The Pandemic Interviews - Conversations in a Changing Time: Recent Episodes
Luvthemusic
Connecting with artists on a personal level. The conversations touch on a number of areas including what they’re doing now, how they’re coping/keeping busy, what’s changed in the way they approach their art, staying relevant, positive, motivation, future plans.....
Jeff Jones -- Ocean, Rush, Lawrence Gowan, Infidels, Red Rider, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummings, The Carpet Frogs and so much more. Jeff is a Juno award winner with a distinguished 50-plus year career that has focused on lead and background vocals, as well as writing, recording and producing numerous albums and videos. As a member of Red Rider and The Carpet Frogs, Jeff continues to hit the road, year after year, touring throughout North America.
A St. John’s Newfoundland native, Gerry Finn's very first instrument was the ukulele. He quickly focused on guitar, and went on to study both classical and jazz guitar. Well-known for his work with Canadian metal bands Killer Dwarfs and Helix, Gerry's musical career has seen him either tour, or share the stage, with David Usher, INXS, JD Fortune, Holly McNarland, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Bruce Cockburn and so many more. As a member of The Carpet Frogs, Gerry has been joining Jeff on stage for several years and recently, the two close friends have been performing as a duo.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Sascha Tukatsch and Brian Hogue of C0ndu1t. A drummer for Platinum Blonde and The Blushing Brides, I met Sascha when he was drumming for The Dave Barrett Trio. Now working with singer/songwriter Brian Hogue, they are currently working on a new album to be released this year.
Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Suzi Kory burst on to the music scene in 2017 with a rock EP, entitled 'Spellcasting'. Mixing her passion for all thing Guns 'n Roses and Axel Rose with her love for country music, Suzi has released seven singles in three years (now eight as of this podcast), carved out a career for herself in the country music scene in Canada. Her most recent, A Better Man, follows her wild success with the video for her song I've Got a Feeling featuring her blow-up doll “husband”, Johnny Toronto. Creative, energetic, full of optimism with a HUGE can do/will do attitude, there seems to be nothing holding this country artist back, and only sunshine and opportunities ahead!
Doug Varty left home in 1970, at young age of 17, to join a band, and has never looked back. From my home town of London, Ontario, Doug's career path has seen him perform both as a solo act and in many bands, including the one he left home to join.....Sea Dog. A multi-instrumentalist, certified yoga instructor, singer/songwriter and teacher, Doug still lives in London with his family and continues to perform on both sides of the border. He was inducted into Forest City London Music Hall of Fame in 2018, has won four Jack Richardson Music Awards, and he recently collaborated with Gerry Mosby, last week's podcast interviewee.
Gerry Mosby and Sil Simone, friends and collaborators. I was initially introduced to Gerry in 1979 when he was the bassist for the band Rhineghold. I met Sil in 2015 when he was performing in the theatre productions of Oh Canada What A Feeling. Gerry eventually turned his focus to producing, session work and jingle writing over the years. Sil currently performs with the Chicago tribute band Brass Transit and has contributed his guitar skills to Pretzel Logic, Tom Cochrane, Liberty Silver and so many more. Both are highly respected musicians and have an extensive list of credits i both performance and writing.
Ember Swift is a Canadian singer/songwriter who has been residing in Beijing, China for 13 years. I met Ember a few years ago when she was back in Canada performing at Hugh’s Room. Ember wrote her first song at the age of nine and has never stopped. She has toured Europe, North America, Australia and of course Asia. She has just released her 13th album, Mid-March Meltdown, which, by the way, has nothing to do with the pandemic but refers to another March years past. Welcome back!
Taking a step back to July 14, 2020, I had the opportunity to chat with Toronto artist David Celia and his partner Marla.
A highly respected independent guitarist, singer and songwriter. Crisscrossing Canada and Europe since 2005, Celia has built a large fan base across both continents. He was a member of a number of bands before deciding to forge ahead with a solo career.....that is until he met Marla.
Celia has performed with many top name acts and has release a total of eight albums. His most recent album, Indistinct Chatter, is a collaboration with Marla and was released just under three weeks ago.
