Nanaimo musician Glen Foster is celebrating the release of two albums: one that came out this week, and another that came out in the early days of the pandemic and never got its due.
On July 24 Foster and his band – drummer Dwight Gray and bassist Pat Shonwise – unveil their new album, Feelin’ Alive, with a CD release show at the Queen’s. The concert will also function as a belated release show for Not Far Away, which Foster put out in April 2020 but was unable to support with a tour due to COVID-19.
“I had dates booked for a CD release event that got cancelled, so we never really had a chance to present that music and offer the new CD to our fans,” Foster said.
Foster said the upcoming concert is “almost kind of like a two-for-one sort of thing.” The new record, Feelin’ Alive, is a live concert album recorded at Christ Community Church in Nanaimo in February 2020 that also includes two newly recorded bonus songs.
“I didn’t intend for it to be any more than just a concert, but it was recorded,” Foster said. “And it was weeks later I listened to it and I thought, ‘Wow, this turned out really, really good,’ and I felt that our performance was very much up to par and … I was at the top of my game.”
The two new songs on the album Foster wrote for his bandmates. Three Man Band is a song about being in a band written in the style of American rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival.
“My drummer Dwight Gray really likes to sing CCR songs and so I said to him, ‘You know what? I’m going to write you a song that’s like a CCR song just for you to sing,’” he said.
The other song, Friends Like That, inspired by folk singers and written with bassist Pat Shonwise in mind, is about interpersonal relationships.
“I thought, ‘I wrote one for the drummer, I should write a song for the bass player,’” Foster said. “So he likes Bob Dylan-type songs and John Prine songs, so it’s sort of a wordy narrative.”
Foster released a video for Three Man Band this past weekend and a video for Friends Like That is coming later this month.
Feelin’ Alive is available online at glenfoster.ca and Fascinating Rhythm in Nanaimo.
WHAT’S ON … The Glen Foster Group performs at the Queens, 34 Victoria Cres., on July 24 at 6 p.m. Tickets $15 each or two for $25, available at Fascinating Rhythm or from Foster through his website or glenfostergroup@gmail.com.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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