Quick Q and A with Kori Heppner (Fred Eaglesmith's band)
 by Kathy S-B  ·  27 February 2010

Fred is currently touring all over the place and it wasn't easy getting a hold of him for our blogspot! In lieu of Fred, here is a Q and A with Kori Heppner's drummer.

To learn more about Kori, Fred, and the rest of the gang, simply go over to their website, which is full of information! Here is a video of Fred singing a haunting song about lost potential called "Alcohol and Pills."

We understand that you’ve been doing a lot of recording in the past few months. How would you describe your newest songs? Any surprises?

Fred Eaglesmith style bossanova - ish. Some of it is swampy, some of it sweet, all of it good!

Fred is often referred to as an alternative country singer. To the uninitiated, how would you define alternative country vs. just plain old country?

I often call it rural rock. It doesn’t sound like what is going on on commercial country radio these days, that's for sure! But it is what is going on with us, and our fans, and people in general these days. What things are like, what they used to be like, and what we are learning about ourselves. . .

Do you still play with both The Flathead Noodlers and The Flying Squirrels?

No, the band is always morphing... These days it is the band with the Fabulous Ginn Sisters opening the shows and singing back up. It is a different sound yet again. We call ourselves the Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Circus. We have Fred, the girls, the boys, a baby and a dog. Things are always changing, especially the sound and the show.

The diehard fans are called Fredheads. How long has this fan love affair been happening?

People like Fred, and people like Fred shows. They are always different, so if he comes to your area, or somewhere you want to go to, you can catch show after show after show, without seeing the same show twice. Fred is clever, and the shows are about what is going on then and there as well as the bigger picture. The shows are fun, they can make you laugh and if you let them they might make you cry too. . .

How did you get involved with World Vision and their work with sponsoring children in poverty stricken area around the world?

When we are in Canada, we set up the profiles of children who are looking for sponsors to help their communities prosper, providing the basics like food, clean water, clothing, shoes, education, and hope. We have been working with World Vision for about two years now and have signed up more than 150 kids! That’s 150 kids who have had their lives changed by Fred fans, that is a nice thing.

< Quick Q and A with Kerri Powers  |  Quick Q and A with Kelleigh McKenzie >