Goodvin looks ahead to return to Lucknow's Music in the Fields
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
If you live in Huron County and have listened to the radio in the past five years, you’re probably already familiar with the music of Alberta-born Aaron Goodvin. “Bars and Churches”, “Boy Like Me” and “Good Ol’ Bad Days” are just a few of his songs to find critical and commercial success, and his smash hit “Lonely Drum” is an inescapable earworm that’s been inspiring cowboys, farmers and country gentlemen across the county to switch out their whiskey and beer for a crisp, quaffable glass of Chardonnay.
The Citizen caught up with the Nashville-based musician by phone ahead of his upcoming performance at Lucknow’s Music in the Fields. Goodvin was part of the festival’s 2018 lineup and the artist and his band couldn’t be more excited to be coming back. “We played it once five years ago, and obviously COVID has stopped us from coming back. I love it up there - I‘m from a small town, so I’m always super happy when I get to play a small town,” explained the affable young star.
Playing smaller venues and events has been the mandate this year for Goodvin and his band of merry troubadours. “This summer has been really great. I played Thunder Bay a week ago, and it’s just been really cool to hit the smaller festivals this year. Next year, we’re going really big. We’re so busy in the U.S. right now - we’ve got quite a few dates coming up.”
The country singer partially attributes his early success in the north to the support of radio stations. “We’ve had some big hits in Canada, and radio up there’s been a huge help, and I thank them every day for that. There’s a lot less of that down here. I think there’s something like 10,000 songs uploaded to Spotify a day. We just want to get the word out and we’re doing it the grassroots way - play some venues and then go back six months later and try to sell [them] out.”
Though he’s not one to be deterred from his country music dreams for any reason, Goodvin recalls experiencing some challenges during the height of COVID. “The word rollercoaster really comes to mind. COVID was a hard time for me because I believe my purpose is to be out there on stage, connecting with people and playing my music for people. It’s truly what I love.” Not being able to perform for a few years wasn’t all bad, though - it helped him gain perspective on his personal life and career. “The whole experience humbled me in a really big way to know that every time I get up on stage it could be the last time. There’s no guarantees.”
Returning to live performances in 2022 was a welcome relief for the charismatic performer and his band. “Last summer, we weren’t sure if COVID was going to knock it out or not, but what ended up happening for us was that a bunch of people that were confirmed to play places but then couldn’t play, so they’d call us and we’d fill in - we ended up doing a lot of shows!”
Goodvin remembers his previous performance in Lucknow as being very positive - one of the many reasons he’s so excited to return. “I remember the hospitality. It was a really, really well-put-on event. For a small town, you never know what to expect. I was just blown away by how accommodating everybody was. We got treated very well. The bands were great. It was just all around a really great festival.” In 2018, the lineup included Brett Eldredge, Brett Kissel, and Gord Bamford, and this year features Chris Young, LoCash, and Jade Eagleton.
Much has changed between those two festivals, and Goodvin is looking forward to reconnecting with Lucknow fans to experience the fruits of those changes together. “The biggest thing that I think is so cool is that we’re going to play a bunch of songs that everybody knows. We can almost do a full set of songs that have played on the radio and been hits for us, and that’s such a blessing… I absolutely love what I do and I feel like when I go out there my band and I are best friends - we are always cutting up and we’re always having a blast.”
If you’re interested in having a blast with one of country music’s rising stars as he cuts it up with his best friends, be sure to turn on, tune out, and drop in to Music in the Fields at Graceland in Lucknow August 24 - 26. Buying tickets well in advance online is highly recommended, as they tend to sell out quickly.