Part two with Lighthouse lead vocalist Dan Clancy as we delve deeper into the challenges and issues within the music business.....tip jars, the union and paying musicians a fair wage. Producer/engineer John Jamieson joins us for this discussion. Some great new tunes, advice for young musicians and a few fun questions to wrap things up.
A synopsis from the Lighthouse website -- Dan Clancy has been the dynamic lead vocalist for the Canadian rock band Lighthouse since 1992. He began singing with the Holy Cross church choir at six years of age and by eleven was fronting his first band. Dan's voice, with its enormous range, is the ideal vehicle to perform the classic Lighthouse hits as well as the new material that has been written specifically with his voice in mind.
Lighthouse is a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 by drummer Skip Prokop and keyboardist Paul Hoffert in Toronto, Canada. The band's repertoire included elements of rock, jazz, classical and swing, featuring horns, string instruments and vibraphone. They won Juno Awards for Best Canadian Group of the year in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
A familiar and well-known name in Canadian music, Alfie Zappacosta has been singing, songwriting and playing his guitar across Canada for close to 50 years. His first band Surrender was formed in 1978 and went on to sign with Capital records . Zappacosta is a two-time Juno Award winner....his first in 1985 as Most Promising Male Vocalist. He won his second Juno and American Music Award for Overload, used in the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. The song was co-written with keyboardist Marco Luciani with Zappacosta also providing the vocals. Dirty Dancing happened to end up as one of the biggest selling soundtracks of the 80s. Zappacosta has recorded twelve studio albums, including one with Surrender, two live compilations and a slew of singles. His lates album, Saved, was released ion March of 2021.
Mitchell Field began his music career as the drummer for John Lee Hooker. He formed Canadian rock band Hellfield in 1978 after recruiting Dave Hovey on guitar, Jamie Larsen on bass, Steve Coombs on drums and Rick Lamb on keyboards. Locking themselves in a studio, they emerged two month later with new material and a new demo. Hellfield went through a number of changes but stayed together long enough to make an impact on the North American rock scene. The band broke up in 1982. Field released his first solo project in 2000 and is currently working on a new Hellfield album with original bassist James Larsen and guitarist Paul Royes.
Mitchell Field began his music career as the drummer for John Lee Hooker. After approaching CBS as a solo artist, Field was advised to put together a band and try again. That’s exactly what he did. With Dave Hovey on guitar, Jamie Larsen on bass, Steve Coombs on drums and Rick Lamb on keyboards…..Hellfield was born. Locking themselves in a studio, they emerged two month later with new material and a new demo. Residing in Montreal, Field is now working on a new Hellfield album along with the band's original bassist Jamie Larsen and guitarist Paul Royes.
Let me see if I can sum up Paul’s extensive career in music in one paragraph.
Paul is a Juno award winning performer and has spent almost 55 years as a working musician, touring and recording with artists Domenic Troiano, Kim Mitchell, Lawrence Gowan, David Clayton Thomas, Rik Emmett, Rodger Hodgson and a host of others. He is an author of two books on drumming and was an educator at Humber College for 33 years. Paul is a member of two tribute bands Brass Transit (the music of Chicago) and Pretzel Logic (the music of Steely Dan). He is also part of two collaborative tribute shows; Jeans ‘n Classics performing the music of Queen, Supertramp, The Who, Rocky Horror, and many more and the theatrical production of the ONES Show, a tribute to The Beatles. Paul is also the leader of his own fusion band Paul DeLong’s One Word.
Author and podcaster of the Pandemic Interviews, this is my 30th podcast and I'm celebrating! May not seem like many to those who have published hundreds or more, but to this neophyte, it's an amazing feat. From going into this blindly and recording conversations with my cell phone, to now interviewing in a professional recording studio, this journey has been, if nothing else, mind blowing and a bit surreal. The past six years have been a whirlwind with massive changes in my life. This podcast is the culmination of all that's gone on.....but yet, it's only the beginning. Thank you to all who have patiently helped and supported me through all this. Cheers!
