Cochrane brings songs, stories to Brandon

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This article was published 25/11/2023 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tom Cochrane’s dad once told him he thought Tom was crazy when he asked him if he was doing the right thing pursuing a career in music. But the senior Cochrane, a bush pilot who aided in the start of Manitoba town Lynn Lake, where Cochrane was born, told Cochrane not to listen to him, but to “appreciate every moment.”

After enjoying a music career that has spanned 45 years, Cochrane is still appreciating every moment.

“I never forget that. I tried to never forget that I’m doing something that I really love,” Cochrane said.

The singer-songwriter will hit the stage at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium on Monday night in an intimate performance with Bill Bell, another Canadian musician, called “Songs and Stories. The Duo.”

It’s not the first time Cochrane has performed in the Wheat City. He has been here numerous times, most notably in 2005, when he received an honorary doctorate from Brandon University.

“When I found out about (the BU honour), I was so excited. I said to my youngest daughter at the time, I said, ‘Evanne, Dad’s getting an honorary doctorate from Brandon University!’ And she was very stressed at that point in her life because she was doing exams for her last year at university. And she said, ‘Well, that’s great, Dad, but can you leave me alone now, I’m studying for a real degree.’

“Out of the mouths of babes, you know, the great levelling. They keep things in perspective,” he laughed. “It’s one of the great honours of my life is to have that doctorate from Brandon University. So it’s going to be great coming back.”

Cochrane has also won eight Juno Awards, been named an officer of the Order of Canada, is in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, on the Canadian Walk of Fame, was given the Order of Manitoba and most recently Manitoba Highways renamed the 322-kilometre section of PR 391 the Tom Cochrane Life Is A Highway. He also has a large collection of humanitarian awards, mainly for his work with underprivileged children around the world.

Accolades aside, Cochrane said he is excited to be performing again and is looking forward to the “Story” part of the show.

“There’s about 11 or 12 songs that were so-called hits and hits in Canada that people want to hear. And obviously, that’s the framework of the show. Then we do quite a few deep tracks that people haven’t heard for a while,” Cochrane said.

“‘Northern Star’ makes an appearance pretty much every night. I love that song because it’s about my older daughter that left to study in Europe, and she’s never come back. She’s happy over there … That’s when you really realize they’ve grown up, and you’ve kind of released them from the nest. That’s a powerful moment. I find it’s pretty stirring for people during the show.”

Cochrane and Bell will play the show using just their guitars and voices. The musician has chosen to do this tour without his band, but he will still be including a string of hits, including the iconic “Life is a Highway.”

“I remember when ‘Life is a Highway’ came out, my dear buddy, Dean Cameron, who was president of Capitol (Records) at the time, said ‘Tom, get the net!’ He was a fisherman. His expression for a hit song was ‘get the net.’ In other words, we got a big fish,” Cochrane laughed.

“But ‘Life is a Highway’ is like that. It’s got a life of its own … I’m very blessed to have those (hits) as well as have this incredible following, and in Canada in particular. I’m just happy to keep doing it.”

Cochrane, who said he is not a rocker, but a singer-songwriter who likes to rock sometimes, said the style of “Song and Stories” allows him to connect with his fans on a deeper level. It also allows him more vocal range and expression, which he said can be difficult with a full band.

This will be Cochrane’s second-to-last show on the tour, which started on Nov. 10 in Medicine Hat, Alta., and will end on Wednesday in Yorkton, Sask. Cochrane, who got his start in coffee shops, is loving the intimate venues that remind him of his more humble beginnings.

“There’s kind of a living room intimacy, and it’s wonderful connecting with the fans … The comment I get a lot is ‘I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve always seen the band and I couldn’t imagine the songs without drums and bass.’ Yet they’re just shocked at how powerful the songs are,” he said.

“There’s more of an emphasis on the lyrics and on the vocals — and what I can do with my vocals. Whereas with a band, the vocals tend to be not quite as multi-dimensional, I can’t do as much with it. And so, it’s alive. I think (acoustic shows) are a very strong part of Canadian heritage — the Gordon Lightfoot tradition, the Bruce Cockburn tradition. We have a very strong cultural tradition of folk singers and singer-songwriters in this country and that’s really where I’m coming from.”

At age 70, Cochrane has no plans to slow down yet. He plays the Great Canadian Casino Resort in Toronto on New Year’s Eve, and then in May will be joining other Canadian rockers like Blue Rodeo, Burton Cummings and William Prince for the Celebrating Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert in Toronto.

The show in Brandon starts at 7:30 p.m. There are a handful of seats still left for the show. Tickets are $88.25 at the WMCA.

» khenderson@brandonsun.com