Corb Lund

by Jason Birchmeier
Corb Lund is a Canadian roots-country singer/songwriter whose third album, Five Dollar Bill (2002), established him as a favorite among critics. Prior to his mainstream breakthrough, he was a member of the Smalls, a punk rock band from Edmonton who never attained commercial success but were a regional favorite during the 1990s. Born in Alberta, where he grew up on his family's farm in the small town of Taber, Lund moved to Edmonton to study music at Grant MacEwan Community College. In 1990 he co-founded the Smalls with a few college friends. Comprised of Mike Caldwell (vocals), Dug Bevans (guitar), and Terry Johnson (drums) in addition to Lund (bass), the band made its full-length debut in 1990 with the eponymous album The Smalls. Subsequent Smalls albums include To Each a Zone (1992), Waste and Tragedy (1995), and My Dear Little Angle (1999). Meanwhile, Lund founded a band of his own, the Corb Lund Band, with Kurt Ciesla (bass) and Ryan Vikedal (drums) in addition to Lund on vocals and guitar. Initially considered a roots-country side project, the band released two albums, Modern Pain (1995) and Unforgiving Mistress (1999), while Lund was still active in the Smalls. After the breakup of the Smalls in 2001, the Corb Lund Band became a full-time endeavor for its namesake. Signed to Stony Plain Records, the band traveled to Nashville to work with producer Harry Stinson on its third album, Five Dollar Bill (2002), a breakout hit that reached gold sales certification in Canada and earned the praise of critics. Lund collaborated with Stinson again on his next album, Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer (2005), a similarly successful effort that was awarded Album of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association in 2006. The follow-up albums Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (2007) and Losin' Lately Gambler (2009) were also produced by Stinson.