Edmonton blues and soul musician Kimberley MacGregor is a pretty prolific songwriter.
Though she has two CDs of her own and has played with a variety of other Edmonton bands, she never stops writing.
She returns to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, Sept. 24 with band mates bassist Melissa Walker, (Of Two Bears North and Scott Cook), slide guitarist Nathan Burns and drummer Geoffrey Hamdon-O’Brien.
“ We just did a 20 show tour in 18 cities in 18 days and lost a van along the way. But we got a new van in Qualicum Beach,” she said, taking a quick breather from her Edmonton home before heading to work at 6 p.m.
“It will be the same set up as last time, except Melissa Walker on bass. She’s amazing,” she said.
“When I recorded my first CD, I was playing in six different bands with all of them and picked the best players, then I found touring with a 13 person band wasn’t viable. So I pared it down to four,” she said.
In addition to touring a lot, she has also been writing a lot of new songs.
“I played the Folk Alliance last year, which was pretty amazing and will be playing it again this year. But I was also part of the Great Canadian songwriting challenge with nine different bands. We had to write and record a song every day,” she said.
“I’m writing a lot because I’m going to the Banff Centre at the end of Fall to write my next album and Harry Manx is my mentor, so I want to make sure I’m at the top of my game,” she continued.
“ I’m playing Canmore the night before the Owl. I’m playing the Wide Cut Weekend in Calgary and then I head off to the Banff Centre. I’d like to record the new CD in 2017,” she said.
She has never been happier since she abandoned the 9 to 5 world for the creative life.
“ At first I thought I’d be exposed as a fraud and people wouldn’t like them. I was managing a bank and, call it a quarter life crisis, but I decided if I didn’t do it now, I never would,” she said.
“ But I’ve felt so much support that I wasn’t just a singer and guitar player especially at the songwriting conference. I suddenly realized I can’t afford to worry about what people will think,” she said.
She is excited to return to the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
“It will be a hard rocking show. I have softer songs and heavier songs but when I have the band, I just go hard and the show ends up being heavier. And Melissa rocks it so hard on the bass, it‘s going to be great,” she promised.
KImberley MacGregor plays the owl Acoustic Lounge, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. Admission is by donation.
