"All Is More Than Both" Out March 2, 2012;
Plumb's Bandmates Set to Release Debut Solo Albums
Former Waltons’ frontman Jason Plumb has figured out the key to sustaining a career in the Canadian music industry - write engaging pop songs, accumulate a stellar list of musician friends, and remain dedicated to your craft. He can now add: start up your own label and then have your bandmates release their own solo albums. Five albums by five musicians to be released all on the same day. That is exactly what SoccerMom Records accomplished on March 27, 2012 when they released new solo albums from not only Jason Plumb and The Willing, but also Cody Gamracy, Gord Smith, Dan Silljer and Jeff McLeod, all fine musicians who at one time or another have played with Jason Plumb. Check out the five-song sampler featuring one track from each of the artists here. All five artists visited Toronto to be a part of the CMW SoccerMom Records showcase on March 24 at The Painted Lady.
With 25 years under his belt, the Regina, Saskatchewan-based Juno winning singer-songwriter Plumb has amassed an impressive body of work that has taken him across Canada and around the world. Plumb’s latest album with his band, The Willing, All Is More Than Both, is about coming full circle, recognizing the power of getting back to basics, and letting the repetitive nature of life just do its thing.
Plumb assembled an impressive guest list to play on his album that includes Steven Page and Ed Robinson (Barenaked Ladies), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Serena Ryder, Chic Gamine, Ian LeFeuvre (Starling, The Hundreds and Thousands), Todd Lumley (Mr. Lonely, Waltons), and Richard Underhill (Shuffle Demons). And of course, his homeboys, the exceptionally tight and talented band, appropriately dubbed The Willing, featuring Gord Smith (bass, guitars, BG vocals), Cody Gamracy (lead guitar, BG vocals) and Mike Thompson (drums, BG vocals). The new album, produced, engineered and mixed by Michael Phillip Wojewoda, features 12 new upbeat songs perfectly crafted for an intimate setting.
Jason Plumb and the Willing first came together in 2004 as a group of friends that Plumb knew were also very good musicians. What he didn’t realize, and was enthusiastically surprised to discover, was the depth of their individual talent. Over the past 8 years they have all grown, and when time came to expand his new record label SoccerMom Records, Plumb felt the most logical step would be to sign his bandmates.
Lead guitarist Cody Gamracy has the voice of an angel with songwriting that is second to none. His record, Where Is The Ground?, mixed by Howie Beck (Feist, Jason Collett), is a wonderful reflection of his quirkiness and wicked studio Kung Fu. The album features 8 new songs Including Sock Puppets.
Creosote (AKA Gord Smith), the bass player from The Willing, grew up on the other side of town. The rock side. After bottling up all that rock energy, Gord wrote all the tracks on his album, Area Man, mixed by Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne), and then played all the instruments on the album. A true testament of his amazing talent.
Dan Silljer is a jaw-dropping guitarist that has blown audiences over all across Canada. To see him perform live is like watching a young Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn. Many people have been waiting for him to release his own solo album and the time has finally arrived for Foolish Heart. This record beautifully showcases his songwriting and vocal abilities, as well as his blazing guitar fireworks.
Last but not least is keyboardist Jeff McLeod. Described by Plumb as pure genius, McLeod has been attending the renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY for the past 4 years and will soon have his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree, with a concentration on jazz and classical music. McLeod’s album, Double Entendre, was produced by Harold Danko (Chet Baker, Lee Konitz) and features one of the foremost jazz saxophonists in Canada, Mike Murley. Plumb had this to say about the exciting projects – “I couldn't be more proud of all these guys. Their recording projects crushed all expectations. I am truly one of the luckiest singer/songwriters in the world to have such a talented bunch of dudes to make music with.”
For more information please contact:
Indoor Recess Inc.
Joanne Setterington – phone 416.703.5217 / e. joanne@indoorrecess.com
Beth Cavanagh – phone 416.803.7685 / e. beth@indoorrecess.com
