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To Jim Cuddy, how he pays the bills is not an arduous task.
"I always have fun making music," says Cuddy, who is in town tomorrow at the Jack Singer Concert Hall as a solo artist.
Cuddy's new album, The Light That Guides You Home, is an album overflowing with joy and exuberance.
It makes you wonder what the man who has been writing music with Blue Rodeo for more than 20 years does to keep things exciting.
"You really have to warn yourself against getting too serious," he says.
"I got a little too serious at the end of this one ... wondering if they (the songs) were good enough ... which was odd, because usually (fellow Blue Rodeo frontman) Greg (Keelor) does all the worrying for both of us."
But in the end, it is a wide open and fun-loving Cuddy who shines through.
"I don't think I try consciously to show vulnerability," says Cuddy.
"But I think just being honest in music is key. Be emotionally clear. What matters is that kernel of the song. And I think you have to be sure not to stray too far away from that ... because I think that's what the audience resonates with ... that 'hearing it for the first time' feeling."
Cuddy says because he didn't have the "personality stamps" of the rest of the Blue Rodeo members on this album, it seems to ring more clear of Cuddy than any other work he has done.
After devoting the past eight years to Blue Rodeo, Cuddy says he felt it was time for his solo foot to be put forward. "This band has been waiting for me since my last record (All in Time), which was eight years ago," says Cuddy.
"I just kept telling them 'next year.' "
Finally, Cuddy agreed to get The Jim Cuddy band together again and cut a record.
Cuddy's humour and folky style is evident on this album, but he still has managed to keep the effort distinctly Cuddy, yet distinctly not Blue Rodeo.
"I would be very conscious of what stuff began to sound like Blue Rodeo," says Cuddy.
"This one is a bigger accomplishment to me. More of a musical accomplishment. On this new album, I cover a lot more diverse subjects. It's a lot more naked."
Having such a well-received solo effort can only be healthy for him when he returns to writing music with Blue Rodeo, says Cuddy.
"We have to keep reminding ourselves to push ourselves musically," he says.
"I would have to give a lot of credit to Greg for always pushing us to achieve. He always insisted we be original. We were never a cover band."
Cuddy even credits Keelor -- who is also currently on tour in support of his solo album, Aphrodite Rose -- with helping him grow as a songwriter.
Even when the 'pushing' comes in the form of a stern critique, Cuddy says it's helpful.
"Sometimes criticism can come as a slap in the face, you know, but I think in the end it almost always works out for the best."
Call Ticketmaster for information about tomorrow's concert.