Robert Thomas and the sessionmen Capture the Ache of Longing on Soulful Folk Ballad “Beside You”
East Coast storyteller Robert Thomas and his talented duo, the sessionmen, release their heartfelt new single, “Beside You.” A poignant reflection on the challenges of life on the road and the deep longing for home, the track melds folk, Americana, and roots influences into an intimate and deeply relatable narrative.
“Beside You” captures the ache of separation and profound gratitude for the one you love, offering listeners a tender yet powerful reminder of what truly matters. Co-written with renowned musician Ray Legere, the song’s lyrical depth and haunting melody have made it a live favourite, evoking memories and emotions in audiences far and wide.
Robert shares,
“I wrote “Beside You” in the quiet of a hotel room, longing for home after years of life on the road. The chorus came to me in the middle of the night, fully formed: “To lie beside you, that is heaven, and there’s no place on the earth I’d rather be.” This song is a love letter to my wife and a reflection on the realization that no matter how hard we work or how far we go, the greatest prize is being with the person you love.“
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Robert Thomas and I perform and write with Ray Legere and Jon Arsenault who, collectively, are known as the sessionmen. We have all been in the music business for ages, myself as a staff songwriter for music publishing and advertising, and Ray and Jon as multi-instrumental musicians, band leaders, record producers, and all-around good guys.
“Beside You” feels deeply personal. Can you share more about what inspired this song and how it reflects your own experiences on the road?
Ray, Jon, and I have all, at various times been on the road for extended periods. Any touring musician will tell you how difficult that is. At some point, no matter how much you love playing music, there comes a night in a strange hotel room or on the bus, or eating alone in yet another town, where you just simply miss the one you love at home, your wife/partner, in the case of this song. I woke up one night in a hotel, somewhere, I honestly can’t remember where, and just had a thought that maybe all of this fast lane living and running around chasing a dream might be missing the point and that they’re real fulfillment and Joy in my life is actually right in front of me, at home. In that moment, the lyric of the song pretty much came in its entirety, and I felt very much in love with my wife and really longed to get home to her.
How did collaborating with Ray Legere shape the final version of “Beside You”? What did his influence bring to the song?
I had the lyric and basic melody for the song when I brought it to Ray. Ray has been a touring musician out there playing for much longer than I have and I think he immediately identified with the spirit of the lyric. He has had many long stretches away from his wife Jill, and his family, and I could just tell from the feel he brought to the song that he identified with the sentiment we were writing about. Maybe everybody misses their partner at some time but when you’re away for extended periods year after year, there comes a point where, more than missing them, you really question the merits of what you’re doing. I think I hit Ray with this song at a time like that and, he just put beautiful music to it.
The song beautifully blends folk, Americana, and roots. How would you describe the sound of the track, and how does it fit into your overall musical journey?
We wrote the song on guitar and performed it on that instrument with a mandolin solo during our live shows. When Catherine MacLellan came on board to produce our new album, the song was entirely new to her and she wondered what it might sound like on piano. She invited Terra Spencer to listen to the track and, if she connected with it, provide the piano accompaniment. Terra did, and when they sent me the track, it was like hearing the song all over again for the first time, I really loved her interpretation of the music. It just seemed to say musically everything that I was feeling that night in the hotel alone. As such, we left it alone and didn’t put any more instruments on the track. A little risky maybe but the idea is to service the song and I think the solo piano arrangement succeeds in doing that. From the perspective of my musical journey over 40 years as a songwriter, maybe the most important lesson I’ve learned is to leave well enough alone. When a lyric and the music blend to completely convey the sentiment, just go with that whether it’s one instrument or many. At some point, the arrangement just declares itself, and adding more parts or more production isn’t necessary.
“Beside You” has quickly become a live favorite. What’s the experience like for you and the band when you perform this song for your audience? Do you notice a different energy or connection during these performances?
We tend to leave beside you to the very end of our show, often as an encore finishing song because the lyric is about that, being out on the road playing live but just wanting to get home at the end of the night. Because that sentiment of wanting to get home to the one you love is so universal and our audience’s emotions have been opened up over the course of the preceding 90 minutes, beside you always engenders a really special, quiet moment and people often sing along, and I find that really is special to Ray and I as writers.
With “Beside You” out in the world, what’s next for you and The Sessionmen? Any new projects or tours on the horizon?
We have a new album coming out in May. As I mentioned, Catherine MacLellan produced it and did a beautiful job in my opinion. Her partner, Mark Westberg engineered the project and, likewise, I find the audio to be breathtaking to my ear. Ivan Rosenburg came in and provided some beautiful dobro parts and Jon and Ray brought their usual magic on fiddle mandolin, guitar, and backing vocals. We will start touring in support of the album on May 1 with shows in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Minneapolis, Buffalo, Boston, Halifax, and all points in between through until the fall. It’s ironic, despite the sentiment of beside you, we’re going back out to do it all over again. But, if you’re going to make art you have to get out and service it and be very glad that you have a great partner to stand by you at home until that work is done.
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