Tim Hus will make you sit up and pay attention to his songs, story songs that capture the pioneering spirit that motivates and inspires truck drivers, miners, rum runners, trappers, men of the land, men of the sea, and vagabonds.

Part of a new generation of Alberta-based songwriters who have been nurtured on the tapestry of sounds that country music served up in the sixties and seventies, Hus points to many life experiences and the influences of family and specific musicians when it comes to assessing his own make-up as an artist.

“I look up to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, and road dogs like Fred Eaglesmith. Then there’s all the people I meet out on the road and the stories that come with those introductions,” says Hus, citing the influence of other artists including Corb Lund, Ian Tyson, Woodie Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot.

The summer of 2009 marked a career highlight for Hus when he had the opportunity to tour with the late Stompin’ Tom Connors on a number of dates across the nation.

“It’s not a secret that Tom is one of my heroes and it was quite the time out on the road with him. I could tell you all sorts of stories, but we’ll leave those for another time,” laughs Hus, who was honored to work with the legendary Connors.

Connors made his appreciation for Hus’s songwriting skills known as the two played before large and enthusiastic crowds, declaring, “I’ve been looking for 30 years for a young guy who’s proud to write songs about our country. I’d like to pass the torch to Tim Hus.”

Tim Hus is at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on February 26. All tickets are $25.00.