Photo by Heather Pollock.

The Jim Cuddy Trio presents Countrywide Soul, a compilation of songs new and old that capture the essence of live performance. Countrywide Soul is a celebration of sorts – a celebration of music and the musicians who join Jim on stage each night. 

After an extensive tour in support of their album, Constellation, The Jim Cuddy Band reconvened at Jim’s family farm in Southern Ontario.  Inspired by the band’s live show, Jim wanted to capture this energy on record and showcase each member’s skill, allowing them to stretch out and shine.  Produced by Tim Vesely, Jim Cuddy and Colin Cripps, Countrywide Soul was recorded live on the top floor of Jim’s barn and kept as natural as possible to retain the woody sound of the barn board room and the energy that only comes from playing together live. 
 
“When we go into the studio to make records, the songs are born out of my imagination and the band contribute their incredible talents to make those ideas come to life.  The songs evolve and become part of our collective imagination,” explains Jim.  “But it is on tour that they really take flight.  We are connected by art.  We are connected by what we create together.  That’s what I wanted to capture on this record.  How much I enjoy listening to the band reveal their imagination and add their creativity to the songs was really the inspiration.  How vital that is to me.  So as much as this is a musicians’ record, it’s really an example – if you’re lucky – of what bands can create together.”
 
To achieve his goal on Countrywide Soul, Jim re-worked a number of songs previously recorded for his solo career and with Blue Rodeo.  To round out the record, he wrote two new songs and included a couple of favourite cover songs.