Berrio sings about love of snowmobiles

Local country musician Larry Berrio has always enjoyed playing in the great outdoors on his snowmobile, ATV and “jacked-up” four-wheel drive truck.

It's a pastime shared by many Sudburians, he said. People here work hard, but also play hard, and generally enjoy their “toys,” Berrio said.

“We are fortunate to be in Northern Ontario where we have so many lakes and off-road trails,” he said. “We have facilities in our backyards to be able to do that.”

It's precisely this type of culture that Berrio focuses on in his new song, "No Guts, No Glory", which he recorded in Nashville, Tennessee this fall.

Berrio said he'd actually been thinking about writing a song about motor sports culture for a few years before he actually got around to it.

With that in mind, he started filming things such as snowcross races in Sudbury and himself on snowmobiles with the idea of including it in a music video.

“So we had all these extreme sports - the snowmobiles and the ATVs and everything filmed, but we didn't have the part of me singing the song yet,” Berrio said.

As far as he knows, no country star has ever filmed a music video featuring snowmobiling before.

To complete his music video, Berrio convinced Lafreniere Trucking in Hanmer to allow him to use their warehouse for a Dec. 15 film shoot. He said the “dirt and grime” in the warehouse fit with the vibe he was going for.

“They were kind enough to take their dump trucks and everything and their excavators out of their shop and give us the shop for a full 12 hours to shoot,” Berrio said.

“We filmed everything right inside their shop. We brought in snowmobiles, ATVs, a side-by-side and a full, jacked-up four-wheel drive that was set up behind the drummer. It was incredible. It was really, really something else.”

Because hiring a professional film crew is incredibly expensive, he approached Jason Jallett, a professor in Thorneloe University's motion picture arts program, and asked if some of his students would be interested in participating.

Seven students ended up helping out with the music video shoot, and Berrio said he was impressed with their professionalism.

“It was absolutely incredible,” he said. “I told them afterwards how thankful I was. We started at noon and finished at midnight. It was a complete 12-hour day.”

Those interested in listening to "No Guts, No Glory" or viewing the completed music video can visit Berrio's website, www.larryberrio.com, at the end of January, when the song is being launched.

"No Guts, No Glory" should also receive some air time on Country Music Television (CMT) and on local radio stations, Berrio said.