Ottawa-based country rock musician Norm Brunet is pleased to announce the release of his new single 'So Long' out now on all digital streaming platforms. 'So Long' follows the release of Norm's 2019 Reflections EP and is a classic rocking country track with metaphorical lyrics about living during the COVID pandemic and trying to keep the faith. A lifelong Ottawa resident, Norm’s artistic ability was evident at an early age. With a diverse appreciation for music, Norm counts among his many influences, the country tinged southern rock sound of the Eagles and Poco, Americana artist Rodney Crowell, and the rocking sounds of John Mellencamp and Bob Seger to name a few.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil: Hey Norm Brunet, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hi Kamil, thanks for your interest in me and my music, much appreciated! I first got into music at a very young age listening on a small battery operated transistor radio that my friend had while we were playing baseball and a Rolling Stone song “Satisfaction” came on! I remember getting that feeling of, “I can do this” so I would imagine myself playing guitar in a band and replicating those songs… I eventually got my first guitar for Christmas and had one professional lesson as part of the package deal and I basically taught myself from there onwards. I wrote my first song at 15 yrs old (not a very good one) and it was a springboard to the pleasure I felt from it and my writing hundreds of songs over the years. Not all, obviously made it to records but it is a discipline that I stick to, to this day!
Describe your favourite and least favourite part about being a musician.
My favourite part is obviously the satisfaction of creating music, writing songs, recording and then presenting them to the public by way of listening platforms as well as performing them in front of an audience. I’ve been blessed with great reactions from the public on my music over the years.
My least favourite part is probably the countless hours and days on the road over the years performing and being away from home, it’s always a “hurry up and wait” feeling as you get to a city for a show, usually hours before and at first it’s a blast but as we age it doesn’t get any easier… LOL
Your latest song is 'So Long’. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
"So Long" follows the release of the 2019 “Reflections” EP and prior to that the 2017 “It Don’t Get Better Than This album”, both critically acclaimed and the new single, “So Long” is a classic rocking country track with metaphoric lyrics about living during COVID and trying to keep the faith.
I wrote this track after being sidelined during the pandemic, not being able to perform or tour took away my livelihood and it was hard to remain hopeful. “So Long” is about what it was like to live through the pandemic from a musician’s perspective and how it felt to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel when COVID ended. It took me a while to come up with a different way to express musically what most of the world endured during these dark moments and the first line of the song that I came up with; “I’ve Been Drifting On A Stormy Sea, For So Long” was the inspiration that got the creative juices flowing.
How do you differ from most other artists?
All of the artists, musicians, the arts in general, they all have that one thing that differentiates them from the others, I think mine is my voice. I developed a smoky, whiskey throated vocal from playing years in smoke filled bars and my ability to create hooks in my songs. One review I got in my early years was from my local Ottawa Citizen newspaper:
“His tunes are exceptional! Substance? Plenty, Hooks? Norm could open his own tackle shop!”
Where are you from and do you have a stable home or do you prefer travelling?
I was born in the town of Beauceville, in the province of Quebec. My parents then moved to Ottawa where I was raised in Canada’s Capital and I still live here. I have had the opportunity to visit many countries, cities over my career but there is always that feeling of coming home, I really like it here. It is a beautiful environment with plenty of green spaces and it is rich with culture. I always look forward to getting home after a run of shows, my home is my sanctuary!
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Without trying to sound too cliché, my music is original and true to my way of creating. My influences over the years have been that country-tinged southern California sound of the Eagles, POCO, Americana/Country artist Rodney Crowell as well as the rocking sounds of John Mellencamp and Bob Seger to name a few. Those artists paved my musical pathway.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
Oddly enough I’m not one to sit in my studio and bang out song after song, I’ve tried that over the years and discovered that although I may have new material, it is not always very good so I prefer to let the inspiration come to me, it is mostly observations of life, I never know when it will hit me but usually when it happens I’ll have a musical hook in mind and that develops into a few lyrics and then the song!
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
I think firstly it would be the Eagles, they are by far my favourite band and influence in my career. Although I hear they don’t have opening performers… LOL, but my second choice would probably be an acoustic performance before Rodney Crowell’s show, as much as I really tripped on his “Life Is Messy” album which was a country rock masterpiece, he has crossed over to a more Americana acoustic feel over the past few years and it really showcases his writing abilities and I’ve always liked the opportunity to play my own music as it was written on the guitar and it is always special for the audience to hear how it was originally created and for them to hear the anecdotes of it in an intimate setting.
Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
I would probably say, my good friend Dan Artuso who also owns the recording studio I have worked in for years. Dan and I first started working together on my very first album, “Me & My Guitar” and over the years we have come to know each other very well musically, he’s a multi instrumentalist and is by far one of the best musicians I know! You can hear his telecaster and steel guitar on my new release “So Long” as well as countless other sessions from my past recordings.
What are your plans for the future?
Pretty much what I’m doing now - once a musician, always a musician! It’s not a career that you retire from, as long as the public is interested in seeing and hearing me, I will always have something to say, something to sing about and I always look forward to showcasing my new musical creations. My team and I are planning some shows for late summer and fall here in Canada and who knows, perhaps Europe, see you down the road!!