancouver ’90s alt-rock group Odds. Pritchett said making a visual representation of a song is not easy.
“You can’t just be cheesy about it and go with the whole storyline, you’ve got to have something different and something to get people’s attention and keep their attention,” he said, adding that the director came up with an “artsy” concept. “You’re going to be looking for dynamics in it that you’ll have to watch it over and over again to see.”
The tour launch coincides with the launch of Pritchett’s latest six-song EP, Out on the Town. A couple of those songs, Worth a Shot and Better When I Do, have have already been released and are making their way up the charts. They’ve also been in Pritchett’s set list for the past couple months.
As he gets ready to hit the road, Pritchett concedes that he has some reservations when it comes to traversing the nation in the dead of winter.
“I’m really looking forward to getting across the country, although travelling in January and February across the Prairies and into Ontario is a little sketchy,” he said. “But it’s still going to work and we’re going to have a lot of fun.
WHAT’S ON … Aaron Pritchett performs at the Queen’s on Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. Advance tickets $35. Available at ticketzone.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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