Brad Rempel and the boys from High Valley will play the Conexus Arts Centre Tuesday evening and 620 CKRM got a sneak peak of the concert preparations this afternoon. Gloria Evans and I sat down with Brad Rempel to talk about the show, their new E.P., and staying fit while on the road.
Staying in shape is critical for Rempel because he is so physical on stage during the show.
“I’m normally an early riser with my kids at home, but here I’ve got to be jumping up and down on the stage at 10:00 at night,” chuckled Rempel. “Sleep in pretty late, wake up, and head to the gym right after lunch and some of the guys in the band have been joining me, which is first. All these years I’ve been a lone ranger and now there’s a crew of us which has been really, really fun.”
The “Small Town Something” tour has reached its half way point for High Valley and is a celebration of their latest E.P. of the same name. The title track has already been released from the project and as Rempel explains, does not stray far from the values of their music.
“Our music has always been very family focused, faith focused, the farming element, and small town element. “We’ve never had an album called “Small Town Something” until now, but it’s not really a new concept for High Valley.”
The last full length album High Valley released was back in 2022 titled “Way Back,” which yielded three singles, “County Music, Girls, and Trucks,” “Whatever It Takes,” and “Do This Life” featuring Alison Krauss. Having Krauss collaborate on a song has always been a major priority on Rempel’s list.
“My two highest by far (I don’t know who’d be in third place), are absolutely Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss. Ricky Skaggs recorded “Make You Mine” with us and then Alison Krauss recorded “Do This Life” with us so I can definitely die a happy man, chuckled Rempel, who went on to say he proposed to his wife with an Alison Krauss song 20 years ago.
Rempel reassured fans that the concert will still include their big hits from over the years mixed in with their new music. He says he and the band always pay attention to what’s been played on the radio, what fans are streaming, and what fans are requesting from the band on Facebook and Instagram.
Tonight’s show will start tonight at 8 and will include Tim and the Glory Boys prior to High Valley taking to the stage.