Musician Robbie Tucker genuinely loves making music and doesn’t let Parkinson’s disease get in the way. After all, he’s been at it since he was eight years old and he got his first acoustic guitar for his birthday. Celebrating his fourth album release in less than a year with WTF Is Happiness?, Tucker is eager to get as much music out as possible.
“I’m extremely proud of it,” he says. “I hope your ears discover happiness, anger, sadness, humour or some other human emotion that ultimately connects us all.”
The album, “WTF Is Happiness?” includes new time signatures Tucker hasn’t used before. The experiment proves to be a success¬—“Die Diana Please” (in 6/8 time) and “Relax Now (It’ll Be Okay)” (in 5/4 time) are both catchy earworms.
Tucker doesn’t shy away from sharing some of his most vulnerable work. For the album, he pulled out a song he’d written almost 30 years ago. Originally titled “Nameless,” the song is about a boy he fell in love with in high school.
“I decided to dissect the lyrics and create an epic two-part song, an idea I completely fell in love with,” he says. Listeners will hear “Two Boys I” on this album. “Two Boys II” will be on a future release.
Tucker isn’t afraid to let listeners know how his life can be dark at times. In the album, he opens up about how he’s feeling nearly 20 years after his Parkinson’s diagnosis: isolated, alone, and feeling completely defeated and disabled at times.
Tucker, who is from Miramichi, New Brunswick, is inspired by musical greats like Roy Orbison, Paul McCartney, and Elvis. These influences shine through in his playful, creative pop-folk with an occasional surprise thrown in.
Tucker’s determination, passion, and drive, combined with his lifelong love of music make his latest album a memorable one.