She has been called a Yorkville Legend and a Canadian music icon and is a key part of the story of Toronto’s music history. Multi-talented and multi-faceted, Cathy is a vocalist, songwriter, producer, guitarist, harmonica and kazoo player. She won the Juno in 1974 for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year and was nominated 1975 for Best Female Artist for her second album.
She is a founding member of the Spirit of Yorkville Alumni in Toronto. A 70 foot mural on 22-foot building in downtown Toronto, features many of the iconic artists who have performed in the heyday of the famous (and infamous) Yonge St. strip. The mural includes a depiction of Cathy’s first album, honouring her music, the artist and her role in Toronto’s music scene.
Frank Cosentino bleeds the blues. Music, particularly the guitar, has been a central part of his life since the age of five. Frank was taken to a Jimi Hendrix concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1969 at the extremely young age of seven. Without realizing it at the time, it was a pivotal moment in Frank’s life, influencing and transforming his approach to the guitar and his own future music career.
Fifty-two years later and with a collection of over 60 guitars, one is never far from his reach. Frank is a recent inductee into the Canadian Blues Hall of Fame and is also a teacher and educator. He has toured extensively, performing or sharing stages with James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Fathead, Downchild and Sue Foley to name a few. In 1989 he formed The Frank Cosentino Band and the band still going strong 32 years later.
The Peptides are an Ottawa-based, nine-member band…..five vocalists and four instrumentalists, producing a distinctive larger-than-life pop sound. The Peptides are known for their high energy, extravagant and colourful, live performances…..their music an eclectic mix of funk, soul, folk, gospel, Latin and new wave sound.
A snapshot of Canadian diversity, The PepTides is a community of girls and guys, LGBTQ and straight, English and French; black, white and in between, Ukrainian, Mexican, Guyanese, Cree, Acadian, Armenian and Scottish. I had the opportunity to see them during Indie Week in Toronto a few years back. If I had the chance, I’d go back to see them again in a heartbeat.
The Trews, formed in Antigonish, Nova Scotia by brothers Colin and John-Angus with good friend, bassist Jack Syperek, are now based in Hamilton, Ontario and are the cusp of celebrating 25 years together. I was joined in the studio by John-Angus, who drove into Toronto from Hamilton to chat about the pandemic and future of music, how he and the band have coped, lessons learned and looking forward to their new album to be released in the fall of 2022.
The band perform their own distinctive, hard driving rock with a whisper here and there of their Celtic roots and on occasion, the hint of reggae or the plaintive cry of the bagpipes, all reflecting their time growing up in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Jamaica and Barbados. The Trews have released six full length albums, one compilation, five EPs, three live albums and one video album. Also during that time they’ve have been nominated for six Juno awards, and seventeen nominations with seven wins at the East Coast Music Awards. They’ve also won twice at the U.S. Independent Music awards. It’s been a busy and very fruitful almost 25 years. Happy (almost) 25th Birthday!
TOM WILSON is the bestselling author of Beautiful Scars as well as a five-time Juno winning Canadian musician. His band Junkhouse scored eleven top-ten hits in the 90's, and his iconic, Americana-fuelled Blackie and the Rodeo Kings has performed on stages from The Grand Ol Opry to Massey Hall.
Tom’s most recent incarnation, Lee Harvey Osmond, has received extensive praise and airplay throughout the United States and Europe. His art has shown in galleries from New York City to Vancouver. He still lives in Hamilton, Ontario and is currently working on his second book BLOOD MEMORY for Penguin Random House books.
“I have unchained all the prisoners from my basement and freed the ghosts from my attic. I was the guy who ended up holding the keys to their freedom. It was me who let them out. It’s a job that no one else could do and one that comes with great consequence because these ghosts and prisoners are standing around me now all day, all night long.”
I told my truth the way I heard it and the way I remembered it and that’s all I have. Everything else is bullshit.” Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson is a singer/songwriter/bestselling author/story teller/visual artist and 5x Juno award winner, the most recent Juno win was in 2020 for his latest release Mohawk. His bands Junkhouse, Lee Harvey Osmond and Blackie and The Rodeo Kings; the discovery of his Mohawk heritage; writing his autobiography Beautiful Scars; his recognition as an artist, and the many projects in between, Tom has been on a voyage of discovery his entire life. An extremely busy man, it took us seven months of calendar co-ordination to get to this conversation.
