After more than 20 years in the Canadian country music scene, Aaron Pritchett has no intention of slowing down.
The CCMA award winner and three-time JUNO nominee has a new album out, a new single on the radio, and a soon-to-be new member of the family. Pritchett’s son, Jordan, and his fiancé are expecting their first baby this summer, making him a grandfather.
“It’s so funny because when I think of my grandpa as a kid, I thought of him as an old guy, and he was in my eyes,” Pritchett said. “Now that I’m going to become a grandpa, I don’t see myself as that older person I saw my grandpa has. It hasn’t changed anything in me other than the fact I’m so excited to have a family member added, but I think me as a person, I’ve still not slowed me down.
“I still have so much energy for this grandchild that I’ll be a positive influence, I hope, but also, somebody who is excited as opposed to (saying), ‘well, I’m getting older and I’d better slow down.’ I don’t want to slow down at all, and I think having a grandchild is actually going to keep my energy level that much higher.”
Pritchett will have plenty of help keeping his energy levels up while he waits for his first grandchild. On Feb. 21, he’ll be in Prince Albert as part of his first coast-to-coast tour in five years.
Although he’s performed live concerts since then, including a more intimate gig in Prince Albert last year, Pritchett said nothing beats a cross country tour.
“It feels like it was only a year ago that we did the tour with the little blip that we had in between with COVID, obviously” he said. “(We) worried that we may never be able to play shows again, let alone go on a tour, so this is really exciting for all of us to be able to go travel together in a bus and be a road family again, put on shows for crowds in person one more time, and with a level of energy that’s even greater than it was in 2019 when we toured last.”
Joining him on stage are up-and-coming country stars Matt Lang and Cory Marks. Pritchett said he wanted a different type of show, instead of the traditional opening acts followed by a headliner. That means Lang and Marks will join Pritchett on stage throughout the night.
“I wanted to make it inclusive for everybody, and not just have an order that it needs to go in,” Pritchett said. “I wanted something different, so this show is amazing. Corey and Matt are two of the best live performers that I’ve seen in a long time.”
Pritchett’s newest studio album, Demolition, will be released later this year, but fans will have a chance to by copies at the Prince Albert show on Feb. 21. There will be one gold record for sale among those 300 copies. Pritchett said he’ll play a free house concert for the fan who uncovers it.
Pritchett has also just released a new single, ‘Just Wanna Feel It’, which he recorded at the suggestion of his son and fiancé.
“It’s a song that I found probably over 10 years ago through a publishing company that sent it to me,” Pritchett remembered.
“My son Jordan … along with his fiancé Danielle, they produced this record entirely, and when it came time to choose songs they were like, ‘what about that song you’ve been sitting on for so long? We always loved that tune. Why don’t you do it?’ ‘Just Wanna Feel It’ was probably the second song, I think, that we recorded in studio and I instantly fell in love with it. (I) went, ‘man, I can hear this on radio and I can hear people really loving this and singing it live at shows.’ It was just an easy fit.”
Prince Albert is one of 32 stops on Pritchett’s Tour. Even after 20 years in country music, he said his passion for performing is as strong as ever.
“For some reason I’ve just got this energy level that is just through the roof, especially at my age,” he said. “I’m getting older, but I’m not slowing down I just see so many great things in the future with music and the shows that it just energizes me. Seeing those crowds sing along to all the hit songs that I’ve had over the years, it’s an energy booster right there.”
Aaron Pritchett, Matt Lang, and Cory Marks will perform at the E.A Rawlinson Centre in Prince Albert on Feb. 21. For tickets, visit earc.ca.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
