In these days of instant pop idols making the charts after being force-fed songs by record labels, it’s refreshing to see musicians score hits the old-fashioned way — honing their songwriting chops, polishing their harmonies and working hard at reaching fans through constant touring.

The members of Doc Walker are no strangers to taking the long road to success. The popular country-rockers have been at it since 1995, when teenagers Chris Thorsteinson and Dave Wasyliw, childhood friends from Portage la Prairie, Man., formed the group to play at a neighbour’s family reunion. “We had a month to learn 30 or 40 country songs,” recalls Thorsteinson, now 33. “But we pulled it off, and the next weekend we got asked to play the Legion. We made $150 each and that was it — we were sold on a life in music.”

Since then, Doc Walker has gone from strength to strength, releasing five studio albums and landing a dozen songs on the Canadian country charts. The group’s last recording, 2006’s self-titled album, featured five hit singles, earned a Juno nomination and was named Album of the Year at the 2007 Canadian Country Music Awards. The band has since been named honorary chairmen of the 2008 CCMAs, held Sept. 8, 2008, in Winnipeg.

Along the way, Doc Walker became relentless road dogs, building a large fan base by venturing deep into the heart of small-town Canada, where the band’s radio-friendly songs found a welcome home on country-music stations. Thorsteinson once claimed he could name every grain elevator between Winnipeg and Calgary. “We put over a million miles on two Suburban vans,” he says, “going out to Vancouver and east to Thunder Bay, playing bars seven days a week, five sets a night.”

Having paid their dues, the members of Doc Walker are now reaping the rewards as Canadian country stars, now based in both Manitoba and Nashville. And clearly, bigger things are ahead, with plans to break into the Australian, European and American markets. Beautiful Life, the group’s fifth album and third on Open Road Recordings, the Toronto-based label founded by manager and publisher Ron Kitchener, is its best work to date. Eight of the 10 songs, including the chart-topping title track, are original compositions. And the group’s harmony-laden sound, a cross between The Eagles and Alabama, has never been richer or more energized.

So why the late-career resurgence? Thorsteinson and Wasyliw point to the new songwriting role of guitarist Murray Pulver as the chief reason. Pulver, who played on previous Doc Walker recordings but only became a full-time band member on the last album, has emerged as a formidable composing force. In particular, he provided the poignant lyrics for Beautiful Life’s title track. Recalls Wasyliw, “Chris and I were at the band’s ranch outside Nashville, waiting for Murray, and I came up with this melody and chord progression. Chris said, ‘Remember that for when Murray gets here.’ When Murray arrived, he heard the tune and lyrics just started falling out of his head. We wrote it in 45 minutes and knew right away we were on to something special.”

Thorsteinson says that it was Pulver’s decision to relocate his family to Music City that made the difference. “Before, Dave and I would come down to Nashville for writing sessions and Murray always stayed in Winnipeg,” he says. “When he made the move and commitment, it changed everything. Suddenly, we were a trio with all of us making equal contributions. It’s like we found a new gear and it gave us a real boost of excitement.”

That boost fuelled the writing of the entire album, which came about more quickly than the previous recording. “We were guilty of over-thinking that last one, which took more than two years to make,” admits Thorsteinson. “We wrote 120 songs for it, because we didn’t have a producer lined up. We’d meet one and he’d like a certain song, so we’d write 10 more like that. Then we’d meet another potential producer and he’d like one particular thing and we’d write 10 similar ones. Finally, we hooked up with Justin [Niebank] and his whole thing was ‘Just do what makes you guys sound the best.’ It’s too bad we didn’t find him earlier.”

Niebank, whose credits include work with Keith Urban and Vince Gill, found the trio fully focused for Beautiful Life, which was recorded in a dizzying three-week session. The bittersweet ballad “On the Heels of a Heartache” was another song that came fast. “We were writing songs just days before going into the studio — without Ron or Justin even hearing anything — which was completely strange,” says Wasyliw. “But it put the process back in our hands.” Neil Young, whose “Comes a Time” Doc Walker recorded on its self-titled album, was again an inspiration. “Neil writes on the way to the studio,” says Wasyliw. “He has no time to digest it at all, which makes it exciting. Usually, after we’ve made a record and it comes off the press, I don’t open it for a while because you’ve reworked the songs and heard them to death. With this album, I couldn’t wait to hear it.”

Another inspiration was Randy Bachman, with whom Thorsteinson and Wasyliw co-wrote “Your Mama Don’t Know” on the last album. “Randy’s work ethic had a huge influence on us,” say Wasyliw. “He doesn’t have to work another day in his life if he doesn’t want to. But he wakes up every morning and is so driven. We wound up writing four songs with him in one day.”

Aside from Pulver’s increased contributions and the role of Can-rock heroes, a new maturity characterizes the current version of Doc Walker. All three members now have families, and the inevitable juggling of domestic and work schedules has forced everyone to be more efficient. “It’s funny,” says Thorsteinson, who has a two-year-old son with his wife, “you’d think having a family, you’d have less time. But actually, you manage your time better and you get more done. We’re all pretty focused.”

Thorsteinson also had some fast growing up to do after the sudden loss of his mother, Betty, who died last year of a heart attack. She’d been a major supporter of Doc Walker from its inception. “She did all the books for the band,” says Thorsteinson, “so it’s been hectic for me trying to take care of all that. She took a lot of stress off me. There were times when the band was in debt and I wouldn’t know about it. I just got to write songs and perform. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today.” Thorsteinson wrote a song about the experience, “Stay Brave,” which closes the current album.

All in all, Beautiful Life is a grown-up record from the Prairie boys. It’s also their most personal to date. Songs like “One Last Sundown,” “On the Heels of a Heartache” and the title track are filled with references to summer romances, local heroes and their hometown’s winding rivers. “I think scaling the lineup down to three guys who grew up together and with the situations we’ve all dealt with recently, it’s made us open up a little more as writers,” says Thorsteinson. “We’ve really found our niche now, saying what we want and making it real.”

Nicholas Jennings is a Toronto-based journalist who specializes in music.

FYI
Publisher: Roots Three Music, ole Media Management LP II
Selected discography: Beautiful Life (2008), Doc Walker (2006), Everyone Aboard (2003)
SOCAN members since: Chris Thorsteinson (1994), Dave Wasyliw (1998), Murray Pulver (2000)
Visit www.docwalker.ca

Uploaded Fall 2008

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Send them to Rick MacMillan, Words & Music Corporate Editor, at wordsandmusic@socan.ca.