HALIFAX: Robert Thomas described having an opportunity to perform for an audience as “the gravy.”
The native of Halifax, who grew up in Winnipeg, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, said it is rare that a writer experiences an immediate reaction to one of their songs.
“The lyricist plies their trade, more often than not, in hotel rooms or small studios,” he told The Reporter.
And, considering he is an internationally acclaimed songwriter; one who has worked for labels, such as Capitol, EMI and Sony, and penned tunes for the likes of Kenny Rogers and Bonnie Raitt, over an almost 40-year career, Thomas would know that feeling.
“It is great road test for songs,” he suggested, explaining that an audience provides “instant feedback” with their reaction.
Thomas, a three-time East Coast Music Award (ECMA) nominee, and his band, The Sessionmen which includes Ray Legere (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, backing vocals), Jon Arseneault (guitar, backing vocals), and Maxime Forbes (keyboards, backing vocals), will have an opportunity to have that type of experience next month as part of the Celtic Colours International Festival.
That foursome, along with Wendy MacIsaac, Brad Davidge and Mec Lir, will take the stage during the Ceilidh on the Canal at St. Peter’s Lions Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Hosted by the Village on the Canal Association, showtime is 7:30 p.m.
“I am thrilled to be doing it,” Thomas said of his upcoming debut at Celtic Colours.
He noted that Legere, his “long-time co-writer,” who has played his mandolin with the likes of Doc Watson and Alison Krauss, introduced him to the highly-regarded Cape Breton fall festival.
As for what the audience in St. Peter’s should expect, Thomas described the band as a “throw back,” one boasting an Americana flavour akin to artists such as John Prine and Stan Rogers.
“The musicianship is terrific,” Thomas offered of the ensemble, including Legere’s “incredible solos.”
As the band evolved, he noted, they started coupling songs with stories of their origins.
“They (songs) are not the same without (the stories),” Thomas said.
He suggested that audiences identify with the universal themes found in the tunes, including love, loss and divorce.
They will mostly likely hear songs from the group’s all-acoustic roots-Americana album, Parallel Lines, including tracks such as “The Cradle” and “In a Week or Two.” With the help of not only the band, but also some friends from the Canadian music industry, such as Barney Bentall and Lina Boudreau, Thomas created an album of not only new tracks, but also recordings of some of his favourite and most performed catalogue songs.
“We listened to a lot of music,” Thomas remembered of his childhood, when asked how he ended up on such a career path, suggesting his story is not unlike most songwriters.
To ensure that music was at their fingertips, even on long family car rides, his father installed an 8-track player, which ensured that tunes from an eclectic play list of artists that included Simon and Garfunkel, Nancy Sinatra and Johnny Cash, could always be played.
“It was like going to music school,” Thomas said of growing up in a family with such a passion, even though his parents weren’t musicians (his mother played a bit on the piano).
As a youngster, there were nights in his darkened bedroom when he tried to capture the nuances of singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” or B.J. Thomas’s “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.” He compared the experience to a budding guitar player trying to imitate the mastery of Keith Richards or Jimi Hendrix.
By Grade 9, Thomas and his friend Andrew started their first band.
“We didn’t see it as a great leap; it seemed like the natural thing to do,” he says of following their aspiration for a career in music.
Thomas added it was crucial that their parents “really encouraged them,” which made their dreams seem even more attainable.
His journey as a lyricist and singer included time in the advertising world as a jingle writer after he arrived in Los Angeles. Thomas agreed that being located there, in one of the international music meccas, was highly beneficial, considering that’s where he began connecting with “major studios” not to mention engineers, producers and publishers.
From those relationships came collaborations, where he could couple his “ability to process,” and of course, write lyrics for talented musicians.
“I can’t deliver the finished product,” Thomas said, with a laugh, in stressing the importance of the musical partnerships that help create the music and melodies.
When it comes to his career evolution, he noted, “It has all been very organic.”
“And, it has been an incredible experience.”
To learn more about Thomas and his band, visit: robertthomasandthesessionmen.com
For more information on the Celtic Colours International Festival, which runs from Oct. 7 to 15, visit: celtic-colours.com.