Lay It Down
March 24, 2026 at 07:16PMWhat happens when a creative practice curdles from joy into obligation? When a process that once gave you life turns into pure misery? That’s the central question Luke Ottenhof mines in this moving profile of John Samson Fellows, former frontman of the Weakerthans, a man considered one of the most gifted lyricists in Canada. For Hazlitt, Luke Ottenhof finds Samson Fellows in his Winnipeg basement, not writing songs, but weaving—literally threading color and texture into small gifts he gives to those he loves.
But on the night of the show, Samson Fellows did what he’d done for decades. He sucked it up and took the plunge. Before the second show, people were lined up around the white stone hall. Everyone settled into folding chairs ringed around folding tables. Near the back, a huddle of friends played crokinole. The room swelled with hooting and clapping as Samson Fellows climbed onstage. He plunged into “One Great City!”, one of many odes to his hometown with an unforgettable chorus: “I, hate, Winnipeeeeeg.” During this, and the call-and-response of “Sun in an Empty Room,” the crowd joined in. They sang cautiously at first, then their voices grew to a soft wave while Samson Fellows sang out the refrain: “Take this moment to decide if we meant it, if we tried, or felt around for far too much from things that accidentally touched.”
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2026/03/24/lay-it-down/
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