Tom is one of the greatest storytellers out there today, so rather than leave too much on the cutting room floor, I’ve decided to make this a two-part conversation. Today you’ll hear Part One.
Singer/songwriter Steve York started singing and playing in a blues band in Toronto as a teen. He began songwriting and fronting a grunge rock band in his twenties. At the same time that Nirvana and Pearl Jam were popularizing grunge music in Seattle, Steve and his band SST were pioneering grunge in Toronto. Steve’s band Mercy Flight is his soul child and an ongoing collaboration with fellow musicians Katey Morley, Dan Miller, Tony Rabalao and Tom McKay.
Originally from Guelph, Ontario, Davide Di Renzo is a musician’s musician and has had the good fortune to play with damn near everybody. One of the most versatile and in-demand drummers in Canada, Davide has equally strong profiles in jazz, rock, pop and R&B.
An alumnus of U of T’s Jazz Studies program, Davide was nominated as Jazz Drummer of the year at the National Jazz Awards in 2008. He won a Juno in 2007 as a member of Jacksoul for R&B Soul Recording of the Year. Davide has performed/toured or recorded with slew of Canadian and internationl artists including Holly Cole, Ashley McIssac, Dione Taylor, Richard Underhill, Molly Johnson, David Wilcox, Sarah Slean...and the list goes on. He also performs and tours with Tom Cochrane and Red Rider as well as electronic band New Deal.
Today’s podcast conversation is with David Michael Moote, a multifaceted performer originally from my home town of London, ON. I first met David six years ago as cast member in the production Oh Canada, What A Feeling, based on the book, Oh What A Feeling: A Vital History of Canadian Music, by author Martin Melhuish.
David studied voice and piano from age six and performed professionally in the theatre as a child and teen, studied classical Voice Performance at McGill University and has a Bachelors Education from the University of Ottawa. David performs in theatres across the country as well as in film and TV productions. David is also the lead singer and front man of the Toronto-based symphonic heavy metal band Operus. A passionate singer, actor, musician and lyricist, David connects to the world around him and to his audiences through music and the arts.
Marco Argiro is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and owns his own label, Outright Rock Records. Originally from Florida, then New York City and now residing Nashville since 2017, Marco is a former member of the NYC power-pop trio Le Mood, is lead singer and guitarist for the transatlantic band The Killing Floor and is a member of a Nashville group called The Tenders (currently on hiatus). He began his solo act, Marco With Love, while still living in New York and now performs with a rotating collective of Nashville musicians.
Marco With Love’s Cosmic American Rock ‘N’ Roll music gives a nod to The Beatles, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Tom Petty, The Byrds and The Traveling Wilburys calling to mind a psychedelic era of rock, infused with harmonies reminiscent of the West Coast sounds of the 70s.
Gigging in cover bands part-time since 1968 and writing his own songs, one of them called You’re on the Radio was the start of it all. Frank formed the band Zero-One, signed a deal with Anthem Records and recorded one album. The band was nominated for a Juno in 1981 for Best New Group before disbanding in 1982. Frank went on to form Hanover Fist in 1984 and his song, Metal of the NIght, was chosen by Eddie Van Halen as the lead song for a new movie.
Now writer, producer and director of ONES, a multi-media theatre presentation of The Beatles number one hits from 1964-1969, it's his dream and his personal tribute to a band that's had the biggest impact on his musical career. Building the production from the ground up with the late Don MacLean and graphic designer Jain McMillan, ONES has grown from small theatres to a major production with a 22 piece orchestra.
Patricia Silver has combined her passion for music and performance, her sharp entrepreneurial skills, her commitment to community service, and her dedication to her family into a successful career and busy, but happy, lifestyle. She is considered a pioneer and a leader in the music industry. She founded the Sphere Entertainment Agency, is the author of two best-selling children’s books and is one of the founders of Canada's biggest a cappella festival, SING! Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, which is about to celebrate it's 10th year beginning this Thursday, May 27, 2021.
