Trent Agecoutay has some mixed emotions about his latest single.
Agecoutay, a member of Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, has released a single titled Burn A Smudge.
The song is one of 10 that will be on his upcoming album, titled Uncle Trent And Friends – Legacy, which is expected to be released in the spring of 2025.
All of the songs were either written or co-written by his late father Jim Agecoutay, who died last year. The elder Agecoutay had performed at bars across western Canada for more than 40 years.
Agecoutay, who is also the afternoon drive host for Windspeaker Media’s CJWE in Calgary, is obviously disappointed his father was unable to finish this project. But he’s pleased he was able to continue his father’s work after his death.
“Everybody tells me he would be proud,” he said. “So, I’m going with that. I had a pretty good idea what he wanted with the songs. So that’s what we did.”
Agecoutay’s brother Bryce plays drums on the album. And the brothers helped produce it.
The brothers felt working on the album following their father’s death was cathartic. Plus, it enabled them to grieve their loss and reconnect with their dad spiritually.
Agecoutay said Burn A Smudge was originally supposed to be called Mountain Man.
“The music is primarily his,” he said of his father. But he added he only ended up keeping about 25 per cent of the song’s original lyrics.
“To me it’s about redemption,” Agecoutay added of Burn A Smudge. “There’s so much trauma and healing in Indigenous communities.”
Besides singing, Agecoutay also plays guitar on the single. During the track he talks about living in the city and urban life while also reminiscing about his past and enjoying bannock being cooked over an open fire.
In the song’s chorus, Agecoutay sings about burning a smudge for him as he is still lost and trying to find his way.
Several other musicians also perform on Burn A Smudge. There are mini solos from those playing piano, lap steel guitar, mandolin and electric guitar.
Agecoutay said he in all likelihood would not have been able to create his latest album had it not been for a pair of grants.
He received $15,000 from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts to cover the recording expenses.
“I probably wouldn’t have done it without the grant,” he said.
Agecoutay also received $19,000 from an organization called Calgary Arts Development to be utilized towards the marketing of the album.
Agecoutay, who is 49, said music has always been a major part of his life. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he was always fond of it.
He didn’t start playing guitar himself until he was 19.
“When I was a teen, I didn’t like music because we were broke all the time,” he said, adding he believed the music industry did not allow his family to be financial stable. “It was always a part of my life. But it was a love/hate relationship.”
Agecoutay added he is a third-generation musician. His grandfather, on his father’s side, was a fiddle player who played in polka bands in the 1940s and ’50s.
Agecoutay often joined his father during his performances, at times simply helping him load his gear in and out of various venues he performed at. Agecoutay started playing music himself, alongside his father, and continued to do so for more than 20 years.
Agecoutay released his debut album, titled I Don't Regret A Thing, in 2014. He put out his next album, called Now ... And Then, in 2018. And another album, which he named A Place To Call Home, was released in 2022.
Burn A Smudge can be heard here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW9bCI6lIUQ
