Page 15 - Giv'er Miramichi Magazine - Christmas Issue 2022

The Way I Feel - Vol. 1

Robbie Tucker talks about his new
Emotionally Charged Folk-Rock Album

and the magic of song writing.

The seed for this album was planted when a family perfectly with the ones I added. It also fits the theme and
member gifted me her son’s old 12-string guitar. After minor message I’d hoped to infuse into this album.
repairs and a fresh set of strings, I was ready to test out my Jesus Beatrice - I began writing this song in 2014 for my
new friend. It was love at first strum! The freshly wound 4th album, Acoustic Fudge. However, I didn’t get it finished.
strings rang out with such full and Though it may have taken me some
harmonic brilliance that the new time to complete, I’m so proud of
songs immediately began to form in myself for finally conquering the
my head. Song writing is magic. beast!
For this new project, I wrote six I open up on this album and write
new songs and used four older songs about the problems I’ve experienced
I’d previously written. These songs related to living with Parkinson’s
were either finished but never disease for the past 17 years,
recorded or unfinished, in which case something I hadn’t allowed myself to
I finished them. do before this project. I never want to
I spent the next two weeks cross- come across as ‘whiny’ or ‘poor me’
legged in the middle of my living because I understand that it can
room floor, fully immersed in the always be worse. However, the never-
writing process. The new songs came ending need for medication,
quickly, only requiring a pencil, combined with isolation, and the
writing tablet, and pencil sharpener. inability to work, have become
Within a week, I completed the significant factors in my life and are
chords, lyrics and vocal melodies for all topics expressed on The Way I Feel
the new tunes. Six songs, ready to Vol.1. Don’t worry. It’s not all doom
record! Then I placed them to the side and gloom. There’s always a fun way
and started finishing the old ones. to tell a story.
It can take a moment to get back I will continue to make music for
into the groove when working with an incomplete song, and as long as possible in whatever capacity is available to me
in some cases, I have to ask myself, “where did I leave off?”, because there isn’t anything I love more. I’m so excited for
“why didn’t I finish this?”. But, in the case of Jesus Beatrice, you to listen to this new album, and I encourage you to reach
which ended up being the final track on this album, I out to me with your feedback! Finally, I want to say thank
immediately remembered why it remained incomplete. It’s a you for listening, truly. It means the world to me. Making
monster! “When you need to pull out the scissors and a glue music is why I’m here; at least, that’s the way I feel.
stick to finish a song, you know that it’s going to be epic,” I
posted on social media while working on finishing this track. Musically yours, Robbie Tucker
Here are the four old songs.
Robbie Tucker is a singer, songwriter and producer from Miramichi,
The Way I Feel: This is the oldest song on the album, New Brunswick, continues to pump out true art rife with fantastical
written around 1996 when I was still pretty new to song imagery. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of his debut album.
writing. Having this song on the album is so cool for me but
having it end up as the album title? Well, that feels magical. Seventeen years after being diagnosed with early onset
Parkinson’s, Robbie Tucker no longer performs live. But he’s far
Don’t You Know - I bought a dulcimer one year for my from finished creating exciting new music, and nowhere is this more
birthday and soon after wrote this tune. I love the earthy vibes apparent than on his latest release, The Way I Feel Vol.1.
the dulcimer bleeds out.
Robbie Tucker’s complete discography is available on Bandcamp
Are You Struggling - My memory isn’t great on this one. at https://robbietuckermusic.bandcamp.com and on every major
I only know the lyrics I’d already written previously, mixed streaming platform.

Giv’er Miramichi is published by MCG Media 15