Iconic songs often start with a simple chord.
Throughout his career, Shaun Verreault, the lead singer from Wide Mouth Mason, wrote memorable tunes but sometimes the end result sounds nothing like his original compositions.
That’s not to say the original vision wasn’t good – Verreault will play some of those during a solo show at Diners Rendezvous Saturday (April 7).
“In the end, a good song is a good song,” Verreault said.
And if the bones of a song are good, a musician can hang just about any genre on it, he said.
Verreault collaborates with songwriters in all genres, including Nanaimo’s David Gogo, who he wrote three songs with for the bluesman’s previous album.
Verreault wrote country songs with Aaron Pritchett and JD Bixby, and has a dance tune playing on the radio that he wrote with Sean Hook, although it wasn’t a dance tune on the first draft.
“Now it’s wearing shiny, European clothing,” Verreault said.
Working with country, dance and other artists outside his rock genre allows Verreault to expand his own knowledge of music, research styles and incorporate them into new songs.
“What I enjoy about it is the stretch,” he said.
After releasing a new Wide Mouth Mason album last year, the band hit the road with Big Sugar. Gordie Johnson, Big Sugar’s lead singer, also play bass guitar in Wide Mouth Mason, so the two bands often ended up on stage as one toward the second half of the concert.
“It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had on the road,” Verreault said.
He went from singing and playing lead guitar in his own band, to playing second string and singing harmony in the second – adding up to more than three hours on stage during every show.
“That just became the new normal,” he said.
His Rendezvous show will be quite different as it’s just Verreault and his guitar, although he said he might add some colour toward the end.
“I’m going to be drawing with a pencil and paper for the entire show,” he said.
The show starts at 8 p.m. with opening acts Lance LaPointe and Ian Perry. Tickets $27/advance; $30/door. Please call 250-740-1133.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com