< >Conrad Bigknife
Conrad Bigknife’s third album, Full Circle, displays a self-assured maturity with a mix of soaring country vocals, shimmering guitars and catchy choruses while also maintaining the fundamental signature of his heartfelt delivery. There’s a simple beauty to these songs that is worth paying attention to. It’s not your typical honky-tonk country sound – that’s not Conrad – that’s not who he is. The songs are not over-dressed so what you hear on the album is truly how you hear it live.
Ancestry: First Nations
Language: English
Genre: Folk
Albums
Awards, Nominations & Submissions
| 2011 | Best Folk / Acoustic CD | Full Circle | Nominee |
Biography
He’s come… Full Circle…
Conrad Bigknife has returned from a long creative sabbatical with the highly anticipated release of his new album, Full Circle. “My last two albums haven’t been me,” says Conrad. “I want everyone to hear my true sound – who I really am.” Conrad Bigknife’s third album, Full Circle, displays a self-assured maturity with a mix of soaring country vocals, shimmering guitars and catchy choruses while also maintaining the fundamental signature of his heartfelt delivery. There’s a simple beauty to these songs that is worth paying attention to. It’s not your typical honky-tonk country sound – that’s not Conrad – that’s not who he is. The songs are not over-dressed so what you hear on the album is truly how you hear it live.
From the opening seconds of the title track “Taking On All of the World” through to the end of “47 Days” the listener experiences an authentic connection with the lyrics and music. “I feel like I’m finally doing exactly what I was meant to do with my music” he says. “For the past 15 years I was playing in a country music cover band and it just wasn’t fully me. I never knew if the audience was clapping for my performance or just because I was playing a popular song that they loved. So I started to sneak my own songs into the sets we’d play. I wanted to see what would happen.” It turns out Conrad’s original tunes were as appealing and memorable as some of the country and soft rock classics he was covering. He noticed that after playing a few of his songs several times during a long set, that the people on the dance floor started to sing along to his songs just like they had during the Elvis, Eagles and country hits covers. There were some good times playing those cover songs too. Conrad recalls, “One of my most memorable moments was Nashville North Stage 1997. I was singing my last song, ‘Unchained Melody’ by the Righteous Brothers. As the song came to a close, the entire place erupted into thunderous applause and a standing ovation. It was honestly one of the greatest moments of my life. Now, I want to have those kinds of moments singing my own songs.”
Those moments have begun to happen for Conrad. He recently got a standing ovation from a crowd of people at Casino Moose Jaw. He was performing for a small crowd of about 50 people but the stage is open to the entire casino. At the end of his performance the entire casino stood up clapping and cheering loudly for the great performance he gave. In the past Conrad has toured in Western Canada and played in Nashville. He has opened for the Bellamy Brothers, Martina McBride, Michelle Wright, Sawyer Brown, Rick Tippie, Doc Walker and Tom Cochrane. He knows what he wants and he knows where he wants to be.
He also knows who he wants to be with. Conrad and his wife, Shannon, are a husband-and-wife songwriting team. When asked what it’s like writing songs with his wife Shannon, Conrad reveals a very personal side of himself. As We Are is actually a song about our marriage. It’s from Shannon’s point of view. It’s about the flexibility and understanding that we have as individuals. We don’t feel like we are trapped because we are married but rather we truthfully believe the heaven’s brought us together.” The lyrics are: As we are what will be - Full on living you and me - As we are we’ll never find another road like yours - Another road like mine. The vocals on As We Are and the stripped down style are reminiscent of some of Keith Urban’s mellower, easy-going songs like “Memories of Us.”
Conrad, who is Cree, grew up in a large, close-knit family with 3 sisters and 4 brothers on the Starblanket First Nation (near Balcarres, Saskatchewan). He remembers his father as the ultimate “Jack-of-All-Trades” driving snow plow in the winter, doing carpentry year round and raising cattle on their farm. His Mom somehow managed to take care of all of the kids and also drive school bus. At the age of 8, Conrad remembers listening to classic country albums with his Dad. Some of his favorite performers were: Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Freddy Fender and of course, Johnny Cash. By the age of 13, he was a full on Elvis fan. He says, “There were times when I got very close to sounding like Elvis on “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog” and right then I knew that music was what I was going to do with my life.” Conrad will still play some of those beloved Elvis songs for the older fans who request them. It’s part of his giving nature – his grounded roots.
Conrad donates part of his CD sales to the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Regina, SK to help feed hungry families. He has also been donating his performance for the past two years for the Brighter Futures for Children fundraiser which provides programs for kids in need at the Regina Early Learning Centre and the SCEP Centre. Conrad also teaches children guitar and music lessons at the DayCare Centre on the Starblanket First Nation. “It important to give back – to help those who need us the most,” says Conrad.
Conrad has come - Full Circle. This new album promises to be the best yet. “The fans really like the new songs and love watching me perform,” says Conrad. “Thanks for your support! I couldn’t do it without you.” Conrad is planning on conquering the world one country - one continent at a time. “Hope to see you there!”
