The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is set to honour a stellar class of Legends this year, featuring Andy Kim, Jane Siberry, Ian Thomas, Triumph, Gino Vannelli, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, François Cousineau, Michel Pagliaro, and Florent Vollant. These inductees represent the powerful history and diversity of Canadian sound.
Learn more here.
Ahead of the live tribute events in Toronto (Oct. 17) and Montreal (Nov. 17), we sit down with some of these music giants to hear the stories behind their unforgettable careers.
First, we spoke to Rik Emmett from Triumph, then Andy Kim, and now Ian Thomas.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a 75 year old Canadian singer-songwriter, still addicted to the joy and discovery of music and lyric.
How does it feel to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and to have your work recognized as part of Canada’s cultural legacy?
There is an element of honour and validation in becoming part of the soundtrack of Canadians’ lives … but mostly I feel gratitude.
Looking back, what do you think has been the defining thread in your songwriting — the thing that makes your songs distinctly yours?
People have often have said. “ I didn’t know that was your song.” So maybe I’m not so distinct a songwriter form my POV. A love of so many elements of style and composition have frustrated marketing machinery over the years, so perhaps I have been too many things musically to be distinct. Being a hopeless romantic certainly isn’t very distinct in pop music. There may be recurring and somewhat distinct themes of human values and failures in the face of an omnipotent addiction to capitalism and creature comforts that jeopardize our very exitence. I’d like to think some of those thoughts held something a lttle different than the market place on occasion.
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songs that stand the test of time. What does “timeless songwriting” mean to you?
Perhaps this refers to the message or emotional impact of music that manages to be as poignant today as it was in its first exposure to the public years before. Songwriting, as we know it today, has a long way to go to catch up to the timelessness of a Chopin nocturne and yet, Bill Withers “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” and a few songs of that ilk might continue to speak to generations in the shared human experience that defies era. Maybe timelessness is about defying the end of eras with some kind of universal truth.
What advice would you give to the next generation of Canadian songwriters trying to find their voice?
Understand that some people are are going to love what you do, some are going to hate what you do and the vast majority could care less either way. Don’t let the industrial machinery impact the joy and discovery of writing. In the ideal sense of expressing “yourself” … the true worth of what you write may not be found in the number of units sold. If you have to take on other work to support your love of song – there is no shame in preserving the joy of it.
If you could go back to your earliest days as a songwriter, what is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Your first songs can feel somewhat precious and perfect. If we recognize our own imperfections as humans, we can grasp the idea that perfection is unattainable. Therefore a first draft may not be the best you can do. Rewriting can often make a lyric more effective in the service of song. It can be the backbone of better writing in all regimens be it prose, lyric or music.
If you could pick one song from your catalogue that best represents who you are as a songwriter, which song would it be and why?
“Grateful”. It is a song that defines the place I now reside. It was a joy to write and I am grateful for all the good fortune that has landed on me; Being born in Canada. The love of a wonderful woman. An amazing window in time that allowed me to learn and ply my craft while making a living at it. Ths list is too long for this forum. The song Grateful sums it all up.
With live tributes planned for the Toronto ceremony, what are you most looking forward to seeing during the celebration on October 17th?
As one of the inductees this year, I look forward to the reminiscing that comes with listening to variations of this craft from such kindred spirts and contempraries in song. We lived in a wonderful window in time. I will be delighted to celebrate that.
After decades of creating music, what still inspires you to write?
The well-being from the love of my partner, the world that surrounds me, the infinity of a night sky, and the urge to respond to the joys and dramas found in the gift of sentience.
Connect with Ian Thomas:
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