The Devin Cuddy Band - Volume One (2012)

Devin Cuddy has always made music his way, and some might argue, the hard way. As the son of one of Canada’s most beloved singer/songwriters, Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, country rock has been the soundtrack to Devin’s entire life—he was born the same week Blue Rodeo began recording its 1987 debut album, Outskirts. But from the moment Devin was drawn to playing music, he was determined to get as close as possible to the sources of all the sounds he loved, whether they were made by rock and roll’s founding fathers, the Grand Ole Opry’s honky tonk heroes, or Jelly Roll Morton and the kings of jazz.

Mastering those styles was only taking things halfway, though. The most important lesson Devin learned from his dad was that the way a musician truly develops their craft is in front of audiences. From his home base at the Cameron House, the Queen Street West club that has long been the epicenter of Toronto’s roots rock scene, Cuddy has done just that on almost a nightly basis. At the same time, he has helped cultivate a growing contingent of like-minded young musicians to slowly but consistently spread the word coast to coast.

After a significant period of writing original songs and honing them with a dynamic band featuring guitarist Nichol Robertson—Canada’s answer to every Nashville god of twang— Zack Sutton on Drums, and Devon Richardson on Bass. Devin and company recorded Volume One in 2012 with engineer Tim Vesely, formerly of the Rheostatics. Rough-hewn and lively, the album reflects Cuddy’s musical dexterity, and unique lyrical approach.

Songs such as “She Ain’t Crying Over Me,” “I Got A Girl,” and “Signal Hill” are examples of Cuddy’s timeless approach, while on songs like “Afghanistan” and “My Son’s A Queer,” he shows no fear in tackling contemporary issues. The two worlds probably blend most seamlessly on “Sidewalk In The South,” a personal account of hanging out in Oxford, Mississippi, which pays musical homage to the New Orleans standard “St. James Infirmary.” The track is further proof that while Cuddy is as no-nonsense a performer as they come, he is by no means a traditionalist.