A thousand miles (or so) of snow (posted March 31, 2007)

It was great to see everyone in Hudson, Kitchener, Toronto, Alliston and Carnarvon -- and points in between -- on our recent central Canadian swing. It was a classic Canadian spring road trip: snow squalls, bitter winds, the occasional wrong turn and a lot of great music, on- and off-stage. For Dave and Lucinda, it was also a chance to get reacquainted with snow, a rare commodity in their Victoria, B.C., base. Their verdict: it might be overrated. The tour was also a chance to unveil some new songs, like Ellen's Winter Wren (might have to take it back about the snow -- it seems to be quite inspiring) and Dave's Waiting for a Train, both of which will probably make their way onto upcoming albums. Thanks to everyone who came out and to Andrew Johnston, Jack and Lori Cole, Lillian Wauthier and Mark Christiano, who made it all happen.

         River Song rave reviews keep coming

We recently came across another rave review for Steel Rail's latest CD, River Song, this time from the prestigious magazine Bluegrass Unlimited in May of 2006. BU called River Song a "delightful and engaging album" and  praised its songs "that tell small stories with strong, personal images". The respected folk magazine Dirty Linen also gave River Song a very strong review in its June-July 2006 edition. The band found "fresh ways to express universal truths," the Dirty Linen review said.  For all the reviews check out the River Song reviews page; for more on River Song, please see the Recordings section.

        River Song one of Top 10 Canadian releases for 2006 (posted Jan.1, 2007)

CBC Galaxie's folk-roots channel continues to be good to Steel Rail. The band rang in at No. 9 on the satellite radio channel's annual Top Spins chart, making River Song one of the most played Canadian CDs of 2006. The Top Spins list is based on high-rotation airplay frequency between December 2005 and November 2006, along with producer preference. Rounding out the Top 10 list were Ron Hynes at No. 1, the Be Good Tanyas, Bruce Cockburn, Bob Bossin, Fred Eaglesmith, Sarah Harmer, Great Big Sea, Stephen Fearing and the Wailin' Jennys.

 

Steel Rail also rated high among bluegrass and traditional music fans. The band was No. 5 on the year-end chart compiled by the producers of Down From the Mountain, a weekly bluegrass and traditional music program on Galaxie's folk-roots channel. Also in the Top 5 were Sarah Harmer, Paul Kelly and the Stormwater Boys, the Be Good Tanyas and Chris Hillman.

 

For more details about this excellent channel, see www.galaxie.ca.

         River Song tops in Galaxie folk chart (posted June 11, 2006)

We're happy to report that our new CD, River Song, was the most-played Canadian folk album on the Galaxie folk-roots channel, part of CBC's satellite radio network, last month. River Song topped the Canadian folk chart in May. The other artists in the Top 10 were Brock Zeman; Angela Harris; Carolyn Mark; Christa Couture; Ron Hynes; Leslie Alexander; the Arrogant Worms; David Bradsteet and Mauvais Sort. For more details, see www.galaxie.ca.

         A thousand miles of snow (posted Jan. 4, 2006)

The new year -- and winter 2005-2006 -- have been good to Steel Rail. The band enjoyed a post-Christmas skate on Lac Renaud in Prévost, Québec, home of lead singer Tod Gorr. Stay tuned for photos of the great Steel Rail hockey joust, which featured seven kids, three musicians, assorted family members and hockey unlikely to threaten the Canadian juniors. The week also featured the inclusion of Steel Rail on several "best of 2005" lists, including those of Mike Regenstreif in the Montreal Gazette and Patrick Langston in the Ottawa Citizen. Folk DJs Jim Marino (Freewheeling Folk on CFMU in Hamilton), Mike Regenstreif (Folk Roots, Folk Branches on CKUT in Montreal), Steve Pritchard  (Radio Boogie on CKLN in Toronto) and Jan Vanderhorst (Just Us Folk on CKPC in Brantford) also played the new River Song album in conjunction with their year-end review shows. Thanks, guys! Meanwhile, winter is socking in just about everywhere except Victoria, B.C., where the palm trees are bouncing waving in the Pineapple Express winds that bring warm, moist air to this island city. Hard to reconcile that with the minus -17 Montreal chill over the holidays. In the immortal words of Yakov Smirnoff, "What a country!"