Toronto Indie artist Mike Celia was my very first conversation, and very first recording. Mike, an accomplished guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, was gracious enough to inaugurate the series. At that time I didn’t even have a name for it. The recording is extremely rough around the edges so bear with me on this one.....and my apologies to Mike.
A secret guitarist for 10 years, Mike has been performing live for 15 years. He tours with Tanika Charles and Digging Roots and I was fortunate enough to capture him on stage with Shakura S'Aida at Mariposa. If you do nothing else, list to the music!
Eddie Bullen is a pianist, composer, arranger and producer. His deep love and passion for music is apparent every time you see him perform, and he loves nothing better than sharing that passion with his audiences. If there is a piano or keyboard anywhere within 500 paces, Eddie will find it and gravitate towards it like magnet.
Since his move to Toronto from Grenada in 1980, Eddie has never stopped. His lengthy career has yielded an abundance of awards, including a Juno. From his first album, 'Nocturnal Affair' in 1996 to his most recent ‘Kaleidoscope', released in January 2020, Eddie gives his audience a taste of contemporary jazz, flavoured with Caribbean rhythms and a little bit of spice. He is also one of the kindest people I know.
Hamilton, Ontario is the home of gritty, knuckle-baring, driving rock and roll. It is also home of the band April. Don’t let the name fool you. These four guys are full on rock with a punk, in-your-face edge to their music. They are determined to entertain and get you moving. Founded by bassist/songwriter Eric Meloche, April is PJ Reynolds (drums), Evan Bowker (vocals) and guitarist/songwriter/producer Stacy Stray.
The band’s name is in remembrance of one of Eric’s sons who’s birth month was April.
Part of Toronto’s vibrant local Indie scene, Drop Top Alibi (DTA) was formed in June of 2016 by Brandon Gregory and Dylan Wykes. In very short order DTA found themselves recording their debut single “Holding the Gun,” at Metalworks Studios with Gilby Clarke (formerly of Guns n’ Roses) producing. They released their self-titled EP in 2017 and later that year supported Gilby during his Canadian fall tour. In the summer of 2019, the band were named 97.7 CHTZ FM’s Rock Search winners, earning them their radio debut with their single Burn. Tour dates were booked for 2020.....then COVID hit!
As the late, great Long John Baldry once said, "Cheryl Lescom has one of the best and biggest voices in Canada." A vocal powerhouse, with a voice that has been described as “soulful road weary, yet sweet and sophisticated”. A matter-of-fact, straight shooter, Cheryl Lescom pulls no punches. She can be all rough and tumble on the outside but her heart as is big as her voice……and it’s huge. In her 45 plus year career, Cheryl has performed with the some of the best blues artists in Canada. Check out her new album "Well Played".
Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, bassist Steve Pelletier has remained a "Hamiltonian". He currently performs with Colin James but his career has seen him perform and record with an eclectic and wide range of musical groups including The Julian Taylor Band, Matt Andersen, Jeff Healey, Sass Jordan, Long John Baldry, Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda, the Shuffle Demons and so many more.
In the Summer of 2020, Steve launched his YouTube series called “The Basement Sessions”, a collection of various musicians Steve has worked with in the past. The Basement Sessions are all recorded live off the floor in his home studio.
Singer/songwriter/performer Sarah Smith is known as one of the hardest working musicians in the business. Prior to 2020, Sarah performed over 300 shows per year traveling across Canada, Europe and the U.K. Sarah lives and breathes music....it is her calling. A deeply caring and warm person, Sarah’s depth of passion, her incredible personal magnetism and a voice that oozes emotion. She is one of the very few artists that can have an audience fall in love with her within the first three bars of a song. She is at her finest on stage.
A no-nonsense hard rock combo from Sydney, Australia, The Lazys formed in 2006, earning a solid reputation both for the quality of their music and their strong work ethic, contradictory to their name. In 2015 they made their first appearance in Toronto with a string of shows during Canadian Music Week. The adventure to Canada proved to be a game-changer for the band. They ended up working with a igh-profile booking agent and signed a North American management deal. Leon is currently putting the paperwork together to make Canada his forever home, referring to himself as Austradian.
