Despite family and career obligations, The Lucky Ones are still dedicated to making music together
“In addition to recording a new album, we’ve also got some real cool and exciting stuff lined up for the coming couple years around the Yukon”
It’s not often The Lucky Ones perform in the Yukon these days. They have other commitments — children, careers, those sorts of things — and as a band have been focusing more on playing outside of the territory, bringing their uniquely northern brand of rugged hillbilly country music to other corners of Canada.
This summer, Yukon audiences will get to see The Lucky Ones at a handful of local appearances, including two slots at the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival (KMBF).
“Last time we played there, three years ago, it was kind of old lifestyles catching up to us, wheels falling off, but we were also becoming parents at the same time or just became parents,” says bandleader, vocalist, mandolinist and guitarist Ryan West. “It was kind of a standstill, like, is this destroyed? Does the band fall apart or do we go forward?”
Parenthood and sobriety turned things on a head for The Lucky Ones, forcing the members of the band to reassess their priorities. Playing music was still important and enjoyable for them, and they were committed to sticking together musically. In addition to West, and Ian Smith on vocals, guitar and mandolin, the group includes Kieran Poile on fiddle; Jeff Dineley on upright bass and Ryan McNally on banjo and pedal steel.
It released a new EP, “A Nickel for the Fiddler” last year and is looking forward to another season of touring this year. By touring occasionally, instead of playing regularly in the Yukon, West says he and his bandmates are able to focus on their families and daily lives when they are at home.
“We decided to package things a little more professionally and maybe play a little less at home and focus more on doing little tours outside of the territory,” he says. “So that’s where we’ve kind of taken it.”
Describing his band’s sound with words like “hillbilly” and “honky tonk,” West professes that The Lucky Ones wouldn’t be around without late Yukon fiddler, Joe Loutchan, in particular.
“We really like these people from around the north who were singing northern songs and telling northern stories about northern people,” West says. “We saw that as something that was dying off and we wanted to keep that tradition alive, so a lot of our stuff is really central to the Yukon and to the north.”
Gearing up to play the KMBF this year feels like something of a homecoming for West and his bandmates. The last time they played the festival was when they saw themselves come to a crossroads, and the new and improved well-oiled machine will finally get to be shown off to Yukon audiences this summer.
The KMBF takes place June 6-8, and The Lucky Ones will make other Yukon appearances June 10 at Arts in the Park in Whitehorse, June 12 at the ’98 Hotel and June 13 at the Village Bakery in Haines Junction.
“In addition to recording a new album, we’ve also got some real cool and exciting stuff lined up for the coming couple years around the Yukon, but I can’t really divulge too much on that yet,” West teases. “Perhaps another story in the future!”
After their run of Yukon shows in June, The Lucky Ones will head south for an Alberta tour, including an appearance at the Canmore Folk Festival. Because the music is uniquely northern, West says he loves getting the chance to bring stories of the north to other parts of the country and the world.
“We have so many tourists up here, and we never really thought too much of ourselves — it’s kind of the tourists who made us decide to do that, because they were always talking about how much they enjoyed our music,” he says.
“No matter where we go, we always seem to run into people who have been to the Yukon, or that we’ve met in the Yukon or who have been to the ’98. But also, for people who haven’t been up here but have always wanted to, to be able to share some stories and weave some yarn about the eccentricities of the colourful five per cent that are up here, it’s really special and it’s a privilege for sure.”
West candidly admits that being known as a travelling party band can take a physical toll on him and his bandmates, and now lives a sober lifestyle in favour of the longevity of his musical career.
“Now, living a sober life, it’s a real gift and a blessing to be able to be out there,” he says. “We’re still creating a party and still part of it, but we’re waking up in the morning feeling good and we’re able to have these conversations and meet these people and put our best foot forward and do it in a good way.”
With the recent news that some funding he had applied for has gone through, West is now looking forward to getting back into the studio to cut a new full-length album in the winter after his summer on the road. He already has plans for the new music, which he hopes to be able to start sharing early in 2026.
“It’ll be even more country and even more Yukon,” he says. To keep up with The Lucky Ones’ touring schedule and stay on top of their releases, visit theluckyonesmusic.com
