Singles Spotlight:
Freightliner –
“Canadian Cowboys”

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At SWT, we continue to shed some light on deserving bands, and this post is about the wonderful Canadian band Freightliner that was formed in 2019. As the press release for the fantastic song, “Canadian Cowboys” notes about the band’s members, “With Freightliner, (Innes) Wilson has fully embraced Americana, in collaboration with guitarist R.P. McMurphy, drummer Joshua Osmond and bassist Liam Vickery. The band’s profile has been steadily rising through its catchy, hard-driving sound that recalls the glory days of early alt-country, when the likes of Uncle Tupelo and Steve Earle infused traditional sounds with punk rock attitude, while writing songs about small-time life.” I don’t know about you, but I really love that last sentence. It has me eager to listen to more music from the band.

It continues, “The Vancouver-born Wilson, now based in the university town of Guelph, Ontario, has been a familiar name within Canada’s indie folk scene for the past two decades, with about a dozen solo releases to his credit, along with several coast-to-coast tours that included opening slots for The Sadies, Julie Doiron and Timber Timbre. At the outset of his career, Wilson also worked closely with Adam Sturgeon of OMBIIGIZI and Status/Non-Status.”

The band’s previous discography includes the EP’s Innes Wilson’s Freightliner (2022) and Innes Wilson’s Freightliner II (2023). I recommend taking the time to listen to both after you finish today’s spotlight.

Looking into more info about the band’s most recent single and you’ll find, “Ontario roots rockers Freightliner continue their winning streak of singles with ‘Canadian Cowboys,’ an anthemic track whose timing likely couldn’t have been better. As the opening line says, ‘Canadian Cowboys in L.A. / Heading down south seeking fortune and fame/Never will you ever see something more out of place/ Than these denim boys walking down them streets where palm trees sway.

Freightliner’s main songwriter, singer-guitarist Innes Wilson explains that the song grew out of a long-held dream that he and most small-town kids have about making it big in Hollywood, where their natural talent will immediately be recognized. Wilson juxtaposes that notion with the image of a kid from rural Canada, dressed in full denim as usual, sticking out like a sore thumb in sunny California.

‘Obviously it’s not our dream now. But the youthful innocence in hoping to be a star really captivates people and is relatable to every creative person who grew up in a small town, whether from Canada or elsewhere. Our producer Ross Hayes Citrullo picked this song out of our whole unreleased catalogue and heard the potential. He worked with us on the arrangement to reflect the energy of the lyrics and the overall message that we are all waiting for our moment to shine, and maybe one day it can happen.'”

Now that we’ve explored the band and their discography, and a bit into today’s song, let’s give credit where it’s due on the song “Canadian Cowboys”:

• Brandon Barbeau: Lead Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Piano, Organ
• Joshua Osmond: Drums, Percussion
• Innes Wilson: Vocals, Tenor Guitar
• With special guest: Ross Hayes Citrullo: Electric Guitar
• Gang vocals: Brandon, Josh, Innes, Liam Vickery and Ross
• Cover Art Design: Cameron Law at Cameron Design Co.

Seeking fortune and fame in LA, mixed with the starting point of being a cowboy in rural Canada, provides a great foundation for the lyrics and theme of this song. It’s more light-hearted than you may expect. The rollicking melody allows for a great guitar solo, as well as consistently good musicianship on drums, percussion, claps, and organ. The result is a fun listening experience from the opening note to the closing one. And thus the song serves as not only a great song to introduce Freightliner to a wider audience but also to include the band as a well-deserved entrant into our Singles Spotlight series here at SWT.

But just don’t take my word for it, press play and see what you think:

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com