Singer/songwriter Samantha Martin is a petit powerhouse. Never underestimate the exploding force of her bluesy, soulful, new Orleans smoky bar voice. Samantha released her first EP in 2004. Fast forward to 2014 and Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar were born of a need to put together a performance for Folk Alliance Canada that didn’t include bass and drums. The combination of three vocalists and a guitar was created and has expanded from the original quartet to the current 12-piece ensemble. They've earned two Juno nominations and thirteen Maple Blues nominations, including vocalist of the year for Samantha. The most recent album, The Reckless One, was released November 20th last year, smack in the middle of the pandemic. Perfect timing....it’s been nominated for a Juno award for Blues Album of the Year.
Today’s artist is singer/songwriter Ember Swift. Publicist Jane Harbury reached out to me a few years ago with a recommendation I come and see Ember’s show at Hugh's Room in Toronto. Writing since the age of nine, performing since the age of ten, Ember released her first self-titled album in 1996. Although originally from Toronto, Ember has been a resident of Beijing for 12 years and is fluent in three languages, English, French and Mandarin. With her beautiful, natural vibrato, Ember’s voice sings clear, strong and true, she is a teller of tales through her songs.
A truly gifted singer/songwriter, Julian Taylor is also a born performer, and as a performer, nothing gives him greater joy that being on stage with his band, spreading the music and the happiness. Of West Indian and Mohawk descent, Julian brings a unique perspective to his music. I admire his passion, his depth, his skills at writing both music and lyrics but most of all his humanity.
Shakura S'Aida.....singer, songwriter, mother, actor, play write, world traveler, Maple Blues award winner, Juno nominee, three albums with a fourth in the works, lead singer of the 13-piece world music ensemble Kaleefah, tri-lingual, she is Brooklyn born, raised in Switzerland, but she has chosen to make her home in Canada.
I chatted with Kirk Reed from Toronto band The Reed Effect on my back deck in June of 2020. We discuss time, creativity, thoughts on live entertainment and how to become a computer geek....plus the new album, 1973. On a sad note, almost four months to the date of our meeting, Kirk’s lost his only brother Chris and the other half of The Reed Effect. Chris tragically took his own life on October 10, 2020, just as the new music was about to be released. 1973 is not just as a tribute to Chris and his legacy, but a celebration of their collaboration and brotherly love.
Quisha grew up in Toronto in a Jamaican/Canadian home listening to Reggae, Motown, Gospel and R&B. Quisha is President of QW Productions Corp and Founder of Canadian Black Entertainment. She is currently in mini-series Self Made: The Story of Madame C.J. Walker (which is currently playing on Netflix) as a choir performer. She is also in the movie The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. She has travelled the world to share her love and passion for music through her singing. An engaging personality, a born singer and entertainer, Quisha’s powerful and emotive singing can make you weep or fill you up and bring you joy.
Hot Lips is also a trio of incredibly skilled musicians, forged together to form a single powerhouse of electro-grunge rock by founder Karli Forgét. Bassist Alex Black and drummer Keith Heppler complete the trio. I met with them in June 2020 at the Rehearsal Factory in downtown Toronto.
Rocker turned country artist, Suzi Kory is relatively new to the music scene. A driven and hard-working person, she's released five singles since 2018, all with accompanying videos. I sat down with Suzi in June of 2020 to talk about how the pandemic is affecting her both personally and professionally and what she thinks is coming for the future.
A series of conversations with a diversity of musicians -- what they were doing prior to the pandemic, where they expected to be and what they're doing now; how they're coping; their thoughts about what the future holds for live performance for new and existing performers and much more. Over 50 artists interviewed.....each one a separate episode and include Jeff Jones, Paul DeLong, the band Hot Lips, Tom Wilson, Gord Deppe, Sally Shaar (Monowhales), Kirk Reed (Reed Affect), Suzi Kory, James Blonde (band), Shakura S'Aida, Sarah Smith, Samantha Martin, Quisha Wint, Courage My Love, Davide DiRenzo.............