Interview with Robbie Tucker

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

My Mom bought my Dad a guitar for a gift one year and I had an interest in it right away. I picked it up and could play by ear pretty fast. They quickly got me my own guitar and it became something my dad and I did together and it definitely brought us closer. I’m also into to baking and writing as well so if I hadn’t found melody I may have been more into short stories and novels.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

If I’m not creating music I’m usually taking a momentary break and enjoying my bicycle. I love a good long morning and evening ride usually when I can of about 20km or so. It’s really the best and my favourite place to come up with new ideas and lyrics. I’ve also been foraging mushrooms in the past few years which I love. However, Parkinson’s disease has really been making things challenging lately so most of my functional feel good time I’ve been putting into my music. Whatever I’m thinking about or whatever I’m enjoying in my life usually gets funnelled back into my music.

How long have you been making music?

Since I was around 7 or 8 years old.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I live currently and was raised in Miramichi. It’s a quiet, beautiful little spot but really didn’t have much influence on my music.

Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?

I stopped performing live in 2009 due to difficulties in dealing with trying to time my medication with performing. I was performing with my backup band The Dangerous Crayons, a fierce 9 piece rock group complete with 4 piece brass. All of the shows I performed with these musicians were memorable.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

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If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

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What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Just start writing and recording music that you love. Don’t record or write it for anyone else. Create something that you absolutely love. Something that moves you to tears while you’re creating it. Co-write and work with other people whenever possible. Do more things you’re afraid of you’ll only find growth in that experience.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

That would have to be WishBook from my Christmas album Peppermints (2020). I actually just finished a new video for it a couple of days ago which you can find on YouTube by searching WishBook (Storybook Version). Though it isn’t really a song but more of a spoken word piece it stands tall as the most emotional piece I have created to date. Not only does this story of the Sears Christmas WishBook bring back memories for me and my family of Christmases gone by, so too will it for others. I really would love to see this track catch on and become a real Christmas classic that’s listened year after year long after I’m gone.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

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What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?

Music just forms in my head. I appears. It’s been happening forever and it usually does not relent until I at the very least write it down. However the full expression of honouring the process can only be realized by completing the track and adding it to an album which gets released.

Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music, if so please tell me about them?

Absolutely I do! The most recent was discovered while combing through a number of Donald Trump videos on YouTube as I researched topics for my song TRUMP!!! I realized that though Trump does say some wild and outlandish things, not everything he says sounds all that nuts. Like that the media is corrupt which to me is pretty obvious. Can anything you see on TV or the news really be believed 100%?

The other topic is religion which I give my opinion on in my song Ohh Dee Ohh Doe! from my Christmas album Peppermints (2020).

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I am currently waiting for a brain surgery known as deep brain stimulation whereby electrodes are implanted in the brain and then connected to a generator which is placed under the skin of the upper chest. This will hopefully make my body function normally more often and hopefully allow me to take medication. I thought I would wait until after that surgery before I start working on new music. I do really wanna make a Halloween album and Carnival Harvey has been at me to do it for years so I may have to give in to him soon. Also I need to do volume 2 of The Way I Feel and part II of Two Boys. I think secretly I create things that I still need to finish so I never give up.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

I’d say I am most prolific on Instagram Stories but everything ends up getting shared everywhere anyways so I’d just say visit my  https://linktr.ee/robbietuckermusic and from there just pick your poison.

I’d like to thank you for your and interest and the opportunity to be part of this interview it is very much appreciated. Best, Robbie :-)