          Brand new Steel Rail CD, River Song, to be released in October (posted Sept. 15, 2005)

The wait is almost over! We're celebrating the release of our new CD, titled River Song, and marking the occasion with CD release concerts in Montreal (Green Room) on Oct. 7 and at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Québec (near Ottawa), on Oct. 9. For details on the upcoming shows, check out the Steel Rail Appearances page; for more about the new record please visit the Recordings  page.

         Dave Clarke: way out west (posted Sept. 15, 2005)

The rumours are true: Dave has relocated to Victoria, BC. But never fear, Steel Rail will continue on, as Dave will be making periodic trips back east. For upcoming appearances, along with Dave Clarke's  concert schedule, please see the Steel Rail Appearances page.

 

        Steel Rail at Folk Alliance and beyond (posted Jan. 29, 2005)

Steel Rail will be performing two showcases at the 2005 Folk Alliance conference to be held Feb. 24-27 in Montreal.   Steel Rail also has several concerts coming up in the spring, mainly in the Northeast U.S. and Ontario. For all the details, along with Dave Clarke's  concert schedule, please see the Steel Rail Appearances page.

       New Steel Rail CD on the way

Steel Rail continues to work on the new CD recording, tentatively titled Steel Rail 3. A sense of place resonates throughout the music and songs of Steel Rail 3, whether it’s the dark blue hills of Charlevoix County in Quebec or the rolling prairies of Western Canada. Some of the songs have already been previewed for a national radio audience on The Vinyl Café, the popular CBC Radio program hosted by Stuart Maclean. For a sneak MP3 preview, go to the Recordings page.

       Steel Rail hits the road (posted Jan. 26, 2004)

Steel Rail will be performing several shows in March, including a first-time foray to northern Ontario. The Steel Rail itinerary will include stops in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and Red Rock, as well as return to favourite haunts at Mundy's Bay Folk Society in Midland and the Church Street Café in Lennoxville.  For the complete Steel Rail concert schedule, please see the Steel Rail Appearances page.

       Wooden Ships at Notre-Dame de Bonsecours (posted Sept. 28, 2003)

The Steel Rail song Wooden Ships was performed at the church about which it is written -- Notre-Dame de Bonsecours in Old Montreal -- on Saturday, Sept. 20. The song was sung at afternoon mass as part of a weekend celebrating the addition of the first new wooden ship to the church in 40 years. This small chapel on Bonsecours St. is called the Sailors' Church because of its spiritual connection to the mariners who have set sail from the Port of Montreal since the 1600s. The song inspired by the church will be on the new Steel Rail 3 album.

 

In addition to Wooden Ships, the album will include La Rive, about the shipbuilders on the lower North Shore of the St. Lawrence; Belmont Days, which Dave describes as the only bluegrass song ever written about an amusement park; and Still Keeping Time, a song Ellen wrote for her parents' 50th anniversary. 

       Fine sounds at Ottawa Folk Festival (posted Aug. 23, 2003)

The Ottawa Folk Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary at Britannia Park on the shores of the Ottawa River this weekend. And among those on hand to help with the festivities were Emmylou Harris (with the great Buddy Miller), Dar Williams, Sarah Harmer, Ron Sexsmith, Tegan and Sara, Jane Siberry, La Bottine Souriante, Le Vent du Nord, Lynn Miles, Finest Kind, David Francey and, of course, Steel Rail.

Much of the music was sublime, but we particularly enjoyed Emmylou Harris's Friday night main stage performance (the part we saw before we had to go play ourselves) and the Heart Strings workshop, hosted by Carolyn Sutherland and featuring strong performances from Buddy Miller, Lynn Miles, Mike Plume and Wendell Ferguson. A guitar workshop featuring David Woodhead, Roddy Elias and Steel Rail's own Dave Clarke was notable not only for the hot playing but for the intelligent direction by host David W., who made the event a true workshop and  not just an opportunity for artists to pitch their latest album.

