Jason Collett talking about his new album and the role of folk music in Canadian culture

ISHMAEL N. DARO / MICHAEL CUTHBERTSON
Arts Writers

After a big meal, what does singer-songwriter Jason Collett choose for dessert? Cake or pie?

“I go for pie if I can get a slice of cheese with it,” Collett said without much hesitation when reached at his home in Toronto.

Perhaps pie is the blue-collar dessert and it would certainly be appropriate for Collett, who just released the stripped-down acoustic album Pony Tricks, which reworks nine songs previously released on other albums and two new tracks.

Collett picked up music early on but with the pressures of raising a family, his journey to the stage took some time.

“I kind of came about it ass-backwards because I just realized I couldn’t stop playing music,” he said.

Collett worked as a carpenter and woodworker for years, only playing music part-time. At one point, however, he joined some friends in the Toronto band Broken Social Scene, which exploded in popularity in 2002. That success finally allowed Collett to pursue music with all his heart.

“I love songwriting more than anything, so if I can have the time in a day to do that I’m happy as a pig in shit.”

-Jason Collett

In a way, Pony Tricks is a return to his roots. Long before he toured the country with a backing band — or with the amorphous Broken Social Scene — he played gigs with nothing but his guitar.

Still, his tour in support of Pony Tricks isn’t about nostalgia.

“I’m in a different mindset; it doesn’t feel like the old days at all,” said Collett “This feels fresh to me.”

Collett says touring alone also lends itself to greater intimacy with audiences.

“I think a big part of doing a solo tour is actually telling stories, and it’s something you can’t do too much of with a band, mostly because they just get impatient. They’re there to play. They don’t like me when I’m getting all long-winded.”

That story-telling element is of course central to good folk music, and Collett has good company on tour. When he plays in Saskatoon on Nov. 19, he will be joined by Halifax artist Al Tuck, who has been sharing his stories with crowds for about 20 years.

“I think he’s the best songwriter of my generation in this country,” said Collett, naming Tuck as one of his major influences and calling him “a well-aged wine” and “a national treasure.”

At this point in his career Collett has seemingly accomplished more than most people could hope for, playing for tens of people as well as for tens of thousands. But the singer doesn’t take it for granted. With his children audible in the background, he reflected on his unlikely path from carpenter to professional musician.

“Having spent a large part of my adult life working in a trade, I think it’s given me a good appreciation of what it means to actually work,” he said. “Therefore, the lifestyle that I have now, I feel like I’m on vacation all the time.”

Jason Collett plays Amigos Friday, Nov. 19 with Al Tuck

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image: Victor Tavares