Cody Canada, lead singer of Oklahoma-based red dirt band Cody Canada & The Departed, said the best approach to songwriting is to just sit back and let it happen.
“It’s kind of the same with everything I’ve written,” Canada said. “When the time’s right, when the song hits, that’s when you write it. I’ve always had a hard time forcing myself to write a tune. If you try to force yourself, it’s not gonna happen.”
Canada made his first stop at the Jupiter when his old band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, opened for Dierks Bentley in November 2004. He’s headlined in Tuscaloosa several times since then, and he’ll be back at the Jupiter with The Departed on Wednesday.
“We’ve always had a good fan base there,” Canada said. “That’s the good thing about this kinda music, a lot of people follow it.”
Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato originally worked together in Cross Canadian Ragweed until the band broke up in 2010 after having played together for more than 10 years. The two formed The Departed in 2011, joined by guitarist and vocalist Seth James, keyboard player Steve Littleton and Drummer Dave Bowen (who would later be replaced by Chris Doege).
Canada said the personnel change added a new element to the band’s sound.
“The big difference is with Seth singing and Steve on the keys,” Canada said. “It has a different sound to it. We’ve never had any keys or that bluesy feel.”
The new lineup also affected the band’s fanbase.
“We definitely had a change in crowd, but it was a good change,” Canada said. “A lot of people were expecting to hear old Ragweed songs immediately, but I wanted to play new songs. So we kept about 75 percent of the crowd.”
The Departed released its debut album, a collection of Oklahoma-based cover songs titled “This Is Indian Land,” in June 2011. In November 2012, the band released its first original album, “Adventus,” which is Latin for “arrival.”
Canada said he took a direct approach when writing songs for the album.
“If you hear the song and it’s got a certain subject matter, then that’s really what inspired it,” Canada said. “I’m pretty literal.”
Jeremiah Jones, the Jupiter’s owner and talent buyer of more than nine years, booked Canada many times in the past. Although Jones said he enjoys Cody Canada & The Departed’s music, he can’t let his personal opinions influence his job.
“The first thing you have to realize is that it doesn’t matter what you, as the buyer, like or dislike in a band,” Jones said. “What matters the most is if there is enough demand in the market for the act.”
However, Jones said Cody Canada & The Departed is the exception to the rule.
“Ironically, I’ve always been a huge Ragweed fan,” Jones said. “This is one of the rare occasions where I get to book an act that I like.”
Cody Canada & The Departed will play at the Jupiter Bar on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Tickets are $10-13 and doors open at 9 p.m.