As for Steel Rail, it was great to share the main stage with Jane Siberry, David Francey and Aengus Finnan Saturday afternoon, but our favourite moments occurred in the Back 40 workshop, where, under the watchful eye of CKCU DJ Ron Moores, we traded songs, licks, jibes and great vibes with John and Michelle Law and Keith Glass.

The chemistry was magical, the vocals were celestial and the tunes were terrific. As for the picking, John, Keith and Dave smoked on everything from bluegrass standards like Bury Me Beneath the Willow to originals like Keith's Blue, Blue, Blue. In terms of sheer energy, good feelings and plain old music, it was one of the finest workshops we've seen in more than 20 years of festival-going.

Thanks to CKCU's Chopper McKinnon and Ron Moores, the Folklore Centre and most of all to festival artistic director Chris White for keeping the flame of folk music burning bright in the nation's capital.   

 And don't forget to vote for the first inductees in Canada's Folk Music Walk of Fame, slated to open on Ottawa's Bank St. in October. You can find out more at http://www.folkwalk.ca/english.htm; you can vote until the end of the month. 

         Penny Lang tribute a rousing success (posted May 28, 2003)

Almost anyone who is anyone on the folk scene in Montreal -- and a lot of friends from further afield -- gather at the Sala Rossa on Montreal's St. Laurent Blvd. on May 23 to salute a city folk legend, Penny Lang. The night featured performances by Annabelle Chvostek, Maria Dunn, the Echo Hunters, Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop, Eve Goldberg, Connie Kaldor, Kirk McGeachy, Linda Morrison, Les Ours, Evelyn Parry, Chris Rawlings, Cheryl Wheeler and Ken Whitely, among others. The best part, however, was when Penny herself took the stage with her son Jason -- a phenomenally talented singer and guitar player in his own right -- and a host of musicians for a compelling and generous set that reminded everyone why we were there. Thanks to Heidi Fleming for organizing the event, to folk DJ Mike Regenstreif for doing such a great job of hosting the evening, to everyone who came out to support the event -- and, of course, to Penny, for her unique and extraordinary contribution to Canadian music. Look for Penny Lang to record a new album in the near future. It'll be a good one.

         Good friends, good sounds (posted May 28, 2003)

Thanks to the Brantford Folk Club in Brantford, Ont., and to Paul Symes at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Que., for hosting Steel Rail in concerts on Friday, May 9, and Sunday, May 11, respectively. The shows gave us a chance to reconnect with some good friends and to try out some new tunes in a welcoming setting. The Black Sheep concert is tentatively slated to be part of an eight-part TV documentary on Canadian folk singer-songwriters called Four Strong Winds, which will be broadcast at some point next year. We'll keep you posted when we hear more. In the meantime, thanks to music writer Martin Melhuish, who asked us to be part of the program, and to the members of the audience at the Mouton Noir who accommodated the TV crew. Finally, a tip of the hat to folk DJs Jim Marino (CKMU in Hamilton); Ron Moores (CKCU in Ottawa) and Jan Vanderhorst (CKPC in Brantford) who helped spread the word about the shows and Steel Rail's new projects. Thanks, everyone!

         New Steel Rail recording is on the way (updated May 28, 2003)

The countdown has begun for Album No. 3 for Steel Rail. We're back in the studio  to record some of the new songs that have been pouring out from the three members of Steel Rail. Those of you who have seen us in live performance over the last little while will be interested to learn that among the songs being considered for SR3 are Tread Softly by Ellen Shizgal, That's How the Summer Slips Away and Wooden Ships by Dave Clarke and Lucinda Chodan, and Belmont Days by Tod Gorr and Lucinda Chodan. 

