Ruth Purves Smith and the 581 blend simple, traditional country music with something more complex, restless and urban.
The Three Hills singer and her band of seasoned Alberta music veterans are promising to throw a “rollicking country-rock party” on Friday night at The Matchbox in Red Deer.
But don’t expect any CMT version of country.
Purves Smith spent her childhood straddling the urban and rural divide, living partly with her English teacher mother in the city and partly with her father and stepmother, who operated an antique woolen mill in the country.
And both influences can be felt in her rootsy country music.
After years of singing with different bands, Purves Smith got together with the 581 — consisting of guitarist Jim Kukko, multi-instrumentalist Kathy Cook, bassist Brian Sovereign and drummer Holly Magnus — and put out a solo album, Out of the Storm, earlier this year.
Purves Smith writes lyrics that mix imagery and emotion, and her voice has been compared to that of Lucinda Williams for flexibility and personality.
Out of the Storm has received critical praise for its richly dynamic array of Canadiana roots songs.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show (doors open at 7 p.m.) are $20 from Ticketmaster or The Matchbox box office.