Midwestern, Zachary Lucky’s newest album due out October 18, 2019, is an unabashedly splendid combination of songs where each lyric and note seem to consider Lucky’s journey into a life he’s spent a long time roaming towards, away from, and longing for. Midwestern revels: the changing perspective of one’s life through the passage of time, finding love and hurting it, becoming a father and remembering yours, and even the state of the world today with our increasing lines of divide. The rugged, gritty baritone of Lucky’s vocals settle this album into an amalgam of harmonically-rich masterful storytelling.

As Zachary and I were discussing his upcoming album release, he was peeling an apple for his daughter, who had just recently turned one year old. We spoke a bit about the melding of his music career and family life, the life changes that come along with becoming a husband and parent and how most of those changes were very much a part of shaping Midwestern. He says his four-year-old daughter has been known to be his biggest critic, and while watching her develop into her own person has had a huge impact towards his outlook on life and music, Zachary says that it’s the everlasting time he spent on the road connecting with people that has also served to mold his song writing into what we hear on Midwestern. He says that touring and traveling the open road is something he earnestly delights in, but when he was younger it carried a certain credence… different than what it does now that he has a wife and daughters waiting for his return.

The first single released from Midwestern, “Didn’t Know That You’d Come Along” is exactly this difference and about the changes life presents us all. “I’ve seen the sunrise over the mountain peaks/ I drove a thousand miles to feel so free/ I always thought I would die alone/ Well I didn’t know you would come along.” Though these lyrics speak perfectly to where life has landed Mr. Lucky, he says the song actually began its life by the words of the chorus, “My stars are all shot down/ I’ve been waiting for morning to bring me back around” and those lyrics are more about a mutual friend of his and the song’s co-writer, Del Barber; this particular friend always being down on his luck. Zachary says there are definite parts of the song that speak to both his and Del’s experiences; so, while the song might not be so much just his story, it is absolutely a song that has parts within it telling of how he’s lived.

It’s the first song on the album that is altogether a story of Lucky’s own experiences and familiarities. He started his musical career sometime around his eighteenth birthday and from that point forward spent most of his time on the road: roaming, running, and never feeling the need to return to any particular spot. He learned to enjoy the road, the peace and clarity of mind a long drive can bring and the gifts that came with it all. And then, life saw fit to bring about changes. He met his wife, welcomed a baby girl into the world and started on his passage from constant wanderer to settled family man. The lyrics,“Didn’t know what I was looking for/ Didn’t know that it was you,” epitomize not only the song, but Zachary’s journey. The ache of the dobro and the pang of the fiddle oblige the vocals and lyrics stunningly. And, as is true throughout Midwestern, it’s Lucky’s soothing and tender vocals that create pronounced poignancy and immense emotion.

“Raining In December” similarly catches the same attention as a stand-out song on the album - one that again describes a life lived as a rambler wandering and wondering if the choices you’ve made are what you should’ve, and if leaving behind the home you knew “To get where you gotta be” is worth the sacrifices of the life you have chosen. Co-written by Richard Inman, “Raining in December” marries these contemplations with piercing instrumentals befitting of what Lucky calls the “song before production” aspect of music that he is drawn to and embodies the impression that Lucky and his band are playing directly to their listeners, another goal he hoped to achieve with the making of Midwestern.

Raining in December (written by Zachary Lucky and Richard Inman) performed live by Zachary Lucky at the Mule Spinner in Hamilton, Ontario. With Ivan Rosenberg on dobro and Mitchell Thomson on upright bass.

Mr. Lucky’s album is a seamless embodiment of what he says is “life will give you what you need, that’s something you can’t expect to change.” Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn or departure from our expectations, puts us places that aren’t ever what we expected and turns some of our choices into unexpected glories; it’s all these unexpected happenings that can arguably tell the best tales, make the best memories, and sing the best songs. Through Midwestern, Zachary has taken a lifetime of all he has never expected and some of the expected and created an incredible composition of growth, change, memories, and most importantly, music!

Credits:

Zachary Lucky conceptualized this album as one that would draw its listeners in with pure, stripped back, live sounds. He certainly wanted Midwestern to embody the sounds of the music and not an over production of its material. Most songs were recorded live and straight to analog, which indeed does provide Midwestern the sound and feel Lucky worked to achieve. The album was produced and engineered by Dan Hosh and recorded at Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario. Zachary is backed by Mitchell Thomson on upright bass, Will Fisher on drums, Kevin Neal on pedal steel and is also joined by Ivan Rosenberg on dobro (and vocals) and John Showman on fiddle. Additional accompaniments are Meg Contini (vocals), Richard Inman (vocals), Kristin Cavoukian (vocals), and Patrick Gushe on mandolin.

Additional recording done by Ivan Rosenberg at the Schtood Recording Studio in Toronto, Ontario and by Jamie Sitar at the Song Shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mastered in Ottawa, Ontario by Philip Shaw Bova. Artwork and design by Kendel Vreeling.

All songs written by Zachary Lucky except “Didn’t Know That You’d Come Along” (Zachary Lucky and Del Barber), “Raining In December” and “Sometimes I Wonder (How I Got This Far)” (Zachary Lucky and Richard Inman). Lyrics for all songs can be found at www.zacharylucky.com.

Zachary Lucky: Midwestern

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