Big Valley Jamboree: Travis Dolter interview

Travis Dolter is a local country artist, University of Alberta alum, and farmer. Ahead of his set at the Big Valley Jamboree, Dolter talked with The Gateway about his recent release, his merch, and being from Alberta. 

On his most recent release, “Older Than We Were,” he said “it opened quite a few doors for me. I wrote it with Aaron Goodwin down in Nashville. It’s about how we always feel further along than we are. When I was 16, I got my license and I thought I knew everything. And now I’m 25, and I look back on 16-years-old and it’s so young. They really don’t know everything about life yet,” he explained. 

Dolter said he was inspired by his own rural upbringing to write the song. He noted that when you grow up rurally, getting your license allows a massive amount of freedom.

In comparing the past and present, Dolter said “growing up, you learn a lot of lessons. Every song I write has a story behind it, and every song has my own personal experiences driving it.”

Dolter’s upcoming release, expected to come out in October, is called “Tailgate Therapy.” 

For the track’s music video, Dolter said “we parked a truck out in our back 40 in a canola field right after we finished seeding. I bought a drone for the video and we’re going to have it so the crop is growing around it.” With the track releasing in October, the music video is to be released before November, Dolter said. 

On being a Canadian, and Albertan artist, Dolter said “I’ve grown up rural, it’s my home. Especially with everything going on, I’ve always been a proud Canadian, proud Albertan. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” 

“I want to make music that everybody can enjoy. Upbeat songs with narratives anybody can see themselves in,” Dolter says

And in his music, he makes others from rural Alberta feel represented as well. “All of my friends are from small towns and they all say how much they resonate with my music. But I want to make music that everybody can enjoy. Upbeat songs with narratives anybody can see themselves in as well,” he explained. 

Dolter said that with a lot of his days being stuck in a combine, since he’s also a grain farmer, he comes up with some songs, or ideas, during that time. “I’m stuck in there without any entertainment for hours on end during harvest, so whatever pops into my head. Then I take those and I co-write with my bandmates and some friends of mine in the music industry. And we take those raw ideas and turn them into something that’s meant for everybody.” 

For his merch, his family helps him make them, and they line up with stage antics to make for a marketing technique. “We make all of them ourselves. And I do the designs,” he said. Some of the designs he noted were one with a car featured in one of his record covers, and one with a rubber duck.

On being able to play Big Valley Jamboree, he said that since he’s from the area, “it’s really cool to get to actually come here and perform for all those friends of mine.”