Toronto Folk/Roots Artist John Lewitt Hopes You “Grab Yourself A Cold One” With One More Time Album
Toronto-based Americana-leaning singer-songwriter John Lewitt has been a busy artist in recent years. And the talented tunesmith keeps riding that momentum wave with “Grab Yourself A Cold One.” It’s the latest single out now from his new self-produced full-length studio effort One More Time out now.
Lewitt says “Grab Yourself A Cold One” was inspired in part by his daughter who makes her own preferential music stamp during car rides.
“My daughter is a huge country fan,” he says. “When we go anywhere she takes over the car radio, so modern country music seeps into my mind with little effort. ‘Grab Yourself A Cold One’ is a product of my daughter’s listening habits!”
“Grab Yourself A Cold One,” the follow-up to Lewitt’s last single “Building My Own Dreamland,” is free of the brash, overtly slick, almost formulaic Nashville production. Instead, Lewitt offers up a tender, roots-based mid-tempo ballad that would fall in line with top-tier quality material by Josh Ritter, Jackson Browne, and the late Warren Zevon. “Grab Yourself A Cold One” fondly reflects on past parties without trying to relive them while cherishing the friendships that came from those days and nights. Simply put, it harkens back to anecdotes of happy times and memories without revisiting the hangover the next morning.
Remember when we couldn’t remember that night
Three sheets to the wind, but man what a good time
And how I know well I was there with you
That’s good enough for me I don’t need
Any hard proof
Lewitt is a jack of all trades on “Grab Yourself A Cold One,” writing and producing the song while playing everything on it including piano, and acoustic guitar, and adding his own backing harmonies. It’s a gentle gem the singer sounds ridiculously comfortable executing.
The performer says the single is one from a batch of songs contained within his upcoming One More Time album. Lewitt says it’s the first time the songs originated from simply the purity of plying his craft, not trying to create material that could be used for possible television or film use.
“The songs on this album were written for the pure joy of writing music, with no intentions attached to them,” Lewitt says.
Lewitt is often very busy writing and recording material, some of which has found its way on television and on the big screen. In fact, a song from One More Time has already been used for a forthcoming film set for release this year. Previous material has been heard on television shows such as The Young and the Restless alongside other tunes, including one heard on ESPN “dozens of times.” Although his proficient studio work makes an abundance of touring arduous, Lewitt has performed at the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, Chicago’s Park West and a host of Toronto locations including the esteemed Roy Thomson Hall and the legendary Horseshoe Tavern.
With a new promising and soothing single in “Grab Yourself A Cold One,” John Lewitt has guaranteed fans old and new alike will have to keep listening to this song one more time.
Hi John! Care to introduce yourself to the readers?
Well, I’ve been making music full-time for the past 10 years. At heart, I’m a songwriter first, a recording artist second, and everything else third. ONE MORE TIME is the 10th full-length album I’ve released over that time and it’s the one I’m probably most proud of (until the next one comes along!). Beyond writing and releasing music as an artist, I’m always writing and recording music for film and TV. I’ve had lots of minor successes in that field, with my biggest success being the songs I’ve had placed on the Young and The Restless. I’ve had over a dozen songs on that show, with a bunch of them used multiple times over the last 5 years.
How did your daughter’s love for country music influence the creation of this song?
So most people hear my voice and think I’m a country singer, which is odd to me because I never really listened to country music much until my daughter really got into it. I was more into The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty – basically what’s now called Americana I guess. So on any given car ride she takes over the radio and loads up her queue on Spotify with her favourites of the day. As such, I’m well aware of all the themes that are sung about in today’s country music and drinking is a big one, especially whiskey, with beer a close second. I heard the phrase “grab yourself a cold one” one day and tucked it away as a title to use on a song. The next time I had a guitar in my hands, it basically wrote itself. And while the title implies that it’s a drinking song, truthfully it’s more about long-lasting friendships.
You played multiple instruments on this track. What was it like being a one-man band for this song?
While I do collaborate with other musicians from time to time, there really is a satisfaction in doing it all myself. Being proficient on multiple instruments allows me to paint the exact picture that I hear in my head. And on this one, everything came together very quickly, which is very satisfying.
How did the process of writing songs for the pure joy of it differ from creating material for television or film?
Really it comes down to the lyrics. In writing for film and TV there are some rules to follow – specific details, such as names or places, are frowned upon as they can get in the way of the plot. So when I’m writing for the pure joy of it, it does take the handcuffs off my imagination and lets it run free.
What was your experience performing at notable venues like the French Quarter Festival, Chicago’s Park West, and Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall?
I don’t play live much – I prefer the creative side of things, rather than the performance. However, I have played in some very cool places over my lifetime and they all hold a unique memory for me. I guess if I toured a lot, then many of these memories would be blurred together, but since I don’t, they are very distinct. Like when I played at Roy Thompson Hall, I spent an hour alone in the hall playing the grand piano, before the show, in an empty hall, which really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience