Band: Staig & Billings
EP: Years Gone By
Release Date: July 11, 2023
Genre: Country
Chris Staig and Jonathan Billings are Toronto-based singer-songwriters with ten albums of original material in their collective history. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, they had played a few Toronto shows together and always planned to take the collaboration further. It was the discovery during lockdown that they could play regular online outdoor shows that solidified a musical partnership.
A shared musical vocabulary grew, ten feet apart, outside on a porch, delving into the back catalogues of Lightfoot, The Everly Brothers, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and The Sadies. Emerging out of lockdown, Staig and Billings began playing all over Toronto, both as an acoustic duo and as a full band, inspiring audiences with their original material and vast catalogue of cover songs.
The debut release from the two, Years Gone By features four songs, and will be supported by performances throughout Ontario with an eye to perform across Canada and in the UK in 2024. Tonight, the duo will be performing at Rod Gun and Barbers in the Junction, starting at 9 pm.
Review
The four-song EP, Years Gone By begins with “I Remember Dreaming,” a song that beautifully blends traditional country elements with a folk-infused, upbeat tempo. The lyrics recall moments of dreaming and drinking, emotions that once masked the pain of the absence of a loved one. The clever use of the phrase “Thinking of those days, such a haze” perfectly captures the nostalgic and blurred memories that often accompany past relationships. Regardless of whether you’ve known heartbreak or hold a fondness for deeply moving narratives, “I Remember Dreaming” is an enchanting track that will etch a profound impression on the depths of your emotions.
“Roaring 20’s Song” immediately caught my attention with its toe-tapping beat. The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase “Maybe in time, the words they will emerge, To a hopeful, happy, 21st-century Roaring 20s Song,” serves as a hopeful refrain, expressing the desire for a brighter future despite the current turmoil. It’s an anthem of optimism and resilience, acknowledging the difficulties while embracing the potential for positive change. With its meaningful lyrics and genuine folk-country sound, the song becomes a compelling and relatable anthem for those navigating the complexities of the modern age.
Overall, Years Gone By ” is a beautifully crafted release that takes the listener on a musical journey that weaves together moments of introspection, nostalgia, and optimism through emotive storytelling, heartfelt vocals, and melodic instrumentation.