by Scott Roos
pics by Deanna Roos
Jolie Blue, the comedic troubadour from Eyebrow, Saskatchewan is like a whole rodeo rolled into one. There’s clowning, wild, daring, larger than life antics, and a generous amount of horseshit. At the same time, though, that’s what makes the Jolie Blue experience so special. He sort of encapsulates Saskatchewan in the songs he sings. There’s no pretense in his delivery and definitely no filter. The man calls it like he sees it when he’s on stage, albeit in a humorous manner, and audiences that see him perform his schtick love him for it. They don't always agree 100% with what he's saying. but at least they have a good laugh at his expense.
“The comedy element is my strong point because I’m no singer. I can’t really play the guitar but I do like to make people chuckle. It works out nice because stand up comedy looks like one of the scariest things to try honestly, but if you’re doing it with a guitar like say you tell a joke that doesn’t land, you can start singing a song and then you’re a musician again. It’s kind of like a safety net. It’s the best of both worlds. I’m uncomfortable up there if I’m trying to be serious or sentimental. I feel way better trying to make people laugh,” Blue tells NSMZ.
Eyebrow’s “token hippy”, Blue spends time on the road as a fruit salesman for part of the year. He’s been operating his own fruit stand for the past three years. At harvest time, he’s comfortable sitting on a combine helping his dad out in the fields. There’s an everyman quality about him to be sure, but he’s also got charisma sort of like the weird guy at parties that people are drawn to even if they can’t explain why. The key, according to Blue, is being relatable with the people he meets in his travels.
“What works best for me is my relatability. Being raised in a small farming community, I know how to talk to people from small towns. I’ll go to the coffee shop and I’ll listen to what they’re bitching about and then write a song about it and everyone likes it because it’s what they were talking about in the coffee shop the day before,” explains Blue.
With a gruff voice, and minimalistic song arrangements, Blue’s overall sound can be best compared to the legendary Stompin’ Tom Connors or perhaps a peer like Tim Hus. What he writes about is sometimes ridiculous, but also, more often than not, hits home with a hard truth. Blue is the master of the comedic truth cocktail and his fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
At press time, Blue is getting ready to release a new album. Stay tuned to NSMZ for full details.