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<\/a>Diversity has always been Stagger\u2019s calling card. He\u2019s found success playing punk, rock, folk, and country, which he says reflects his tastes as a listener.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to listen to everything, and it changes all the time. The past couple of days I\u2019ve been on an old-school funk kick,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ll go through phases where I\u2019ll listen to nothing but Warren Zevon, or Springsteen. I\u2019m drawn to music that speaks the truth of the times. Music that\u2019s politically driven. I like artists who aren\u2019t afraid to step outside the box, but not too far. I like a recognizable melody that\u2019s catchy, or palatable, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stagger\u2019s eclectic ear has landed him a DJ spot at CKUA, which airs across Alberta and streams worldwide. Stagger says that it\u2019s the biggest radio station in the province for a reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that we [CKUA DJs] love is that we\u2019re not told what to play,\u201d says Stagger, whose show is called Dirty Windshields Radio Hour. \u201cThere are so many great songs that just don\u2019t get airplay anymore, and B-sides that are just killer stuff that commercial radio just won\u2019t play, for whatever reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just DJing and playing music: the work never ends, says Stagger. He says he\u2019s spending a lot of his time rehearsing for the upcoming tour, but that\u2019s just one of the balls he\u2019s juggling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I\u2019m home, I\u2019m dropping off and picking up kids from school,\u201d says Stagger. \u201cI\u2019m being a dad as much as possible. I\u2019m right in the middle of this album tour, so I\u2019m not producing any records right now. We are just so busy with the tour, and we are dealing with the promotion of the record on top of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stagger admits that it can be tough to keep up, but he has a great manager who takes really good care of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis day and age, there just aren\u2019t the numbers of staff that there used to be,\u201d says Stagger. \u201cI\u2019m kind of the ringmaster, making sure that everyone is on top of everything. A lot of the time that\u2019s just me writing posts on Facebook and newsletters to fans. I\u2019m constantly creating content to give to fans. Some days it feels like I\u2019m doing everything but writing songs.\u201d<\/p>\n
With so much happening at once, Stagger says that some days are easier than others.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you\u2019ve just gotta breathe,\u201d he says. \u201cI meditate and practice mindfulness. Some days it\u2019s pretty hard. There are days when I question doing this for a living. I just try to balance it all, and I let my kids know that I love them as often as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n