The Vivian Line Ron Sexsmith

• 1 Place Called Love 02:40
• 2 What I Had in Mind 03:13
• 3 Flower Boxes 02:26
• 4 Outdated and Antiquated 03:08
• 5 Diamond Wave 03:04
• 6 Powder Blue 02:50
• 7 One Bird Calling 02:16
• 8 Country Mile 02:47
• 9 This, That, And the Other Thing 02:13
• 10 A Barn Conversion 02:13
• 11 When Our Love Was New 03:18
• 12 Ever Wonder 03:09
• Total Runtime 33:17

Info zu The Vivian Line

The Vivian Line is the 17th album entry in Ron Sexsmith’s compelling discography, one matched by very few contemporary singer/songwriters. His catalogue has earned him immense peer respect and a loyal international following, and this new release (out on Warner Music Canada/ Cooking Vinyl in February 2023) captures Ron at the top of his creative game.

With one exception, these new songs all flowed from Sexsmith’s fertile musical and lyrical imagination in a short period of 2021 during covid. “The songs came out of nowhere,” Ron explains. “I wasn’t really writing after the [2020] release of my previous album, Hermitage. The older I get, the more I think ‘maybe this is it,’ but then I found myself with new ideas again and got excited.”

Reflecting upon the songs on the new album now, Sexsmith notes that “initially I thought they were an extension of Hermitage, which was very much about domestic bliss and my new life here in Stratford, Ontario. After the fact, I see them as a little weightier than Hermitage, which was very playful. There is more of a wistful feel to these songs.”

The Vivian Line is named after a rural route near Ron’s house, and he views it as “representing a sort of portal between my old life in Toronto and my new life here.”

Helping set the tone for the album is opening track “A Place Called Love,” a plaintive yet hopeful tune. “That one is about the state of the world and how hard it is for everyone, yet it has the idea that beyond this is some kind of peace,” Ron says. Sample lyric: “Hold on, beyond hard times there’s a place called love.”

The first single, “What I Had In Mind,” boasts a trademark catchy Sexsmith melody and an upbeat feel boosted by female backing vocals and a positive tone to the lyrics: – “In the rearview mirror, leaving all our tears behind, now that’s what I had in mind”. Ron recalls that “when I wrote it, I had a feeling it was one that people who are into me would hope for.

“Diamond Wave,” a tune Sexsmith wrote over three decades ago but had never recorded, is another ode to hard-won optimism, buoyed by a crisp acoustic guitar solo. A gentle ballad, “When Our Love Was New” is a heartfelt reflection upon an undying love – “We were old souls from the start. Although our love was new, it was ancient in our hearts.” Subtly embellished by woodwinds and strings, this exemplifies the vision of “baroque pop” Ron and producer Brad Jones had for the album.

Sexsmith has always possessed the ability to draw beauty and wisdom from observations of the world around him, and that is exemplified here by “One Bird Calling”. The short yet sublime tune was sparked by the mournful cry of a bird after a summer storm – “with its song many tears are falling for the ones no longer there.” That sound prompted reflection upon “all the blessings I feel right now, oh how lucky we are to have a home.”

A couple of tunes are more playful than philosophical. Ron calls the jaunty “A Barn Conversion” “a goofy little story song inspired by watching TV shows of old English couples renovating 500 year old country houses.”

Similarly lighthearted is “Outdated And Antiquated,” a song Sexsmith says “is me taking the piss out of myself,” and which features the admission “I belong in the past, they don’t make them like me anymore.” Within the self-deprecating wit is the truth that his style of compositional craftsmanship is an endangered species in an age where hit songs regularly have writers credits in the double figures.

“I always take pride in looking at the back of my albums and reading ‘all songs written by Ronald Eldon Sexsmith,’” he says. “I have a personal no co-writing rule for my albums. That does make me a bit of a rarity, like I am making antique tables or chairs. I’m a Pioneer Village in that way, but some people appreciate that kind of craftsmanship.”

Though comprising solo compositions only, The Vivian Line owes plenty to Ron’s key creative collaborator here, producer/multi-instrumentalist Brad Jones. Intriguingly, Brad had worked with Ron on three early albums, in the far more limited role of bassist. “Back then we always talked about doing something together, but I hadn’t seen or talked to him in over a decade,” says Ron. “I reached out to him, and when I sent him demos of these songs that I recorded in Stratford, I got excited talking to him about what he had in mind for the record.”

“Brad called that vision ‘baroque pop,’ using strings, woodwinds, and instruments like harpsichords. That sound always appealed to me, and I’ve done some records like that earlier, but I feel I can sing better now.”

