More About Greg.
A Mercury Zephyr, Peavey T20 bass, and a hundred pound Yamaha amp were the tools to get started with an old time band, Common Country. This was a great education, learning from some seasoned musicians.
After a year with Common Country, my brother Tim invited me to play with his band Wichita, a well known group on the club circuit in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Easter week of grade 12 year was 6 nights with the band in Cranbrook BC, and I couldn’t wait for summer and a full schedule of playing. 40 plus weeks of six nights was the norm back then. Tim was gracious in letting me play drums, guitar or whatever spot was needed. Some recording with the band and playing on Tim’s record started an interest in writing, which continues to this day. Since 2015 my focus has been playing mostly my own songs when and wherever possible, between spending time with my family and helping to operate the ranch.
Things went full circle in 2025 going back to the instrument I started on, bass, playing with the Morgan Klaiber band and Fox and the Hounds.
I’ve had the good fortune to open for some well-known folk artists, and I strive to improve in all areas, whether that’s songwriting, guitar, or producing my own recordings.
The newest album of songs is Small Town Dance, self produced with the help of some studio pros, I can’t wait to get out and play these tunes in 2026.
IN THE NEWS
A Musical Journey through varied terrain
Greg Herman likes to take his audience on a journey.
In Maple Creek last week, the singer-songwriter led listeners along drought-ridden landscapes, wind-swept prairies, wide rivers and historic trails. It was as if he were turning the pages of a novella recording a world that rustic folk will recognize.
Added to this were tales of romance, a love of movies, and a tribute to Dad, his mentor and source of strength.
For many, this was the emotional high point of a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking evening.
Herman, who comes from a family ranch north of Medicine Hat, performed to more than 30 people at the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre on Thursday, February 16.
He played two 45-minute sets comprising self-composed songs. Songs included 1935, Set the Stones, The Trail to Chappice, Bad Depression and Dust Bowl of the 30s – One Day Closer, Let it Rain, Back to You, Everything I Thought I Knew, Best Movie Ever, and 105K or Bust.
Following his set, Herman explained Let it Rain in particular was based on a story by his father, inspired by William Coussins, who arrived in Medicine Hat in 1883, became one of the first merchants in the area, and was Mayor in 1907–1908. The song invokes the desperation of drought through the tone in the traditional style of a guitar in an open G tuning. Herman also used the “swing tune” and a waltz.
He also covered Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain, which he described as a song for anyone missing that “special someone on those early morning rainy days.”
For the Jasper audience who made their way in, Herman had a few words of wisdom. He said he would certainly be welcomed back to Maple Creek in a song beat.
Tales of raw simplicity connect with audience
On Friday evening, cousins Greg Herman and Carter Felker swapped songs during a sellout concert at the Jasper Cultural & Historical Centre.
To a songwriter, the mundane can be a source of inspiration, ensuring that the raw universality of the themes are instantly relatable. Such is the case with Carter Felker.
Making his Maple Creek debut on Friday evening, he delivered songs that were autobiographical markers of his 34 years.
In Everyday Life, he sang about his time working at a grocery store.
“‘Come Monday, it’s back to the grind…’”
Who doesn’t identify with the self-reflection that comes with work, prompting the inevitable question: “Is this all life has to offer?”
Alberta West tells of work in the oil patch — a light-hearted jab at his brother — while Neither But Nor is a story about a near high school basketball player who injures his knee during his first college years and resigns himself to an ordinary life.
In Ski Mask, Felker performs a shuffling tale about a down-on-his-luck guy who borrows two thousand bucks to throw a wrench in someone’s orbit.
“It’s a crime born out of naiveté, but in the end the hapless bank robber winds up giving everything back.”
Felker also touched on John Prine in Pine Box, an ode to his lifelong hero. The song is one of many tributes he has composed to the late American singer-songwriter.
Herman, a classic/folk/roots musician, exchanged songs with cousin Greg Herman, a singer-songwriter who has become a huge draw from the Medicine Hat area. His recent performance in Maple Creek was a sellout.
Last year, Herman entertained listeners at a Friday evening concert at Cypress Hills Winery and at the Jasper Centre’s Canada Day event. Fans there requested that he return, resulting in sold-out shows such as One Day Closer, Let it Rain, which took place at the Jasper Centre.
As a writer bound to family and western roots, Herman described his father, grandfather, and uncles as central elements in his career. He recently turned 50 and his birthday was marked with a song.
They also complemented each other’s styles. Herman lauded Felker’s guitar-picking style; in one song, Herman plucked the G string quite hard, producing a resonant twang.
The pairing produced an enchanting night, with a wide spectrum of human emotion.
The Jasper Centre had gone out of its way to make a fine job of the templated music. People sat at elegantly dressed white-clothed tables as dinner-theatre-style seating was enhanced with artificial candles, charcuterie bowls, and local libations provided by Ryan Moncrieff, from Rafter R. Brewery.
Moncrieff also served beverages from his brewery at Cypress Hills Winery.
“All the tables in the auditorium were filled,” said Dahmony Orttreau, coordinator. “It was a wonderful evening.”