         Nashville cats return (posted Feb.15, 2003)

Steel Rail is back from Nashville, Tennessee, where the band performed a showcase during Folk Alliance, an annual gathering of folk-music presenters, agents, musicians and other music-industry professionals. The conference took place in Music City U.S.A. Feb. 6 to 9, 2003, and the halls of the Nashville Convention Centre and the adjoining Renaissance Hotel rang with the sounds of hundreds of North America's finest folk musicians. 

It was quite a treat -- and incredibly stimulating to be a heartbeat away from some of the best musicians and songwriters in North America. Thanks to everyone who wrote to wish us well at the conference or who came out to the showcase. 

         Nashville cats (posted Jan. 7, 2003)

Steel Rail gets the year off to a fast start with a lightning trip to Nashville, Tennessee, in early February for this year's Folk Alliance international conference. Steel Rail is one of 15 groups from north of the border invited to be part of the Folk Alliance Canada showcase at the gathering Feb. 6 to 9. We're sharing the showcase with fellow Quebecers the Susie Arioli Swing Band and Le Vent du Nord, as well as other Canadians Ron Hynes (Newfoundland), the Brothers Cosmoline, Anne Lindsay, Darlene and Tannis Slimmon (Ontario), the Duhks and the Wailin' Jennys (Manitoba), Sandy Scofield (B.C.), Maria Dunn, the Corb Lund Band and John Wort Hannam (Alberta) and the Undertakin' Daddies (Yukon).  Thanks to Folk Alliance Canada for inviting us to be part of the Canadian delegation. When we get back, we'll let you know whether those session players really pick as clean as country water.

         Dave Clarke album launch in Montreal Jan. 18 (posted Jan. 7, 2003)

Steel Rail guitarist Dave Clarke has been flitting around the continent as part of the David Francey Band (well, most of the time he is the David Francey Band) for the last little while, but he settles in Montreal long enough to launch his long-awaited solo album on Jan. 18. Dave's album, Guitar Songs, makes its home-town debut at the venerable Yellow Door Coffee House on Aylmer Street in the McGill student ghetto as part of a show that features good friends Bill Garrett and Sue Lothrop. Bill and Sue will preview some of the tunes on their upcoming album at the show. The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Yellow Door, 3625 Aylmer St., Montreal. Call (514) 398-6243 for more information. 

         Steel Rail CD news (posted Jan. 7, 2003)

The band has started pre-pre-pre-production on a third album of new Steel Rail originals, which we hope will come out before summer. Dave has been busy on the road and in the studio with Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter (and friend) David Francey, but he's squirrelling away some time in February to start work on a third Steel Rail album. There's no firm release date, no title, and no definitive song list, but Tod, Ellen and Dave, along with manager/lyricist Lucinda Chodan, have been writing up a storm, so there's probably enough material for a triple album. Stay tuned for more details. 

         Dave Clarke's Guitar Songs gets rave reviews (posted Jan. 7, 2003)

Steel Rail guitarist Dave Clarke's debut solo album has been getting great response in the cities where it has been released. Folk maven, DJ and writer Mike Regenstreif called it "an exquisitely executed collection of original solo instrumentals from a Montreal master of the acoustic guitar" when he reviewed it for the Montreal Gazette. Check the Guitar Songs page to find out how you can get your own exquisitely executed copy!

         Thanks again, Stuart! (posted Jan. 7, 2003)

Thanks to Stuart McLean and the gang at the Vinyl Café for their continuing support. Stuart and producer David Amer had invited Steel Rail and fellow Montreal musician Connie Kaldor to be on the popular CBC Radio program when they taped two shows at the Outremont Theatre last March. The two shows were rebroadcast in late December, much to the delight of Steel Rail moms, dads and other fans across Canada. The Vinyl Café is one of the many reasons to be grateful for CBC Radio in this country. Thanks to all concerned for their ongoing support of homegrown writing and music. And if you enjoy the programming and are grateful for the excellent news, documentary and music provided by the CBC, let your local MP know.

 

For more, check out the archives or browse our upcoming appearances.