A brief window of opportunity during the fall 2021 Covid season allowed Ron to travel to Music City and record at Jones’ Alex the Great studio, one Sexsmith calls “funky and comfortable.” Bed tracks with a drummer, were recorded quickly, with Sexsmith and Jones each playing a multitude of instruments. “I did some keyboards and played most of the guitars,” says Ron, with Jones credited on bass, recorder, harpsichord, piano, Fender Rhodes, harmonium, harmonica and more.

A day each was then spent on strings and woodwinds, with Jones mixing the results. “It was almost scary how smoothly it went,” notes Ron. “I was so impressed with Brad every step of the way. It was almost annoying how he was always right about everything, so after a certain point I just gave in – ‘just tell me what you want me to do.’”

The result is a beautifully rich and evocative sounding album. The vast array of instrumentation plus female harmony and backing vocals are employed subtly and judiciously, and Sexsmith is at the top of his game with his vocal performance. The Vivian Line is guaranteed to delight the Sexsmith faithful out there and deserves to attract new fans to the fold.

Those already deeply appreciative of Ron’s songwriting chops include a stellar list of vocalists to have recorded Sexsmith compositions. That group includes such international stars as Rod Stewart, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, plus Canadian favourites Michael Buble, Feist, and k.d. lang.

Sexsmith’s work has also elicited effusive praise from the likes of Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, and Chris Martin, to name just a few. Over the course of a recording career now spanning 36 years, Ron has been nominated for 12 Juno awards (Canada’s Grammys equivalent), winning three times.

Ron Sexsmith, vocals, guitar, keyboards
Brad Jones, bass, piano, harmonica, string arrangements

Ron Sexsmith
is a three time, Juno award winning singer songwriter from St Catharines Ontario. Born in 1964, Ron was drawn to music from an early age by the melodic songs of the era, which he heard on the radio and by his Mom’s record collection. His earliest musical heroes were Buddy Holly and Elton John. He always loved to sing and started playing guitar at age 14. Although he tried to write songs throughout his teens, it wasn’t until he was 21, when he had his first child, that he truly became a songwriter.

Ron eventually moved his young family to Toronto in 1987 to further pursue a career in music. He worked as a courier by day, while performing in the clubs by night. He formed the band ‘Ron Sexsmith and The Uncool’ and started gaining attention from music label executives, though all passed on signing him.

In 1991 he released his first full length album on cassette called “Grand Opera Lane”. The album was rejected by the Canadian music industry, although it found its way to Los Angeles where Ron ultimately signed his first music publishing deal with Interscope Records followed by a recording contract.

With producer Mitchell Froom, Sexsmith released his self-titled label debut album in 1995. The melancholic tone and sparse acoustic arrangements of the album were met with disapproval from Interscope. However an enthusiastic endorsement from Elvis Costello drew media attention and the album was declared a critical success. In his Sept 7, 1995 review for Rolling Stone, Bud Scoppa wrote: “He just may be the most fluent balladeer to come along since Tim Hardin or Harry Nilsson.”

He has built a steadfast reputation with critics and with some of his own songwriting hero’s (Elton John, Ray Davies, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney) for his characteristically honest, sensitive, and enduring approach to the songwriting craft.

Ron has released albums on a consistent basis since 1995 and has recorded with noted producers Mitchell Froom, Daniel Lanois, Steve Earle, Jim Scott, Don Kerr, Brad Jones, Bob Rock, and Martin Terefe. His extensive song and album catalog has garnered Sexsmith a substantive cult following and an international touring career. His early years of touring included opening for established artists such as, John Hiatt, Elvis Costello, Sarah McLaughlin, Squeeze, Aimee Mann, Coldplay, Nick Lowe, John Prine, Lucinda Williams and many others. His songs as well, have been covered by the likes of Rod Stewart, Nick Lowe, Emmy Lou Harris, Feist, Michael Buble, and Stevie Nicks to name a few. In the past few decades as a headlining artist, Ron has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, such as Massey Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and The London Palladium.

In 2017, Ron penned his first novel ‘Deer Life, A Fairy Tale’ published worldwide by Dundurn Press Limited. He has written a ‘yet to be released’ complete musical score to accompany the tale, for his vision to bring the story to the stage as musical theatre or adapt to film.

Ron will be making his theatrical composer debut in 2025 with the internationally renowned Stratford Festival production of ‘As You Like It’ in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

He currently lives in Perth County, Ontario with his wife, his piano, and his vinyl record collection and continues to be inspired to write, record and perform live worldwide.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet