Corb Lund Discusses New Music, Things That Can’t Be Undone

Corb Lund is a Canadian treasure. No, wait, he’s a musical treasure. In a time when originality is lacking, Lund comes out with one of the best, if not the best album he’s ever done, Things That Can’t Be Undone (out October 9th). Not only is the music amazing, the conversation one has talking with Lund is without a doubt a treat and a chance to get to know the man known as “The Hurtin’ Albertan.”

Chuck Schultz: This is your first album of original music in  few years, what kind of approach and vibe did you want to bring?

Corb Lund: With the producer, Dave Cobb, we usually have most of the sounds done up. But Dave likes to have the raw  so we just went it and recorded them all live. It’s really the only way to make a record, don’t need to overdub, fills that kind of shit. Your grand dad’s type of recording ya know? We recorded the whole thing at Dave’s place.

S Lazy H, a song you played on the road the last couple years, seems to resonate with your fans, what’s the backstory on this epic tale?

S Lazy H was the one we played a lot yeah. I’m proud of that one, never thought I could write a five and a half minute song and keep people’s attention but it did. I mean everyone has had shit with families, lawyers and all that. Really this happens (the song) a lot where I’m from, ranching and farming. Trying to divvy it up, you just end up getting fucked. Truly a song that anyone can relate too, end of the day might be one of the best songs I’ve written.

“Weight of the Gun,” is a song I’d never think of when I think of your music. It has that cool Motown vibe where did that truly come from?

I had that riff for like 8 years and then we came up with words, rarely did the band work on songs together but we did on that one. More So they came up with the music and I came in later with the words. It’s a song nobody would ever expect me to record, but I like it and honestly after 8 albums, you get kind of stale, everything starts sounding the same so had to do something like this song. I credit Dave with that soulful sound.

Where there any songs you’d be sitting on and just decided it was time to record?

Sadr City, had the chorus and first verse for years had shit. So I interviewed the soldiers which the song was about. Really got their story and then the song just became what it did.

This record doesn’t really have any fun songs. I guess the factory song is but still really dark. Dave on this record really took everything and just Kristoffersoned it up. ​

Photo Credit Scott Council