Tomi Swick,
The first song Tomi Swick ever sung as a little kid was a Little Richard classic.
On latest release “The Yukon Motel,” the Juno Award-winning Hamilton-based singer-songwriter-guitarist feels he has found his true singing voice at last.
“My family have me on video doing “Good Golly Miss Molly,” says Swick with a laugh via phone from a cottage on Chandos Lake in North Kawartha, where he’s about to go catch some lake trout. “The more soulful kind of singing that I get to do on this record, well, I always sang like that. I was too shy and nervous to sing white soul in my voice. In the bands in the ’90s you could not do that because of grunge.
“But it is there in my voice. I might as well sing like that because I have the ability to do it and I feel good when I sing like that. I used to not do it because I felt stupid trying to do R&B and pop music but no — this is soul music! And it was a huge influence on me. If you listen to some of the new guys like Ray Lamontagne and Chris Stapleton and Nathaniel Rateliff — I feel like I fit in that world. As a singer I don’t know why it took me so long to feel comfortable there. But I sure do,” exclaims Swick.
Swick hails from a “fully” Scottish musical family.
“There was a lot of music in my house and we always loved to turn it up,” he notes, adding his mother sang, his dad played accordion, his grandmother played piano and so did his aunt.
Swick sang in a gospel church choir and got his musical start in the Navy Cadets playing drums, and then the bagpipes which he played for a wee stint.
In 1992, at age 12 in the era of grunge music, Swick was listening to Hamilton’s iconic rock station CKOC and grunge gods like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Smashing Pumpkins. His parents also listened to a lot of traditional Scottish music, and old country like Willie Nelson and Hank Williams.
At age 13, thanks to his sister, Swick discovered singer-songwriters like James Taylor and Paul Simon, then Neil Young and especially Jeff Buckley.
When he as 16, Swick was playing backup in his brother-in-law’s band called Park Row opening for Jim Cuddy in one of Burlington’s first Sound of Music Festivals. He was jamming with friends, but the six-footthree, ginger-haired athlete was also working to toward a football scholarship.
“I was one of those jocks who played guitar,” he says with a laugh.
But Swick’s football playing dreams were cut short due to a knee injury so he began playing more around town. His band Red Echo was opening for groups like I Mother Earth, and Our Lady Peace. They played Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, and almost got signed to Sony Music. But the label wanted Swick and the boys to sound more like the rap-rock of Limp Bizkit.
Swick quit the band and stopped playing for a few years, continuing to hone his songwriting
Tomi Swick with Matty Simpson and Mike Todd Rhapsody Barrel Bar 179 King St. W., Kitchener Friday, Sept. 15, 9 p.m. www.tomiswickmusic.com
craft eventually playing around town at open mikes where he became a popular name.
Warner Music offered him a deal after seeing him perform songs like radio hit “Night Like This” and “So Sorry.” Swick had many more songs in the darker Jeff Buckley rock vein but the record company wanted him to sound more like Michael Buble or John Mayer.
In 2007, Swick won Best New Artist Juno and Best Pop Record nomination for 2006 debut release “Stalled Out in the Doorway,” in addition numerous other songwriting and music awards.
The next day, Swick literally lost his voice.
It was downward spiral vocally until he had surgery. After a tough time, he eventually got his voice back.
“I think it fits better now,” he notes. “It’s a bit more gruff and that suits me because I am a six-foot-three, 275-pound guy.”
Swick’s second self-titled album was produced by Chris Potter (The Rolling Stones, The Verve, The Clash). He has toured and played with The Barenaked Ladies, The Goo Goo Dolls, Stabilo, Collective Soul, Tom Cochrane, Tom Wilson, Sam Roberts, Big Wreck, Feist, Jeremy Fisher, Blue Rodeo, Ron Sexsmith, and Julian Lennon. When Swick was England toward the end of completing his second album, he got a late night call from producer Ron Lopata (“Stalled Out In The Doorway”) who asked Swick if he would like sing a duo with Julian Lennon.
Lennon had liked Swick’s song “December Sky” and the two recorded the song in 2010 on the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s death.
“Julian was a sweetheart,” says Swick. “I walked into the room and I was a little intimidated,” he recalls, adding he had a bad cold. “I shook Julian’s hand and he pushed my hand away, hugged me and said ‘It is so nice to meet you but I wish I had written this song.’ And from that moment on we got along great,” says Swick, adding that he and Lennon still stay in touch.
After his second album Swick and Warner parted ways, and he is now with Slaight Music. Swick’s proud of the work he did on his past albums. But deep down Swick had always wanted something a little more raw and unpolished.
The 2016 release, “The Yukon Motel,” showcases Swick’s more organic-sounding rootsier rock and soul sound.
He wrote these songs based on a trip to the small town of Teslin, Yukon, near the B.C. border, where he hung out at Dawson Peaks and The Yukon Motel, meeting an eclectic group of characters from trappers and miners to natives and tourists.
“I thought that was a cool name for a record. In my mind I saw this motel as a room and the songs as guests, with a different flavour for each one,” he notes.
“The Yukon Motel” was produced by Dave King at Barn Window Studio (Steve Strongman).
“Bad Things” features pedal steel à la Hank Williams and Slim Whitman. Other highlights include “Juliet,” “Liberty,” “Opportunity,” and the simple spare “Emmanuel” featuring Swick’s powerful vocals and guitar.
“The Yukon Motel” features a talented pool of Hamilton players including (album producer) Dave King on drums; Aaron Goldstein, pedal steel; bassists Darcy Yates (Flash Lightning) and Dennis Napper; guitarist Steve Strongman; Jesse O’Brien on keys; Mike Alonzo, guitars, pedal steel; and guitarist Joel Guenther.
“I now realize this roots-and-soul sound is where I feel really comfortable in my music,” says Swick. “No doubt the Rhapsody show (including, King, Alonzo, Guenther and Napper) is going to be a banger!”