Career
As a teenager Eaglesmith hopped a freight train to Western Canada and began writing songs and performing. He is known for writing songs about machines or vehicles, including songs about trains, tractors, trucks, cars, and engines. Rural life, dogs, guns, drinking, farming and ranching are other common themes.
Many of his songs are about failing farms and small businesses.
Down-and-out characters dealing with loss of love or livelihood and quirky rural folk also populate his songs. His songwriting uses many of the techniques of short story writing, including unreliable narrators, surprise endings, and plot twists.
Eaglesmith"s bands have been known as both the Flying Squirrels and the Flathead Noodlers, switching the name to represent different styles of music The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock.
An early incarnation of the band was known as the Smokin" Losers.
Since 2012, performances have been billed as the Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Steam Show and include opening songs performed by Bill Poss, the Ginn Sisters, and Tif Ginn. A typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes his music set between several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Eaglesmith. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the United States.–Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve.
His fans are known as "Fredheads", a nod to deadheads, who followed the Grateful Dead.
He is known to tour extensively throughout Canada and the United States.
When Eaglesmith appears in solo performances, he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. Eaglesmith appeared in a 2001 television movie, The Gift.
Eaglesmith publishes his own records. In 2010, Eaglesmith was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the musical guest.
He performed "Careless" from the album ""Cha Cha Cha"".
Current members
Fred J. Eaglesmith – guitars, vocals
Matt Simpson – guitar, organ, banjo, vocals
Kori Heppner – drums
Justine Fischer – stand-up bass
Tiffani Ginn – vocals, accordion, guitar, melodica
Former members
Willie P. Bennett – mandolin, harmonica, vocals
David Essig – mandolin, guitar
Kevin Komatsu – drums
Roger Marin, Junior. – pedal steel, guitar, vocals
Ralph Schipper – bass
Jude Waldman - drums
Dan Walsh – dobro, guitar, vocals
Skip Wamsteeker – drums
Washboard Hank – washboard, dobro
Darcy Yates – bass
Luke Stackhouse – bass, vocals
Brit Ginn – vocals, flute
Mike Zinger – mandolin
Bruce AitkenDrums.