Jim Cuddy is not a name that requires introduction in these parts. Actually, it’s unlikely Cuddy needs an introduction anywhere in Canada, as his band Blue Rodeo has been a crucial vertebra in the spine of independent Canadian music since the late 80s. But Cuddy’s solo work is not nearly as well known as Blue Rodeo’s, despite his first two albums receiving gold ratings for record sales, and the concepts at work on his recent album, Skyscraper Soul (his first in five years), will surprise a few fans accustomed to themes of Canadiana and country life.

"I don’t want to compete with Blue Rodeo and I don’t want the guys in the band to feel like I’m trying to have a contrasting career," reveals Cuddy during an interview at a downtown Ottawa hotel. "I want my solo stuff to be just enjoyable and for the reasons of putting together more music. Also, it takes me a couple years to find a season when Blue Rodeo will rest," he adds, chuckling.

"On this album I started by putting together a song for my wife’s film, and that song is a good example of something different I was working on – the trumpet is the main instrument and leads us through styles: bluesy, a little Spanish town feel, a bit jazzy, even a bit Burt Bacharach-y. All these songs are kind of sounds in my head, and I use the instrumental template to help me form a style for the record."

The title of Skyscraper Soul is also an interesting clue to Cuddy’s inspirations. Despite being associated with country- and roots-driven music through Blue Rodeo, Cuddy explains that he’s a Toronto native and, much like the other members of the band, spent his life growing up in urban environments.

"The idea was to write some songs about being in the city, because I’ve projected my imagination into rural settings for a long time," explains Cuddy. "The city has always been a really big source of inspiration for me, just in terms of being an artist, having artists there, [and] this is what we write about, the human condition, everyone lives on top of each another, etc., and so I wrote the song Skyscraper Soul to begin with, just in defence of the city. I am certainly not trying to make a thematic record, and I’m certainly not trying to portray myself as a character in the record, but think that what happens a lot of the time is that there are two songs that I write: 1) I write songs that are simply about my own life, biographical, and 2) I write songs where there are characters, which I inevitably inhabit. Often the guy in the song embodies fears, worries, concerns that I have. Inevitably, I inhabit characters that are not me."

The Jim Cuddy Band
w/ Doug Paisley
At Place des Arts’ Théâtre Maisonneuve
February 10