Sophomore album from Canadian roots rockers, More How It Is, arrives Sept. 20
Given what the world’s been through over the past several years, we’re all itching to start over. ONTARIANS have encapsulated that message on their new single, naturally titled “Start Over,” which is also the first taste of the band’s sophomore album, More How It Is, out September 20.
Befitting their name, ONTARIANS have a sound that could only be made by a group of guys raised on a steady diet of Neil Young, The Band, Blue Rodeo, and The Tragically Hip. They demonstrated that on their critically acclaimed 2021 debut album, The Greatest Short Story Never Told, and now they’re back with 10 new songs from the band’s co-founders Frank Deresti and Craig Smith.
The pair crafted the new material in their usual manner, through writing sessions at their respective home bases in Sault Ste. Marie and Collingwood, as well as other excursions to northern areas of the province. The album was then laid down at Smith’s studio with the band’s drummer Chris Johns and keyboardist Jay Stiles. It was a lot of ground to cover, but the results on More How It Is speak for themselves; on top of Deresti and Smith’s rootsy melodicism there’s also a bit more of a Northern Gothic element to the new songs.
Deresti says,
“Each song on the record tells its own story, but the album as a whole represents a period of time where the world seemed to offer more questions than answers, and preconceived assumptions were being challenged at every corner. Amidst the somewhat dystopian tone of some of the writing, there is a thread of curious optimism and light-heartedness that has become a calling card for us as a songwriting team.”
Those elements are certainly present on “Start Over,” but on other tracks such as “Trippin’” ONTARIANS put their full musical dexterity on display, with Deresti and Smith’s interwoven guitars and harmonies producing an instant psychedelic pop anthem. The band also shows off its quieter side on the acoustic ballads “Boo” and “Heartbreak Remedy,” both tailor-made for the campfire.
Although Deresti and Smith handled much of the instrumental parts themselves in the studio, there’s no denying that the live sound of ONTARIANS comes through even stronger on More How It Is than on their debut. With Jay Case handling bass duties on stage, the band is once again preparing to get out on the road as a five-piece and treat audiences to an all-around rock and roll experience.
As Ontario’s license plates used to say, it’s yours to discover. More How It Is by ONTARIANS may be the best musical discovery you’ll make this year.