Al Tuck

Biography

Tuck was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, the son of editorial cartoonist and Anglican cleric Canon Robert Tuck. Al Tuck attended the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and began appearing in Halifax coffeehouses and college pubs, either as a solo performer or with his first couple of bands, namely The Columbia Recording Artists (band name suggested five minutes prior to taking stage for their first gig at University of King's College Wardroom in Halifax, N.S.) and The Bluegrass Lawnmower.

His formation of trio Al Tuck and No Action (with various musicians such as Tracy Stevens, Dave Marsh, Doug Under, Henri Sangalang, Matt Murphy, Charles Austin, Paul Mandell, Phil Harmonica, Harry Norris, Devon Henderson, Angus Parks, Lukas Pearse and Brock Caldwell) coincided with increased attention on the burgeoning Halifax independent music scene in the early 1990s. This led Tuck to a recording deal with Murderecords, the boutique music label managed by Halifax pop act Sloan, as well as a nomination for an East Coast Music Award and an appearance at Lollapalooza.

Tuck's song "Buddah" is featured on the soundtrack of the Bob Dylan-themed documentary Complete Unknown.

Tuck was formerly married to singer Catherine MacLellan, daughter of renowned P.E.I. songwriter Gene MacLellan. They have one daughter, Isabel, (2005).

Tuck released Food for the Moon in 2009. In a favourable review, Now magazine wrote, "Tuck’s voice – thin, rough-hewn, distinct – reaches out intimately, and his songwriting never drops beneath top-shelf."

In 2010, Tuck was the voice of Milkman Cat in the Spike Jonze-produced animated short, Higglety-Pigglety Pop!.

The album "Under Your Shadow", which displays a range of song-writing from the personal to the apocalyptic, followed in 2011 under the Maple Music label.

In June 2013, Tuck's studio album Stranger at the Wake was longlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.

"Fair Country", which is a mix of original songs, co-writes with poet Alex Rettie, and covers, was released digitally in 2015 and then in CD format in 2016.

December 2016 has seen the release of a tribute album, featuring 15 of Tuck's songs, performed by 15 of his musical friends, and produced by Adam Gallant of Charlottetown, PEI. Two of these songs, "In the Days When the People Were Small and Few" and "Behind that Big Red Curtain" (also the name of the album), were not previously recorded by Tuck in his eight studio albums to date.

Arhoolie (1994) – Murderecords

1. "One Day the Warner"
2. "Bone of Contention"
3. "In My Dream"
4. "Your Place or Mine"
5. "Good & Ready"
6. "The Grey Aria"
7. "Doing My Time"
8. "Country Blues"
9. "Just Fine"
10. "Hand It to You"

Brave Last Days (1994) – Murderecords

1. "Last Waltz at the El Strato"
2. "Buddah"
3. "Can I Count on You"
4. "Mr. Fixit"
5. "Train of Thought"
6. "I Can't Pretend"
7. "Sign on the Window"
8. "Face Down on the Page"

The New High Road of Song (2001) – Brobdingnagian

1. "Eliminate Ya"
2. "Killing Time"
3. "Not a Lot of Laughs"
4. "(Damn Near) Do Me Justice"
5. "Not I"
6. "Tips of My Fingers"
7. "When It Rains (Flora)"
8. "(Arise, Arise, Ye) Drowsy Sleeper"
9. "Bean's Blues"
10. Hurry (Soon It'll Be Too Late)"

Live at the Rebecca Cohn (2002) – Independent

1. "Careless Love"
2. "Imaginary Friends"
3. "In the Days When the People Were Small and Few"
4. "Peach-Picking Time in Georgia"
5. "February's Snow"
6. "Five-O"
7. "As Soon as We Kiss"

My Blues Away (2005) – Independent

1. "Falling for Catriona"
2. "February's Snow"
3. "She Quit Me in a Nice, Good Way"
4. "As Soon as We Kiss"
5. "Let Her Go, Let Her Go, God Bless Her"
6. "Evil Eye"
7. "That's How She Goes"
8. "On the Train"
9. "Brother from Another Mother"
10. "I Handed You a Line"
11. "Mona Lisa"
12. "Big O' Me"
13. "Sister Grace"
14. "Six Strings, Nine Lives"
15. "The Hour Meets the Man"

Food for the Moon (2009) – Independent

1. "Every Red Road"
2. "Talk (or Hold Your Peace)"
3. "Tuck My Blues Away"
4. "Dunk River Deceit Blues"
5. "Food for the Moon"
6. "Snowbird"
7. "What Kind of Soul"
8. "Ready (as I'm Ever Going to Be)"
9. "Everyman"
10. "The Birds"
11. "Every Little Thing"
12. "Queen of the Isle"
13. "Free Me"

All Time Favourites (2010 compilation) – Youth Club Records

1. "One Day the Warner"
2. "Good and Ready"
3. "Hand It to You"
4. "Count on You"
5. "Buddah"
6. "Face Down on the Page"
7. "When It Rains (Flora)"
8. "Bean's Blues"
9. "Eliminate Ya"
10. "Brother from Another Mother"
11. "That's How She Goes"
12. "Big O' Me"

Under Your Shadow (2011) – New Scotland

1. "Slapping The Make On You"
2. "Saltwater Cowboy"
3. "None But Your Mother"
4. "No Need To Wonder"
5. "Every Day Winning"
6. "Hello, Prince Edward Island"
7. "Ducktown"
8. "Yawnsville"
9. "Wishing Well"
10. "Tomorrow"
11. "Under Your Shadow"
12. "O Come O Come Emmanuel"

"Stranger at the Wake" (2013) - Cameron House

1. "There is a God" 2. "There is a War" 3. "Five-O" 4. "Asylum Square" 5. "There is a God" (Part II) 6. "Stranger at the Wake" 7. "Two Muses Unopposed" 8. "We Didn't Dance" 9. "That Married Life" 10. "Let it Go (Over Yonder)" 11. "Paid In The Middle Of The Night" 12. "There Is A God" (Part III)