FRONTMAN PETUNIA OF PETUNIA & THE VIPERS BEGAN HIS MUSIC CAREER WITH SEVEN YEARS OF BUSKING AND DECADE OF HITCHHIKING, CARRIES LESSONS FORTH TO STAGE

NEW VIDEO FOR “CHAINED” FILMED IN MEXICO FROM NEW ALBUM ‘DEAD BIRD ON THE HIGHWAY’

PLAINS TORNADO LED HIM TO GIVE UP HITCHHIKING

Petunia & The Vipers emerged from Petunia’s career as a full-time busking musician and part-time poker player, performing on street corners and subway stations across both Canada and America for seven years, traveling by hitchhiking. He carries busking lessons with him on the stage in terms of his sense of being present in the moment when on stage as well as his vocal projection and thick skin.

Here’s the newly-released video for “Chained,” filmed in Mexico, from the new Petunia & The Vipers album ‘Dead Bird On The Highway.’ Petunia plays a love-struck busker.

Once a punk rocker in his adolescence, Petunia played mostly classic country repertoire by the likes of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, and Jimmie Rodgers. Ultimately, he gave up the life due to play stages and to encourage longevity within his career. He says, “One can't really get known on the street but onstage there's press publicity. The street is great but here today gone tomorrow.”

Also facilitating the end of his busking was stumbling on a car. He recalls, “I was hitch hiking from Saskatoon, SK to Dauphin, MN and I had already hitched through three thunderstorms that day and been on the road five hours already, so I was ready to get out of my ‘spot’ and make it to Dauphin Country Fest where I was going to be a guest in my friends' set [the D-Rangers] opening for Tanya Tucker. Two foreign firemen took me to a gas station on the outskirts of Churchbridge, SK. I got out and gazed at the highway ahead of me on the open prairie. Then turned to face the highway behind me where the rides come from. There weren't any in sight, only a long line of thin clouds rolling ever so slowly closer and closer. Above those, another row of clouds glued to the first row, right across the horizon as far as the eye could see. To my left the gas station and a car for sale for $400. As I watched the clouds creep closer in the silence of the sunny hot afternoon, I yelled over to the teenage gas attendant ‘if I'm still here in 10 minutes I’d like to buy that car.’ The wind was picking up 5 minutes later. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in for a little prairie tornado'n...” and one of his many stories continues…