Canadian jam band legend MARK THACKWAY returns with second solo acoustic EP Twisted, shares bluegrass-tinged “Fly”
Following his solo debut in 2023 with an eponymous EP that Grateful Web.com described as “a true feast for the ears, especially for fans of Bruce Cockburn and Jerry Garcia’s acoustic work,” Toronto-based singer/songwriter Mark Thackway returns with a new six-song collection entitled Twisted.
Each song on Twisted once again captures Thackway’s stellar guitar chops and vocals live-off-the-floor, with sparse accompaniment provided by Andrew Collins on mandolin, and upright bass duties handled primarily by James McEleny, with John Dymond of Blackie & The Rodeo Kings featured on one song.
Although Thackway wrote most of the new material over the past few years, the subject matter still applies to our current cultural moment, especially the song “Twisted,” which seemed most suited to be the EP’s title track. As Thackway says, “That song is all about trying to make sense of what’s up, down, left and right… It’s all twisted.”
Another song that addresses current issues head on is “Liberty,” inspired by Thackway’s concern for his son who has lived in the United States for several years. But more broadly speaking, the themes on Twisted deal with the eternal questions of personal freedom and living in the moment. These are best expressed on the songs “Wunderlust” and “Time To Go,” with the latter also demonstrating how Thackway could go toe-to-toe with Richard Thompson in a contest of acoustic riffage.
Elsewhere, first focus track “Fly” displays Thackway’s grasp of traditional bluegrass, giving each member of the small ensemble an opportunity to shine.
Before embracing life as a solo artist, Mark Thackway was best known as a pioneer within Canada’s jam band community, leading two of its most popular groups of the 1980s and ‘90s, The Other One and Days Of You. Now, after several years of tending to other aspects of his life, Thackway has fully shifted his focus to writing original songs that display his impressive storytelling.
With Twisted, the next phase of Mark Thackway’s musical evolution has begun, and he’s fully prepared to push it as far as it will go.
“For the first time in my life as a musician, I’m playing solo a lot and loving it,” he says. “There is nowhere to hide and you have to come up with new ways to create something interesting.”