A Podcast Conversation With ... Murray McLauchlan

By Bill King

Tomorrow (July 9), Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Order of Canada recipient and 11-time Juno Award-winning artist Murray McLauchlan releases his milestone 20th album, Hourglass, through his long-time record label partnership with True North Records.

Expect more folk and country flavoured songs of a personal, philosophical and topical nature. “I tried to make the compositions simple and accessible, like children’s songs for adults,” says McLauchlan. “I’ve never tried that before. I’m pushing 73 now and I still feel I’m getting better at what I do.” He adds: “Every album is a little different journey. You go where the muse leads you.”

Much of Hourglass was written in the past year, during anxious Covid times of mask-wearing, social distancing and seemingly endless lockdowns. “I’d hesitate to call it a pandemic album, though,” he says, “because the album reflects a view of the world and global events that have been evolving for some time.” In particular, McLauchlan sets his sights on chronic issues like systemic racism, economic disparity and rampant consumerism, what he calls in one song the “global greed machine.”

Although he’s now in his sixth decade as a singer-songwriter, Murray McLauchlan is not one to rest on his laurels. Learn more about his new record and much more in this FYI podcast.