The Strumbellas At The Recording Academy
They met on Craigslist.
Simon Ward was already in his twenties and felt it was now or never, either he was a songwriter or he was not, you either start or you’re left behind, so far all he had was the name, which he’d posted on MySpace, that’s how far back the story goes.
And of the fifteen people who answered the ad three stuck. None of them professional musicians, all looking for a lark. Dave had been kicked out of his previous band. Isabel, the lone American, was attending college but ultimately heeded the call. And then, after fits and starts, the firing of a lame drummer, they ended up with this configuration of six nearly a decade ago, that’s right, it’s always a long term overnight success, you’re laboring in obscurity and then suddenly everybody knows your name and you’re flying all over the world and your dreams have come true and you can’t really believe it and you’re pinching yourself.
The band pestered publicist Joanne Setterington to take up their cause, she resisted, she’d never managed a band before, but ultimately she couldn’t resist.
And the second album was nominated for a Juno, that’s when they knew they were on the right track. But after recording the third LP Joanne contacted Daniel Glass who flew to T.O. and got it right away, he signed them. And no one works harder on his acts than Daniel Glass, after all, it’s HIS COMPANY!
And I know the single “Spirits,” who doesn’t? It’s got 50 million plays on Spotify, and 18 million views of the Vevo video and the song is on the radio but…
I wasn’t closed until today, when I saw them live.
First and foremost, they had no attitude, they introduced themselves in an earnest matter, and were forthcoming with their story. They’d come from Lindsay, a farm town, an hour and a half from Toronto, none had airs, they were your next door neighbors, the kids you played board games with in the basement during long winters.
But when they began to play and sing…
I was there for the soundcheck. And they were performing “We Don’t Know” which I suddenly did, that’s how you know something’s a winner, when you get it on the first listen, and I’d never listened to it before.
And when the show ultimately began…
I was stunned. Not only were they playing their own instruments and creating a cohesive sound, they all SANG! In this era of autotune we expect that everybody’s faking it, but when presented with authenticity, it resonates.
This show was fully acoustic. And therefore it reverberated in a way the recordings cannot. It was a quiet performance for a small audience, only a handful of songs, but I found my body swaying, I was grooving to the sounds, I could have listened all afternoon.
And sitting there, looking at the assembled multitude, I realized I was a good twenty years older than everybody in attendance. The music business has turned over, it’s a young person’s game now. Sure, the antiques are touring with their hits, but new music is owned by the youth, they know history but they want to make their own mark.
I wish you were there. They played “Spirits” and it was so intimate. But the winner was “We Don’t Know,” the one I’d seen them rehearse. Here’s a reasonable iteration:
But the version I saw was even quieter, even more human, I was touched.
Credit the band for persevering.
Credit the manager for guiding them.
Credit the Canadian government for supporting them, how else can you keep a six person band on the road while they’re building their audience.
And credit Daniel Glass for finding excellence and bringing it to the world. Now, more than ever, you need a champion. Being good is not good enough. Being great is not good enough. You need a consigliere, who can navigate the waters, who can put you in front of the right people, who can leverage relationships so you get your best chance.
The Strumbellas have made it.
Let them be a beacon for you.
