Leeroy Stagger Sobers Up

06/26/09 3:13pm

by Sheena Lyonnais (CHARTattack)

Rock 'n' roll dealt a rough hand to British Columbian-turned-Albertan alt.rock singer Leeroy Stagger.

The young Canadian battled alcoholism while he tried to make it as a touring musician. That relationship eventually forced him to choose between having a music career or wasting away with liquor.

While musicians have been known to battle vices in the spotlight, the bulk of Stagger's problems occurred before people really started paying attention to his music. He released five albums prior to sobering up.

"I think a lot of it had to do with my attitude," Stagger says. "I was a drunk. I always had my guard up. I probably let a lot of people down that would give me a chance and show up to see me and I'd blow the show. It's a fine line. I don't think everybody perceived me like that, but I think I did burn a few bridges in the past.

"It wasn't exactly the happiest of times. It's part of that whole image and you kind of get sucked into to that and I'm just not one of those artists that is great when I'm on something and under the influence.

"I don't make great art when I'm fucked up. It's something that I've had to discover about myself and learn the hard way, and now it's time for redemption and time to go out and make a big splash."

Stagger has the recently released album Everything Is Real, a new band (Leeroy Stagger And The Wildflowers) and a fresh perspective. He's slightly shifted his music from an alt.country feel into a more rock-driven direction, which has allowed him to become more accessible to a wider audience. That's something he is very excited about.

"I don't want to say I've abandoned that whole vibe, but to me I really wanted to do something that appeals to a wide audience. This is the first tour where I've actually seen a lot of young, hip kids showing up and mixing in with the older folks who still want to rock 'n' roll, so it's been really cool to see that happening," he says.

The result is perhaps one of his most relatable and focused releases to date. While he's previously played with acts like the Pixies and Modest Mouse, he says this is the first time his head feels clear and he feels in control.

Aside from performing with this band, he also runs a collective record label called Rebeltone Records, which he uses as a platform to release his material and material from his other project, a folk trio with American songwriters Tim Easton and Evan Phillips called Easton Stagger Phillips.

They will release their debut, One For The Ditch, later this summer. It's something that probably wouldn't have been possible had he not refocused and sobered up last year.

"Every day is a struggle, but it's so awesome to not be worried about things now," Stagger says. "I can literally live one day at a time and one gig at a time and one song at a time and that has been the best thing for me.

"I struggle with it like anyone with an addiction or a substance problem, but my life is so fuckin' great right now that I've got a smile on my face and I'm happy doing what I'm doing."

Leeroy Stagger And The Wildflowers will play a few Canadian tour dates before they head over to Germany in October. You can see them here:

June 26 Kingston, ON @ The Living Room
July 4 Port Moody, BC @ Golden Spike Days
Oct. 9 Bad Frankenhausen, Germany @ Panorama Museum
Oct. 10 Weimar, Germany @ Zwiebelmarkt Festival
Oct. 13 Miltenberg, Germany @ Beavers
Oct. 14 Karlsruhe, Germany @ Jubez
Oct. 15 Neuenkirchen-Voerden, Germany @ Kulturbahnhof Neuenkirchen
Oct. 16 Frelsdorf, Germany @ Bostelmanns Saal
Oct. 17 Singwitz, Germany @ Kesselhaus
Oct. 19 Norderstedt, Germany @ Music Star
Oct. 21 Frankfurt, Germany @ Sinkkasten
Oct. 22 Heilbronn, Germany @ Stereo Total
Oct. 23 Stuttgart, Germany @ Laboratorium
Oct. 24 Lahr, Germany @ Schlachthof
Oct. 25 Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Bonni
Oct. 27 Solingen, Germany @ Kulturzentrum Cobra
Oct. 28 Mulheim, Germany @ House Concert
Oct. 30 Wesel, Germany @ Jugendzentrum Karo
Oct. 31 Lauchhammer, Germany @ Real Music Club