Old Man Luedecke
with support from Amy MacKay
Hebrides People Visitor Centre, Northton, Isle of Harris
Friday, 17th July, 2026: 8pm
Doors 7.30pm
Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time JUNO award winning and Polaris Prize nominated singer-songwriter Chris Luedecke. Known for his high energy banjo-driven stompers, touching guitar ballads, and dryly humorous stories, Luedecke has been making a soundtrack to an authentic life for nearly twenty years.
Old Man Luedecke returned to the music world in 2024 with his new album "She Told Me Where to Go". Written while at sea on a scallop boat, it is a journey through the darkness and light of mid-life, and wrestles with the value of an artist in a time when music is ingested in 15 second incre-ments. Produced by Afie Jurvanen (AKA Bahamas) over 2 years, "She Told Me Where to Go" finds Luedecke abandoning his signature banjo for exhilarating parts unknown.
"I was just going over to my neighbour's house to get some scallops for dinner", says Chris Luedecke. "Knowing that the live music world had slowed, he asked me if I wanted a job on his boat". And so, Chris began going out to sea in the North Atlantic, not far from his Nova Scotia home. He was giving up the game of music.
During downtimes, Chris' family would tap their maple trees and host all-day sap boils over an open fire. A frequent visitor was Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas).
"What about not playing the banjo on your next record?" Afie suggested. Afie's question was rooted in how much of a fan he was of Chris's song writing, and that maybe perceptions of the banjo distracted from that. "I was a banjo player, known for my old-time Appalachian sound, and Afie thought that I should just write songs without the instrument in mind."
It might have been easier to just quit the game and stick to scallops, but being able to let go of the instrument that made him brought new life to Luedecke - to his songs and the album that sprang from it.
Title track “She Told Me Where to Go” is prominently featured in the video game “Pacific Drive” on PlayStation 5 which was released on February 22, 2024.
In May 2022 Luedecke was awarded an honorary doctorate from King’s University in Halifax for his cultural contributions.
Amy Mackay was brought up in Northton in South Harris immersed in Gaelic music and culture (crofting). She started singing at age five during school music lessons with Iain ‘Costello’ MacIver and has sang ever since competing at Mòd competitions. Amy has a great interest in local songs and stories and regularly performs at cèilidhs and concerts.
Tickets – Adult £16 / Child (6-14) £6 / 0-5 free (please secure them a ticket when booking)
Our grateful thanks to all at the Hebrides People Visitor Centre for their support hosting this event.
Tickets bought can be collected at the venue