"In case you can’t tell, the whole thing is about a relationship. I have written a lot of love songs before but this album is about love lost. I had to experience a bit of heartbreak," Michael Bernard Fitzgerald said, sipping a coffee in his favourite local coffee shop. We are chatting about his new album I Wanna Make It With You which was released in March. MBF – as his fans lovingly call him, released the album after the ending of a relationship. "I just started writing about it, It wasn’t intentional but it is where I was at and as an artist I allowed myself to stay there. To the point where your friends are tired of talking about it so we just write about it instead. We started writing - there a couple of songs from fall 2014 and we really started writing it in January 2015."

While there are many songs that are upbeat songs, lyrically they easily resonate with anyone that has suffered through a break up. A song like the hauntingly beautiful Temptation for example is universal in the emotion in which Fitzgerald sings it and the pain that echoes through the chorus.

"Temptation is an interesting tune. That song maybe is one of the only ones that doesn’t have that hope. This Isn’t It and Heart of America are both also so sad for me but the last punctuation is not there. Temptation was one of the songs from 2014 and a few of us in a room wrote that song and there is an amazingly talented writer from Nashville sang on the demo. We had another writer and had to recut the demo and the only reason I sang it was because Emily from Nashville wasn’t there to sing it so it was kind of an accident. After I sang it I realized I liked it and kept it."

Other songs like ABC and Love Or Nothing are lyrically complex. Days before a January concert the singer confessed he was not sure how he was going to play them live.

"Love or Nothing is that one song where I went I have to play this live, what was I thinking? I wrote that one, sometimes you can write a song from real story, or from real emotion. Sometimes you write a song and it is just plain rhyme and like a fun exercise with words. Love or nothing is like that and the key verses are similar and they are so fast so it’s hard to learn. I have lyrics taped to the monitor for sure."

The breakup of his relationship inspired not only the album, but a contest. In May Fitzgerald announced he was giving away the engagement and wedding band set and ran a contest looking for people to submit love stories. Hundreds of entries were submitted with the winner to be announced soon. He plans to be involved in the wedding of the winners as well. Something like the contest, giving away free copies of his CD at a concert, or having folk music festival attendees get together to eat pie, speaks to the kind of person he is. His reputation as a genuinely nice guy shows in much of what he does on stage and off.

"It is easy to not be humble and connected. I can lose sight of it here and there. I truly believe when I am at my best and able to do my best that is the space that I live in. When I drift out of that and am not grateful and humble and cognizant of others the whole thing stops. It is great practice to just stay in that so I am ready to help."

One way that MBF contributes is by including community in his large scale shows. His sold out album preview show at the Jack Singer Concert Hall in January featured a massive high school choir and a string section.

"Originally (large scale shows) came from us wanting to put on a big show that was epic to see and to hear. We did a show with 26 singers that the University of Lethbridge sponsored us to tour around Alberta. Then we did a show with 56 then 120 then we did the Jubilee with 300 on stage. I felt like this year at the Jack Singer it was way more about community then the other ones. Downstairs we had a seated dinner for 60 then in the show we had all these students in the choir and the string section and it was all their show. Upstairs Monogram Coffee had a café in every dressing room. It was a point where I was completely overwhelmed. It was a long day but you want to meet and spend time with everybody. I love the idea that it becomes everybody’s show which is the only reason we would continue to do that. We have toured the big show and tried to build a cast in each city. It was cool to try it because every night was a totally different group. So we will do that again eventually. For the moment I am just happy to travel with five of us and do a few shows like that as well and sit in one row of the plane."

To work with kids who seemed absolutely thrilled to be on stage on one of Calgary’s iconic stages is a highlight.

"Both (longtime collaborator) Andrew (Ball) and I recognize that a lot of these musicians, their training is classical and there is a mentality and professionalism which is all great foundations for them to be musicians. There are a lot of them that after High School will stop. The show is a pop show so if they forgot their jacket or music - nobody cares just have fun. I think that experience is great for them. It is great for us to because we get to watch them light up and almost let loose. If they want to dance while they are playing or get up from their chair during the encore and clap and dance, they can because it’s their show."

A set on the main stage of the Calgary Folk Festival on July 22nd along with small stage collaborative shows on Saturday and Sunday promises to be an unforgettable experience. He has performed everywhere from peoples living rooms to opening for artists like Jully Black and Michael Franti. A veteran of festivals including previous local appearances at Virgin Festival, X-Fest and the Folk Fest are a great opportunity to play for fans and soon to become fans.

"The folk festivals are such a captive and wonderful audience. Touring with any artist is fantastic. The house concerts, some of the moments that happen in someone’s living room or kitchen stays with you your whole life. Any time I get to sing a few songs, it has such a cool takeaway. It is really cool to be at festivals - I remember doing the first Virgin Festival at Fort Calgary. The best way I can put it is any opportunity like that for me is what I enjoy the most. The time I am in front of the microphone I am the most myself. Sometimes you are singing a song thinking about what you are going to eat later but most times you are mesmerized by the whole process. It is a total joy, playing live is the whole reason that I make music."

Playing at home is something special. After recording his previous album YES in LA, Fitzgerald recorded I Wanna Make It With You at OCL studios near Langdon.

"YES was the product of meeting producers – Jon Levine and Brian West from Philosopher Kings that I wanted to work with. I would fly down whenever I could to work with them. We made that record track by track over 3 years. This time around I wanted to work with Josh Gwillam who is one of the main engineers at OCL. He said to me I want to work together again and I have this great space. The whole cast of people there is great. Josh and I recorded together for the first time in 2006 so it was a no brainer to go out there and work with musicians that I’ve toured with or hung out with and really build a great story piece. They are all fantastically talented but also people you care about and that care about you and that changes it."

Calgary is home to several artists that have achieved success but still remain here, despite being able to live anywhere. While Michael spends time in Los Angeles and Nashville, Calgary remains home.

"I went to Toronto and had an apartment there the first year I was on a label. We started touring and when the tour was done I was happy to be here. I always try to be objective about it and be in Calgary for the right reasons. I love Calgary. I love the age of the city, I love that amazing ideas are coming in and there is world class stuff coming from the city. With airplanes and the internet, I don’t know that it really matters where I am. Part of me thinks that whether I lived in LA or here I don’t think it would be any different. As someone who wants to go for a bike ride or a dog walk and one day have kids, this is the place where I would want to do those things. I think I have made a decision as an individual as much as a musician to be from and be a part of the city."

With the album out in the world now, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is busy promoting it. The lead single title track continues to be played on alternative radio. It’s a fantastic album and one that MBF and the entire group involved in its creation is deservedly proud of.

"I am very excited and thankful for the music. We worked really hard putting it together and I feel very proud of it. It is also out, there is no more mystery about it, it is just time to see the life that it leads which is nerve wracking. I should detach more from it. I have no idea how people will respond or what’s next so it’s cool. Putting it out almost feels like the beginning. A bunch of us put well over a year into it, so now what? It’s like having a baby and we have to figure out how to parent. I am going to tour and support the record as best I can. I will end up starting to break down another bit of music. Usually I don’t write on the road but this time I would like to write a record from the road and see what that encompassed. We released in 2009, 2013 and 2016. I would like to be more prolific with the music we put out just to try that out. Often times you write a record and don’t pick up pen and paper and write again for a while. I do think you have to take a break but it is good to stay in that mindset and continually play with that craft."