Garnet Rogers

The Calgary Sun Friday, April 3, 1998
Independent spirit rolls in
By BLAIR S. WATSON

For Garnet Rogers, his music is something to be protected.
The man with the fine baritone voice brings his guitar-driven brand of blues-infected folk to the Victoria Park Community Hall tomorrow.
Still fiercely independent, Rogers refuses to sign with a record company for fear it might sully his music.
Although he doesn't consider it "art" or "craft," he says he's just not willing to release any control of the music he makes. Why?
"Pig-headedness," says Rogers. "That's the short answer. The longer answer is, it's such a privilege to do this. I try to pay attention to the reasons I started doing all this in the first place -- to explain my own life to myself, to have fun and entertain people and to do something I care about in the best way I can."
The lack of a major label contract hasn't stopped Rogers from being productive. His own independent label, Snow Goose Songs, has released a total of seven solo records including last year's soul-stirring - though harder-edged - Night Drive.
"I think record labels, whether they be large independents or the giant corporations, tend to muddy up the process," he says.
"Because (record companies) have a vested interest and have invested money, they have a perfect right to stick their aura in and say "We don't like that mix, album, song or I don't hear a single."
"So suddenly you're dealing with a whole group of people who are telling you how to do the thing you want to do and care the most about," said the 42-year-old Rogers, who calls the Hamilton-area home.
Although his independent attitude is well known, this hasn't stopped the offers from rolling in.
"I was approached by what is probably the largest independent record company in the States a couple years ago. It was a company I really respect, I mean, I love the people they have recorded. It would be an honor to be on that label.
"The president said 'Look, I really want you on this label, you'll have complete artistic control,' and I said `great, where do I sign?'"
The deal eventually fell through when the label president told Rogers "the first thing we're going to do is get you into a studio with a professional producer."
"I'm not about to hand that over to anybody," says Rogers, who has produced his own work and that of several other artists.
His latest album, Night Drive, is particularly special to Rogers. The album features lyrics that point to Rogers' sense of loss -- he lost his brother and former bandmate Stan, who died in 1983 in a plane crash.
"The last 20 minutes of Night Drive is pretty much chapter and verse specific to life with Stan and life after Stan," he says.
"It was really the first time I directly addressed that in a song."