Al Tuck is a Canadian songwriter and folksinger, originally from Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

. He has spent much of his career based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Biography

Tuck was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...

, the son of editorial cartoonist and Anglican cleric Canon Robert Tuck. Al Tuck attended the University of King's College

University of King's College

The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....

 in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, 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 and The Bluegrass Lawnmower.

His formation of trio Al Tuck and No Action (with various musicians such as Tracy Stevens, Paul Mandell, Dave Marsh, 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

Murderecords

Murderecords is an independent record label that releases the music of the Canadian rock band Sloan. Originally formed in 1992 to produce just the records of that band, it later released work of other bands including Eric's Trip, The Hardship Post, Al Tuck, Stinkin' Rich, Hip Club Groove, The...

, the boutique music label managed by Halifax pop act Sloan

Sloan (band)

Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...

, as well as a nomination for an East Coast Music Award and an appearance at Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...

.

Tuck's song "Buddah" is featured on the soundtrack of the Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

-themed documentary Complete Unknown

Complete Unknown

Complete Unknown is an unreleased Bob Dylan-themed documentary film that screened at film festivals in Canada and the U.K. in 2003 and 2004. It was co-directed by Canadian filmmakers Griffin Ondaatje and Craig Proctor and features their comically circuitous pilgrimages with cameraman Simon...

.

Tuck was formerly married to singer Catherine MacLellan

Catherine MacLellan

Catherine MacLellan is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, currently based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The daughter of Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan, she was born and raised in Summerside, Prince Edward Island....

, daughter of renowned P.E.I. songwriter Gene MacLellan

Gene MacLellan

Gene MacLellan was a Canadian singer-songwriter from Prince Edward Island.Among his notable compositions were "Snowbird", made famous by Anne Murray, "Put Your Hand in the Hand, "The Call", "Pages of Time" and "Thorn in My Shoe"...

. They have one daughter, Isabel.

Tuck released Food for the Moon in 2009. In a favourable review, Now magazine

NOW (magazine)

Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....

 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

Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...

-produced animated short, Higglety-Pigglety Pop!.

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"

External links

• Al Tuck