SLO’ TOM’S GOVERNMENT TOWN
Urban existence inspires songwriting
Tom Stewart describes himself as a downtown guy. The Ottawa singersongwriter known as Slo’ Tom lives in Centretown with his wife and son, works in the neighbourhood and doesn’t own a car.
It’s an urban existence that has inspired much of the songwriting on his new album, Down In a Government Town, recorded with his Handsome Devils band.
Despite the insightful observations contained in the title track, including lines like, “I feel I’m being paid to dig my own grave,” Stewart has never had a government job. “Not me,” says the co-owner of Spaceman Music, claiming to lack any skills that might secure him a public-service position. “I’m fortunate in a way; so many of my friends work in cubicles and it’s a very difficult lifestyle”
His hours are spent in the shop’s repair department, where there’s “no end of busted stuff to fix.” But the former Furnaceface bassist also has a knack for making up old-time country songs about the things happening around him, whether it’s the proliferation of condo buildings (It’s a Condo Now!) or the bustle of closing time on Elgin Street (2 a.m.). Stewart describes the new album as a soundtrack to Canada’s 150th-anniversary celebrations, but you don’t have to live in Ottawa to relate to the themes.
“I live on Preston Street, and I’ve been in the same neighbourhood for 15 years,” he says. “Downtown Ottawa has been changing so radically in the last three, four or five years, sometimes I wake up and I feel like I don’t even know where I am. That stuff is pretty relatable, and universal. It wouldn’t matter if you were in Halifax or Hamilton. I had the idea of someone walking through the Rideau Centre with these songs on their iPod, but they could also be walking down Queen Street in Toronto.”
The 52-year-old Stewart is also known for a twisted sense of humour, which you can hear on Kissing in Prison, a rollicking tune in which he ponders the loving that might be happening behinds the walls of the Innes Road institution. Other numbers include the twangy lament, No One Waits for Me, a dark ballad called Linoleum Floor, and an ode to lost love wrapped up in a track-free train song, The K&P Don’t Run No More, set along the Kingston and Pembroke line. “They closed all the stations and tore up all the tracks,” Stewart sings, “but I’m still hopin’ someday that train will bring my baby back.”
It’s probably the most compelling and full-sounding of the three Slo’ Tom albums, largely because of the talents of Stewart’s partner, Rey Sabatin. The John Henrys’ singer-songwriter not only produced it and contributed to the writing, but also lends some serious musical talent. He plays mandolin, guitar, banjo and harmonica, and sings terrific harmonies.
Including Sabatin, the Handsome Devils have an all-new lineup, after Stewart’s previous bandmates had to bow out: One got busy with a job, another moved to Montreal and the drummer suffered a shoulder injury. They’re welcome back any time, Stewart notes, but he’s happy to have a couple of Handsome new faces, including Rob Snasdell-Taylor on bass and Jon Kiely on drums.
To kick off the new album, an indie release that’s available on CD and digitally, Stewart has planned a series of online videos. The first came out last year, around election time, to illustrate the singalong Parliament Hill anthem, Family in the Mansion. The newest accompanies the catchy, advice-filled nugget, One Way Street, while the next one, Oh Mary, will spotlight the sweet, sad fallen-soldier song around Remembrance Day.
In the meantime, watch for Slo’ Tom and the Handsome Devils performing in a club around town, starting with the CD release party at Irene’s Pub on Oct. 22. Whether it’s a listening audience or a drinking bunch, Stewart knows how to entertain a room. “I feel fortunate because we can play Irene’s and have a great draw,” he says, “but we’re also able to bridge the gap and do really well at House of Targ, where we’re playing to bearded twenty-somethings. A lot of bands can do one or the other, but ... I’ve been pleasantly encouraged because we can get a fairly wide range of people.”