By sheer happenstance, this is my second post today about some fantastic Canadian music. Maybe I just need to camp out in Toronto for a week and go to random clubs? I’d certainly love to hang out with The Strangemakers, a husband-and-wife team comprised of Alex McCulloh and Tom Perry. Their music is right up my alley with their blend of folk and punk. And they’ve got some heavy-hitters on their new single, “Wait On Me,” produced by JUNO award-winning artists Dave Ritter (The Strumbellas) and John Dinsmore (NQ Arbuckle, Donovan Woods).
“Music has always been a way to express my feelings and understand where
I’m at, and this song is no exception,” writes McCulloch.
“When I wrote this song I was in a really dark place – my mom had passed
away in late 2016 and I was dealing with grief and depression. Tom was
there to support me, and so this song is about how we navigated that
journey together. How relationships can be tested by storms. Luckily,
we’ve come through stronger than ever and I’m proud to share this very
personal song with the world that I hope others will be able to relate
to. We recorded this song in the ever-vibey Lincoln County Social Club,
and I hope listeners will be able to hear the intimacy of that space as
well as the intimacy of the lyrics in this final recording.”
While Ani DiFranco’s influence can be felt here, McCulloch’s unflinching delivery will call to mind melodic punk bands like Camp Cope and Cayetana. “Wait On me” resonates with my own experiences of struggling to hold it together while also doing my best to be open with another person. (And, of course, being on the other side of that as well.) This is a song that should make the going a little bit easier — because The Strangemakers assure us we’re not alone in it.
The Strangemakers will be hosting a single release party at The Painted Lady on June 22 in support of the release of “Wait On Me.”