'You're headed on a Tim's run': Alberta man puts Canadian spin on hit songs

Shane Kimber, known online as OGR-Scintilla, performs a song in an Edmonton park. (Amanda Anderson/CTV News Edmonton)

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

"I like to take songs that are captivating to people and introduce an element of relatability to them because that allows them to feel something special," said Shane Kimber.

The 29-year-old comes up with Canadian remixes of hit songs.

"I think that a lot of people hear my songs about Canada and they feel seen," he said.

Kimber said it all started in early 2020 during the pandemic, while trying to come up with a funny video to post on TikTok.

"We just had a big, fresh dump of snow and I thought it would be funny if I took my shirt off and sat in the snowbank and sang a little song about how cold it was," he said.

"That just blew up."

A still image of Shane Kimber, known online as OGR-Scintilla, from his music parody "Party in Canada".

He said one of his most popular parodies to date is Party in Canada, his spin on Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA.

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Another hit with his fans is a song called Tim's Run, a remix of George Ezra's song Shotgun.

"Instead of riding shotgun underneath the hot sun, you're headed on a Tim's run. Let me know what you want," Kimber said.

"I try to pick up on a different facet of Canadian life with every track that I do," he said.

A still image of Shane Kimber, known online as OGR-Scintilla, from his music parody "Tim's Run".

His remixes cover country, rap and pop songs but Kimber said one of his favourites is the parody he made called A Barn Song based on Shaboozey's hit A Bar Song.

"This song is actually really special to me, because it's the first song that all of my family members were involved in making," he said.

Kimber, who can't whistle, had help at the start of the song from his brother, while his parents had a hand writing the second verse while they were eating dinner.

"We sat down and came up with sort of a funny stereotype for every province," Kimber said.

A still image of Shane Kimber, known online as OGR-Scintilla, from his music parody "A Barn Song".

"The Albertans are driving trucks, and in B.C. they're smoking blunts. They're drinking Pilsner and watching Riders out in Saskatchewan," he sang.

"The Maritimes they're catching fish, they're eating baguettes in Quebec, the Torontonians are just trying to make their rent," he continued.

Kimber said songwriting has combined his love of music and singing with making people laugh.

"I think that you get to do what you want with your life and I want to laugh. I want to have fun. I want to not take things too seriously while I'm here," said Kimber.

"If people want to take things too seriously then they absolutely are allowed to do that," he added.

Some of Kimber's fans have even described him as a Canadian version of Weird Al Yankovic.

"Weird Al made us all smile. Weird Al made us laugh. What an honour to be compared to somebody who can create video or a piece of art," Kimber said.

A still image of Shane Kimber, known online as OGR-Scintilla, from his music parody "Party in Canada".

There's something the songwriter loves even more than hearing that people like his music.

"It's even more satisfying to me when someone comes up to me and says 'that stupid song you wrote, it just won't get out of my head," he said with a laugh.

Kimber has been singing and writing songs since he was young and first picked up the guitar in Grade 12, taught by a man from Hanna, Alta.

"He also taught Nickelback guitar so I took guitar lessons from the same guy that taught Chad Krueger how to play guitar."

OGR-Scintilla is his parody persona, while Kimber uses his real name to release his own original songs.

"I love making these funny, lighthearted songs but I also want people to know that I take this serious and I really care about music," he said.

"If I'm doing what I love to do then I'm a success and that's to me what success is."