CONCEPTUAL ALBUM PRODUCED BY STEVE BERLIN WITH MUSIC SUPERVISION, ARRANGEMENTS AND ORCHESTRATIONS BY BOB FOSTER FEATURES ORIGINAL CAST VOCALISTS AS WELL AS SPECIAL GUEST VOCALISTS
FIRST SINGLE, “WHEAT KINGS” (FEAT. ALLISON RUSSELL) IS OUT TODAY
RUSSELL TO PERFORM “WHEAT KINGS” LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME AT 2026 CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY PRESENTED BY AMAZON MUSIC ON SEPTEMBER 26 AT MASSEY HALL IN HONOUR OF THE TRAGICALLY HIP
IT’S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN ON STAGE AT THE KINGSTON GRAND THEATRE OCTOBER 22 – NOVEMBER 8
Media assets HERE
September 18, 2026 – Following the success of the critically-acclaimed musical It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken – A New Musical with Songs by The Tragically Hip that premiered at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario earlier this year, a conceptual cast album featuring the original cast vocalists as well as special guest vocalist Allison Russell will be available on October 23 via Universal Music Canada.
Pre-order It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken Original Cast Recording – A Musical With Songs by The Tragically Hip HERE
“Wheat Kings” featuringGRAMMY and JUNO award-winning, critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Allison Russell,is the first single off the upcoming album and is available today – listen HERE. Russell will perform “Wheat Kings” for the first time live at the 2026 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on September 26 at Massey Hall in honour of The Tragically Hip who are being inducted into the CSHF for their enduring contributions to Canadian songwriting later that night. In collaboration with Amazon Music, the event will also be livestreamed globally on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and also streamed on Prime Video in Canada. Purchase tickets to the event HERE.
“The Hip unite us. Perhaps never more so than in Gord’s last days with us. Their legacy is living and growing. I don’t have adequate words to express how meaningful and moving it was for this Canadian girl who came up in the 90s, to get to be a small part of it. Working with Steve Berlin and doing my best to pay homage to Gord, whose poetry and art as activism, is foundational to mine, was a surreal, joyful dream. ‘Wheat Kings’ is as relevant today as the day it was written. I hope I did them proud.” — Allison Russell
Listen to “Wheat Kings” (feat. Allison Russell) HERE
Featuring 16 iconic songs by The Tragically Hip, the It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken Original Cast Recording was produced by multi-Grammy-winning producer, saxophonist, keyboardist, and long-time member of Los Lobos, Steve Berlin, who also produced The Hip’s albums Phantom Power and Music @ Work. Music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations were led by Bob Foster, and the recording was mixed by Robert Orton (Lady Gaga, Carly Rae Jepsen, Emeli Sandé, Lana Del Rey). The conceptual album was recorded between The Bathouse, The Tragically Hip’s iconic recording studio just outside of Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario, and 80A Studios, located inside Universal Music Canada’s Toronto headquarters. It was during the sessions at The Bathouse that Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, and Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip sat in as guest musicians on a few of the album’s tracks. Additional special guest vocalists on the album include CCMA Award winning country singer-songwriter Owen Riegling (“Boots Or Hearts”), acclaimed jazz-pop singer, songwriter, and pianist Elysia Biro, and indie-folk artist Braden Lam (“Long Time Running” [feat. Elysia Biro and Braden Lam]).
Produced by the multi-award-winning Michael Rubinoff (Come From Away), It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken immerses audiences in a powerful original story set to the timeless music of The Tragically Hip, capturing the raw energy, heartfelt lyrics, and unmistakable spirit that have become central to Canada’s musical identity.
Set in 2002, the musical follows Waleed, an exiled journalist starting over in Canada, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he unexpectedly falls for Kate, the owner of a local music store. Their connection is immediate and undeniable. But when circumstances change, they are forced to confront duty, uncertainty, and what truly matters – and where they each belong.
Blending one of Canada’s most beloved songbooks with an emotionally charged new story, It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken celebrates the enduring power of The Tragically Hip’s music, while opening it up to audiences in an entirely new way.
Following a sold-out run at Hamilton’s Theatre Aquarius, It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken heads to The Tragically Hip’s hometown of Kingston, Ontario, presented by Thousand Islands Playhouse, beginning October 22 through November 8, 2026 (Kingston ticket info HERE), with Montreal to follow at the Segal Centre, May 9-30 in 2027 (Montreal ticket info HERE). More cities to be announced in the coming months.
It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken Original Cast Recording – A Musical With Songs by The Tragically Hip tracklist:
Songs by: The Tragically Hip
Book by: Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe
Cast vocalists: Ali Momen, Talia Schlanger, Karim Butt, Sameer Cash, Brandon McGibbon, Tahirih Vejdani, Rebecca Auerbach, Dharma Bizier, Michelle Bouey, Alyssa Curto, Kale Penny
Guest vocalists: Allison Russell, Braden Lam, Elysia Biro, Owen Riegling
Guest musicians: Rob Baker, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair
Produced by: Steve Berlin
Music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations: Bob Foster
Additional arrangements and orchestrations: Richard Evans
Mixed by: Robert Ortin
Choroegraphy: Marc Kimelman
Directed by: Mary Francis Moore
ABOUT THE TRAGICALLY HIP
The Tragically Hip has been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. A five-piece group of friends including Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass), who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 12 million albums in Canada and over 2 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 17 Juno Awards – picking up the distinguished Humanitarian Award in 2021 at the 50th annual JUNO Awards, which recognizes Canadian artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond. In 2022, they were inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame for Humanitarianism in pursuit of social and environmental justice. They had previously received a star on the Walk Of Fame in 2002 for Arts & Entertainment. Most recently, the band along with their manager, Jake Gold, received the War Child Canada Founder’s Award celebrating over 20 years of support for the global humanitarian organization. The Tragically Hip’s tireless activism and philanthropic pursuits have raised millions of dollars for multiple social and environmental causes, such as Camp Trillium, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Sunnybrook Foundation, WAR Child, the Special Olympics, and the Unison Benevolent Fund.
Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). A National Celebration was the final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour recorded on August 20th, 2016, at the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and is their last performance as a five-piece band. Through their career the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada, who despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes. The legacy of the band’s frontman, the late Gord Downie, continues with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, which aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Established in 1984, 2024 marked 40 Years of The Tragically Hip – a milestone for the beloved band. The Tragically Hip broke open the archives, reminiscing with fans on four decades of music, friendship, and philanthropy. The band’s legacy is being honored with a yearlong celebration, which started with the designation of the Record Store Day Canada Ambassadors, the launch of a four-part Amazon Prime Documentary titled No Dress Rehearsal. The series garnered critical acclaim, winning the People’s Choice Award (Documentary) at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Audience Choice Award at the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF), and then took home 7 awards at the Canadian Screen Awards (CSA), sweeping all the categories that they had been nominated in.
In partnership with Genesis Publications, they also released a deluxe, hand-crafted book titled This Is Our Life, the band’s story, as told in their own words, and features more than 300 pages of unseen rarities pulled from the band’s personal collections. Collections and reissues released over the last few years honouring the band’s extensive catalog include: Road Apples 30thAnniversary Deluxe Boxset (2021), Fully Completely Vinyl Release (2022), Phantom Power 25th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2023), and Up To Here 35th Anniversary Deluxe Boxset (2024). Most recently, The Tragically Hip released a landmark live album commomorating the 10-year anniversary of their final tour, Live July 22 – August 20, 2016 (2026).
Further cementing their legacy, The Tragically Hip will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame this September 2026 at Massey Hall in Toronto.
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