Gordie Tentrees Brings Nashville Album and Benefit Concert to Owen Sound
Don’t miss Gordie Tentrees’ Sept. 11 Owen Sound benefit concert, supporting The Women’s Centre Grey Bruce and showcasing songs from his new album Double Takes.
Canadian roots artist Gordie Tentrees has built a career on grit, heart, and more than 3,000 performances around the world. On Thursday, Sept. 11, he’ll bring that energy to Owen Sound’s Grey Roots Museum for the Gordie Tentrees Benefit Concert — a night of fantastic music with proceeds supporting The Women’s Centre Grey Bruce.
Tentrees is on tour with longtime collaborator Jaxon Haldane, performing songs from their new Nashville-recorded album Double Takes. Produced by Nash Chambers and featuring an all-star lineup of musicians, the record distills the duo’s decade-long partnership into ten original tracks. For Tentrees, it’s a milestone project — part bucket-list, part celebration of years spent honing craft and connection onstage and off.
Ahead of the Owen Sound show, we connected with Tentrees for a Q&A about the making of Double Takes, the stories behind the songs, and what keeps him inspired after decades on the road.
Q: Double Takes captures your long partnership with Jaxon Haldane. What made now the right time to finally record a duo album together?
Gordie Tentrees: “I always felt it was a bucket list item for me to make a Nashville recording, and in particular, I wanted to work with Nash Chambers, a producer who resides there. Doing it with Jaxon Haldane, my longtime tourmate-sideman, it just made sense.”
Q: It looks like the record was tracked quickly in Nashville with some incredible players. What was the atmosphere like in the studio during those sessions?
Gordie Tentrees: “On the first day, our minds were blown by the speed and efficiency, as well as the relaxed, worry-free atmosphere. We laid down the bed tracks — drums, bass, and guitar — for 10 songs in just seven hours.
Between grizzly bear stories they asked me to share, I learned that the bass player tours regularly with the Wallflowers and Dolly Parton, while the drummer normally tours with Peter Frampton and Tim McGraw.”
Q: Your songs are often described as both gritty and heartfelt. How do you balance humour, resilience, and vulnerability in your writing?
Gordie Tentrees: It's a fine line that I have learned to navigate over the years in front of audiences. Humour is the best medicine and if you can shed light onto the dark subject matters leaving the audience laughing while feeling a shift inside themselves.
Q: You’ve lived and worked in the Yukon for years. How has that landscape and community shaped your identity as a songwriter?
Gordie Tentrees:“After 26 years, it had built me up to be the performer I am, as well as a writer and multi-instrumentalist. Playing five instruments on stage is no easy task and getting the stages and support at home to work on it has been amazing.
I am very involved in my community and its history. I love taking the audience to the Yukon every night.”
Q: I've read that you’re also involved in reconciliation work with Indigenous families through songwriting. How has that changed the way you think about music’s role in healing?
Gordie Tentrees: “I am five years into working as a grief singing- song healer and have written 70-plus songs with strangers at first to support them in their healing journey.
It has brought all my precious experience in the human service field (teacher, counsellor, support worker) and combined it with music. It is by far the most proactive and impactful experience I have had thus far.
With nine albums behind you and so many collaborations, what feels exciting or new in your career at this moment?
Gordie Tentrees: “All of it has been a blessing, and I am so grateful that any of it has occurred.
Next week, I start recording a country blues-based record here in Ontario with Steve Marriner (Colin James band) and Jimmy Bowskill (Blue Rodeo), and we hope to fully record five new songs over three days towards another new record set for release in early 2026 that I am already excited about.”
We also asked Gordie what he hopes the audience in Owen Sound takes away from his benefit concert at Grey Roots on Sept. 11. “An experience that will stick with you for a long time,” he said. “I hope fans of everything between blues and bluegrass will get excited.”
Tickets are available through Eventbrite.