After 30 years, this musician is finally releasing an album

There’s a special musical performance scheduled for this coming Saturday night at the Royal Canadian Legion. And it may come as a surprise to those familiar with the local music scene that it’s the debut CD release celebration for an artist who’s been a regular on stages across the city for more than 30 years.

Lindsay Pugh had his first live gig in Sault Ste. Marie 1986 during a Halloween party at Centennial Lanes.

He told SooToday he has always written songs, and has written and/or recorded with a number of other musicians. But it wasn’t until fellow Sault musician, Frank Deresti, started hounding him a few years back that Pugh decided it was time he recorded his own material. Deresti produced the upcoming release, and Dustin Jones recorded the album at his Mission Control Studio.

The process took more than three years. Frank, Dustin and Lindsay all had children in the time it took for the album to come to fruition.

“We took a couple of summers off from recording,” Pugh said. “When we started doing it, there was no deadline. It was good in a way because we’d come back to it with fresh ears.”

His vast experience recording with other musicians allowed him to go into the studio better prepared and with a relaxed attitude, he said.

“Everything was ready to go. There was no creating in the studio,” Pugh explained.

The album, titled Leave It All Behind, spans Pugh’s musical influences, from blues and funk to country, surf and southern gospel. The first set of the CD release performance will showcase the album in its entirety. The second set will pay homage to the artists that have influenced him throughout his career, including Townes van Zandt, Willie Nelson, The Rolling Stones, and Ray Charles. Joining him on stage Saturday night will be Frank Deresti, Cliff Alloy, Liam Seymour, Al Wood, Marshall Jaaskelainen and Val Powley.

Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at Thomas Walls School of Music, Big Guns Barber Shop, and the Rad Zone. Doors open at the Royal Canadian Legion at 7 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m. and copies of Leave It All Behind will be available.