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Event
Ontarians Back in the Church
The Greatest Short Story Never Told
In case you didnt know, Ontario is big. Bigger than Texas, actually. A lot of that vast, wild space is ingrained in the music made by Ontario artists, and one of the most revered, Fred Eaglesmith, has often said that he would rank Ontario songwriters equally with those from Texas. Its all just sometimes hard to notice, with Toronto being the centre of the universe and all.
The members of the band Ontarians dont live in Toronto, which is precisely why their name suits them to a tee. Their turf is mostly the northern half of the province, from Collingwood to Sault Ste. Marie. But with the release of their debut album, The Greatest Short Story Never Told, theyre more than happy to represent the southern half as well. Indeed, the approach that Ontarians take isnt dissimilar from the sound that ruled Torontos Queen Street West during the glory days of the Horseshoe Tavern, the Cameron House and the Rivoli, when a distinctive brand of country rock was created by former punks seeking to express themselves in a more personal and substantive way.
Of course, much has changed since then, but The Greatest Short Story Never Told is a clear reminder that well-crafted songs played by musicians with genuine chemistry will never fall out of fashion.
This was a true collaborative effort for Craig, Jay and myself, Frank says. Between glasses of Pernod, car troubles and lots of laughter we wrote songs about various stages of life we found ourselves inpast, present, and a hypothetical future. When Craig and I sat down to write with a clear goal in mind, it was like a reservoir of creativity was released that had been building up for a long time.
The general guiding rule has been anything goes, Craig says. Frank and I pursued any idea either of us came up with, as long as it felt good. And even though the album took two years to finish, when we were together in the studio there was a real sense of urgency to be productive. We didnt have the luxury of living in the same city, so I think all of that concentrated effort really comes across on the album.
Prior to the formation of Ontarians, Frank Deresti criss-crossed the country as a sideman for over a decade and released four albums under his own name beginning in 2012, all while holding down several high profile teaching positions at Sault Ste. Maries Algoma University and the Algoma Conservatory of Music.
Craig Smith cut his musical teeth in the underrated 90s singer/songwriter scene in Kitchener-Waterloo where he made two solo albums before moving to Collingwood and building a scene there through production work and booking artists at CROW Bar.
Jay Stiles has been hired to work on many projects over the years, and since his move to Austin, that network has grown exponentially. Along with being a part of Ontarians, Jay is also working with Big Sugars Gordie Johnson on a new reggae project.
With the release of The Greatest Short Story Never Told, Ontarians are fully prepared to invigorate the roots rock world with their timeless sound. As Frank says, when something just feels right, it cant be denied. We started with a little idea of what direction we thought we could take, but it became apparent pretty quickly that we complemented each others approach to writing in every way. We havent stopped writing actually, even with this first album finished. We want to have enough material to put on a great show when the time is right, and were all hoping that time comes soon.
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LocationI Arted in a Church (View)
37 Sydenham St
Flesherton, ON N0C1E0
Canada
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| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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