Levi Hummon's trip to Boots and Hearts 2019 wasn't his first time in Canada to play, but it was the first time on a festival stage north of the border with his full band.
Hummon hit the Front Porch Stage on Friday and took a few minutes to hang out with us to talk about his music, writing songs, and playing on big stages with major country music stars. Even during our conversation, it was clear the Levi was excited to be at Boots and Hearts and to be making a living playing music.
Levi Hummon's country music education started early and continues to this day because he wants it to. When he was growing up, the house was filled with lyrics and melodies as his father, Marcus Hummon ( Bless The Broken Road, Cowboy Take Me Away, Born To Fly) and his colleagues would write together. He told us that even when he wasn't thinking about it, he was soaking it in and learning about lyrics and melodies and how to write a chorus and a verse. He has no doubt that the ever-present creativity rubbed off on him.
The subject of genres came up too, with Levi being a big fan of a lot more than just country. He's fond of saying, people's playlists go "from Dolly Parton to Tupac" now with more room for merging and appreciation for a wider variety of music. We'd read about him loving rock and punk like The Clash, Ramones, The White Stripes, and he told us that he still does, but that every time he picked up his guitar to write a song, it ended up being country. "I think it's just in my DNA, in my blood," he says.
His learning these days is coming on the road. We talked about touring and Levi pointed to the 27 dates he played as an opening act for Hunter Hayes, as well as artists like Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw. Levi gave a lot of credit to all of the country stars that he's had the chance to be on the road with but pointed to Hayes specifically. "Hunter Hayes just sets you up to win. His fans are hungry for music [and] they want to meet new artists."
We asked as well about watching those big-name acts and learning from what they do as performers. Levi pointed to Faster Horses (the giant country music festival in Michigan) and getting to watch Keith Urban perform from side stage. He said, "I feel like I went to school and actually just retained all the information and just learned everything. And it truly is like a learning experience every time you go out."
On stage, Hummon brought things we didn't see when he was in a CMA Songwriter Series stop in Toronto where we first saw him. Having the full band plugged in and backing him up made for a complete show and offered a look at who he is as a performer, not just a singer and songwriter. The enthusiasm that we heard in his voice during our interview before the set was easy to see in the way he moved around the stage and sang for the Boots and Hearts crowd. And it was great to see him connecting with these fans, across the border and a long way from home.
During our conversation we also asked Levi about his Canadian connection, having worked with Kira Isabella on their duet, We Should Be Together. He told us that it was cool because he's always excited to do international projects, whether it's touring or recording. He told us that working with Kira was an instant yes after listening to the song and that he's super happy that he did it. He also gave love to Canadian country artists, calling the genre not only country-wide but world-wide, naming Kira along with Meghan Patrick and James Barker Band as artists he's a fan of.
Canadian fans showed Levi Hummon some love during his set on Friday at Boots and Hearts 2019. And with plans for new music in the near future and new tour dates coming to his schedule, they should get the chance to see him before long and do it all over again.
Click to view larger photos and/or start slideshow