Falcon and his bandmates.| Photo by courtesy of J.P. Falcon Grady.

Bringing together blues, reggae, country, and rock influences, J.P. Falcon Grady and his band will be performing at Peace Arch Park on June 20 for the 2016 International Arts and Music Festival.

Born in Montana, the self-taught singer and guitarist has been on the move his whole life, having either lived, travelled, or performed from coast to coast and border to border. Falcon’s songs often touch on the theme of “letting go” in its many forms.

“It’s been extremely enlightening. It’s just added on to my life,” says Falcon.

A travelling artist

J.P. Falcon Grady was never far from his Blackfoot First Nation heritage. Even though he and his brother were raised by Irish and Swedish parents, they lived and travelled all over the U.S. growing up.

“[Our parents] did not keep us far away from our culture. They would read us stories from our Blackfoot tribe every night,” recalls Falcon. “They searched diligently for the local tribes, and would take us to their powwows and cultural events – always trying to keep us involved in that.”

His first exposure to contributing his own voice to music, like many others, was in church, singing along to various hymns and chants with the congregation. Eventually, Falcon realized music was the avenue he wanted to pursue when he heard a lyric from John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillen.”

“In the song, it talks about: ‘One night I overheard momma and papa talking, and I heard momma tell papa, that it’s “in him”, and it’s “got to come out’’ and from that day on he played to his heart’s desire’,” says Falcon. “When I heard that, that’s when I realized that it was just ‘in me’ and it ‘had to come out’.”

Living and performing from state to state, Falcon has grown as a musician, inspired by each new community he visits, meeting new collaborators, and exploring different styles: from gospel and roots, to Southwestern country and blues, to Midwestern rock.

While his style changes from time to time, often depending on where he’s most recently been, many of Falcon’s songs lyrically deal with the concept of “letting go” in its many forms: of people and places, for better or for worse, whether it’s a matter of no longer holding on, or more so needing to push away.

“Letting go, whether it be positive or negative, [is] either when you lose someone, or whether someone gets kicked out,” says Falcon.

Respecting heritage and culture

Falcon is sometimes asked, being a member of the Blackfoot nation, where the “First Nations” aspect of his music comes in. For Falcon, it’s certainly a large part of his identity, and explains that even if it’s not always explicit, it’s inherently conveyed in his music.

“People will hear my music, and a lot of people are surprised like, ‘I don’t hear any native flutes or drums’,” says Falcon. “But if you listen to the lyrics, there’s still that essence of acknowledging where you come from.”

Along his travels across the many states, as well as in Canada and Mexico, one of the many things he’s learned is not only to be true to his own heritage, but to acknowledge other people’s cultures and perspectives as well.

“I’ve always paid respect to that. In the way I represent myself and the people around me, I try to put my best foot forward,” says Falcon, “I’ve made it my quest to not only be open to my culture, but to everyone else’s.”

As for the future of his music, he plans on playing more electric guitar and letting the rock influences shine through as he continues to perform across the continent, and hopefully beyond.

“If I woke up tomorrow and had to do something else for a living, I mean I’d probably do it, but I’m very lucky to be able to do what I’m doing now,” he says.

For more information on J.P. Falcon Grady, visit www.jpfalconband.com.