Co-founder of Canada’s The Rizdales delves deeper into his classic country roots with all-original collection
Co-founder of classic Canadian country band The Rizdales, Tom Dunphy, can officially call himself a solo artist with the release of his debut collection, Everything Was New. Although the 10-track collection remains true to Dunphy’s core influences, he took the opportunity to take more chances than he normally would on a Rizdales album, as heard on the current single, “Big Fool.”
“I wanted to make a stripped down country record without a drummer,” he says. “I played acoustic guitar and upright bass, with the only other musicians being Burke Carroll on lap steel and Steve Briggs on electric guitar. Most of my songwriting is now done standing by the campfire—I have them year-round—working out words and music in my head. I figure out the chords later; it’s been years since I wrote a song with an actual guitar in my hands.”
Despite this no-nonsense approach on Everything Was New, Tom strikes a perfect balance between weepers and rockers, while the stellar work of Carroll and Briggs makes it easy to imagine that the album was made in 1955, not 2025.
Along with “Big Fool” and the rocking previous single “You Make Me Shake,” other highlights include “September Is Gone” and “San Marcos,” which both have a lovely Spanish lilt that adds some romance to the album’s overall feel. The only cover is T Bone Burnett’s “Song To A Dead Man,” which echoes more contemporary influences, particularly Burnett’s work with Elvis Costello, that have long been heard in Dunphy’s songwriting. Tom says, “There’s a certain nostalgia in ‘Song To A Dead Man’ that resonates with me, and it’s been a favourite of mine for years. The title of the record also came from this song—‘When I was a kid, everything was new.’”
Back in 2003, Tom and his wife Tara had a dream of starting an original band that reflected their love of classic country music. It led to the formation of The Rizdales, which quickly earned a reputation as one of Canada’s finest roots music acts, releasing seven critically acclaimed albums—the most recent being 2018’s Lucky Enough—and developing a close relationship with Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rockabilly, who always tapped them to back her whenever she came north of the border.
With The Rizdales now on hiatus as Tara focuses on her Celtic band Maggie’s Wake, Tom’s sense of excitement in revamping his sound is palpable on Everything Was New, making it clear that he is ready to re-introduce himself to fans of classic country, both within Canada and around the world.
“I’d say that I’m searching for simplicity,” he says. “I’m finding that less is more, in life and in music.”