With a new record out and another one coming next year, the Yukon bluesman is taking time off from the road, to nourish his creativity
My kids are at the age where I think they would appreciate having their dad at home more, so I’m gonna stay here and I’m not gonna go back out until next summer, which is the longest time that I’ve stayed still.
Gordie Tentrees
Gordie Tentrees is in a weird position, as he says. Just this spring, he put out his most-recent album, a collaboration with Winnipeg-come-Oklahoma bluegrass singer-songwriter Jaxon Haldane, called Double Takes, and he’s already working on an album with an early-2026 release in mind. But in the meantime, he’s slowing down and taking some time off from the road to be at home with his family and tap into his creativity.
“I’m in an ultra-creative space and I’m just riding it,” he says. “It’s kind of bizarre. I’ve never put out two back-to-back records so quickly, but here I am.”
Tentrees and Haldane recorded Double Takes in Nashville, last December, with producer Nash Chambers and a group of Nashville musicians. While Tentrees drew on Bob Dylan’s influence to make a Nashville record using Nashville musicians, he admits it felt much different for him to record songs with musicians who had not performed onstage with him—other than Haldane, with whom Tentrees has been playing for 10 years.
“I think it has its own vibe to it, and its own story,” Tentrees says. “It’s a great little way to put a time capsule on my experience, playing with Jaxon Haldane, which has been amazing.”
Being in Nashville gave Tentrees access to an endless pool of world-class musicians. One special guest musician, who appears on Double Takes, is Charlie McCoy, a multi-instrumental session musician who has played with Elvis Presely, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings and Roy Orbison. The record also features drummer Shawn Fitcher, known for his work with Peter Frampton and Tim McGraw and bassist Steve Mackey, known for his work with Dolly Parton.
“It’s just kind of a funny thing to imagine being somewhere and you can just ask anybody that you want if they’ve got time that afternoon to come down and play on your record,” says Tentrees. “That’s just what they do there.”
Making two albums in close succession, Tentrees wanted to make each one different, exploring a multitude of styles, techniques and production methods. Double Takes was meticulously crafted, with retakes and overdubs, while, for his upcoming record, Tentrees has opted to go the live-off-the-floor route.
“I like them both; they both serve a purpose,” says Tentrees of the two different recording approaches. “Personally, if I had to pick one, it would be live-off-the-floor. There’s just something you can’t duplicate in the feel and sound.”
Tentrees started working on his new record during an eastern Canadian tour, this spring, though he’d had the idea kicking around for a couple years at this point. He stopped at Ganaraska Recording Co. in Baltimore, Ontario, to start the recording process. The studio is a converted farmhouse run by Jimmy Bowskill and Steve Marriner, complete with a vast array of vintage recording equipment. For this record, Tentrees decided to lean more towards the blues, something that had been on his bucket list for some time.
“I haven’t really entirely made a blues record before,” he says. “I’ve only done sort of folk, Americana and country-blues records. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be neat to try to make a real blues record?”
Tentrees committed to the first round of recording sessions, then realized he’d better start writing some songs. Tackling the album in two passes, he’s currently writing the second half, working out of his backyard studio in Whitehorse.
“I’m writing the rest of the record as we speak,” he says. “I’m just consumed by it.”
Tentrees is doing something different this winter than he has most of the past 25 years: he’s staying home.
“My kids are at the age where I think they would appreciate having their dad at home more, so I’m gonna stay here and I’m not gonna go back out until next summer, which is the longest time that I’ve stayed still [in my career], which I’m really excited about,” he says. “I’m coaching my daughter’s hockey team, for example, and I’m going to be doing some community work where I go to communities and play music.”
Tentrees has gone to Old Crow for a week at a time, a couple times through the past year, to play music with the youth and build relationships in the community, and plans to do that some more. He also works with a team that writes healing songs and he is looking forward to putting more attention into that work.
“I’ve really stepped into that role. I’ve been doing it for the last five years,” he says.”I’ve created this space for myself where I’ve become a healer in a sense that I use music to support people, as a helper in their healing journeys, so I’m really enjoying that. I do it three days a week, minimum, when I’m not on tour, so I’m going to really dig into that this winter.”
Tentrees is confident that being home for a rest will help with his creativity, as he spends time with his family, community and nature.
“I have this feeling, as songs are just coming out really fast at the moment, that by the time I get out of this winter I’ll be thinking about another record,” he says. “It’s really fun to be in that mindspace and also really nice to dig into my community and my family, which are really important to me. Instead of trying to cram all that in-between tours, I’m really going to just celebrate that and embrace it.
“I’m stoked to be working on a new record,” he says. “Life is good. I can’t think of a better thing to be doing. I’m lucky to still love something that I do.”
Visit tentrees.ca to keep up with Gordie Tentrees’ music, shows and more.
