Fort Erie Roots Rocker René Huard Unveils New Single "Tail Waggin'" Ahead Of Album 'Gently Used'

 

Fort Erie, Ontario blues and roots rocker René Huard has released his new single "Tail Waggin'," out now and giving fans their first taste of his forthcoming album 'Gently Used', arriving November 5, 2026.

 The song traces back to an old bit of guitar-world folklore. René Huard explains: "Based on an anecdotal urban legend, jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery replied to a journalist's question, 'Do you find time to practice guitar while you're touring?' Wes quipped, 'I just open the guitar case every once and a while, and toss a chunk steak in.' Ding-a-ling-a-ling, went the Pavlovian songwriter bell in my brain. Life on the road, wearisome, tedious, sometimes perilous! Didn't B.B. King run into a burning building to save Lucille? Guitar man's best friend, sharp teeth and strings that bend."

The accompanying video, produced by Jim Casson, brings that story to life, threading a wry sense of humour through the very real grind of life on the road, and the bond between a travelling musician and the instrument that keeps him company through it.

 "Tail Waggin'" leads into 'Gently Used', an eleven-track collection written and performed by René Huard on vocals, guitar and harmonica, produced by longtime collaborator Rick Taylor, who also contributes guitar and vocals. The record follows with two additional singles, with video: "Brand New Low," out October 5, and the title track, "Gently Used," out November 5.

 On the road, and recording studio, Huard is backed by the Project band, featuring Rick Taylor on guitar and vocals, Jeff Muir on bass and Peter Griffin on drums, with special guest contributions to the record from: Chris Airyes and Thomas Nelson on vocals, Alistair Robertson on saxophone and Ed Roth on keys. The band has built solid grassroots following across the Niagara Region, playing summer festivals including the Canal Bank Blues Shuffle in Thorold and Donnelly's.

 Huard's musical roots run four decades deep from his early days fronting the Meteors, who opened for blues heavyweights James Cotton, Long John Baldry and the Downchild Blues Band, and appeared at the first-ever Ottawa Blues Festival. He's also known to Canadian audiences as the former host of the television series Antique Hunter and Antique Style.

 His previous album, 'Blues Calling', produced by Jack de Keyzer, climbed into the Top 20 on the Roots Music Report and held the number eleven spot for several months. Its lead single, "Hard Times," found its way to Holger Petersen's CBC Blues Radio Show, along with U.S. and international podcasts and campus radio playlists.

 With 'Gently Used', René Huard adds another chapter to a career built on the road, in the clubs, and among the musicians who shaped him, proof that four decades in, the songs are still coming, and the guitar case is staying open for more than just steak.