The supergroup concept is hardly novel.
Since Franki Valli got together with Bob Gaudio, Tommy Devito, and Charles Calello — later replaced by Nick Massi — in 1960 to form The 4 Seasons, there have been numerous examples of already successful singers and musicians collaborating to produce a new sound.
Members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the late 1960s, ABBA and the Eagles in the 1970s, The Traveling Wilburys in the late 1980s, and The Three Tenors and Foo Fighters in the 1990s all came from different places, either as solo acts or members of other bands, to gift their talents through a new group venture.
Today, at age 93, Willie Nelson is the last surviving member of The Highwaymen, a 1985-formed county music supergroup he was a part of along with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
The supergroup concept is anchored by the conviction — proven true time and time again — that there is musical power in numbers, particularly when those numbers are comprised of artists already well established, respected, and revered.
That can certainly be said of Canadian musicians Chris Murphy, Craig Northey, Steven Page, and Moe Berg who, in 2016, formed Trans-Canada Highwaymen as a touring-only project and, despite being active with their own careers and projects, have kept the ball rolling since.
On Wednesday (August 12) at Del Crary Park, the quartet will headline Peterborough Musicfest. As always, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free, thanks to the support of numerous sponsors including kawarthaNOW.
VIDEO: Theme from Trans-Canada Highwaymen
That each member of Trans-Canada Highwaymen has enjoyed a stellar career can’t be denied.
Murphy, with Jay Ferguson, formed Sloan in 1991 in Halifax and, as a member of the still-active rock quartet, has recorded 14 albums, won a Juno Award, and been nominated for 13 others. Murphy wrote several of Sloan’s singles, and has been no stranger to the supergroup concept as a member of Tuns and, later, Anyway Gang.
Northey, meanwhile, is a founding member of alt-rock’s Odds, which released four albums from 1991 to 1996 before breaking up, at which point he stayed relevant through various side projects and eventually was in the mix when Odds reunited in 2007 — a coming together that remains intact to this day.
Page founded Barenaked Ladies with Ed Robertson in 1988, and was one of the band’s principal vocalists and songwriters until his departure in 2009 to pursue a solo career — he has recorded and released four albums since — and theatrical opportunities, such as composing music for Stratford Festival productions.
And Berg remains the front man for The Pursuit of Happiness, which he co-formed in 1985. Side projects have been nothing new for Edmonton native, having produced a number of albums for other artists, been published as a writer, and taught music production at Fanshawe College in London.
As Trans-Canada Highwaymen, the four musicians performed their first show in Niagara in July 2017. The set was comprised of covers of songs done by the members’ respective bands, such as Sloan’s “Coax Me,” Barenaked Ladies’ “Brian Wilson,” Odds’ “Someone Who’s Cool,” and The Pursuit of Happiness’ “I’m An Adult Now.”
When the pandemic put an end to touring, the foursome’s thoughts turned to recording an album, and it was off to the studio to record covers of Canadian pop and rock classics from the 1960s and 1970s, including hits by artists such as The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell, Michel Pagliaro, April Wine, Andy Kim, Lighthouse, The Poppy Family, Chester, Roy Forbes, and The DeFranco Family.
The result — Explosive Hits Vol. 1 — was released in 2023, featuring “Undun,” “Pretty Lady,” “Rock Me Gently,” “Raised on Robbery,” and “Heartbeat, It’s A Lovebeat” among its 14 tracks. The whole 1970s vibe was accentuated by its cover design which is, well, very 1970s.
While there has been talk of a follow-up album featuring covers of additional Canadian classic songs, nothing has come to fruition yet.
VIDEO: “Undun” by The Guess Who – Trans-Canada Highwaymen
In November 2023, all four Trans-Canada Highwaymen members sat down for a chat with Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim!, with Page reflecting on how the project came together.
“Our friend Jim Millan had an idea for a touring show where the four of us play our biggest hits and swap road stories,” said Page. “We thought it’d be more fun rather than sitting on stools; to actually be a band and swap instruments and play each other’s songs.”
As for the decision to record together, Murphy noted “If you don’t exist on streaming, it’s like you don’t exist in the world. I wanted to make a K-tel record. The whole thing for me revolved around making an infomercial. I learned everything about music through infomercials.”
Unable to get together in a studio to lay down the tracks because of the pandemic, the recording posed a challenge.
“It was designed around guide tracks,” said Northey, adding “We elected what songs we wanted to do and who was going to sing them, and that person was responsible for making it.”
“From an audio point of view, they don’t really sound like the originals,” adds Berg. “They sound more like how we would play as a band. But I don’t think we went crazy with the arrangements and changed them too much. I think we wanted the songs to be very recognizable to anybody who actually knew the song.”
Northey, who had worked on albums by Colin James, Bruce McCulloch, and Page, mixed the final recordings — an array of guitars parts, keyboards, lead vocals and harmonies that were self-produced and recorded at studios across the country. It somehow came together, and came together well.
VIDEO: Trans-Canada Highwaymen Explosive Hits Vol. 1 Infomercial
“If we had done these songs 25 years ago, it would have been all about the irony of it,” says Page.
“I was really into punk rock, and there was a lot of music that was kind of forbidden,” adds Berg. “But as you get older, you start to lose all those prejudices, and you start to see the songs for what they really are, and a lot of the songs are really great.”
Prior to Trans-Canada Highwaymen taking the stage, the Cogeco-sponsored Future Sound Series will see VanCamp, fronted by Calvin Bakelaar, perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., near the food trucks at the George Street entrance to Del Crary Park.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 39th season, staged in Del Crary Park on Wednesday and Saturday nights until August 19.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2026 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or call the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2026 season.
