Double Album Pre-order Plus New Single "Trillions of Stars"

It's happening! The long-awaited studio album from Dead Root Revival, "The Controller's Exam", is on its way! The official release date is March 1st, but you can preorder today on indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/DRR

We've also released the first single from the album,"Trillions of Stars". It is available on all streaming services and on Bandcamp.  

Check out the video on YouTube :

A Double Vinyl Album Recorded Completely Analogue

In 2023, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to Athens, Georgia to record our debut studio album at Chase Park Transduction, under the guidance and tutelage of renowned engineer and producer David Barbe, who is known for his work with Drive-By Truckers, among many others. The result is "The Controller's Exam", over an hour of music recorded completely analogue(16-track to 2-inch tape) that exemplifies the raw energy, tightness, and astounding musicianship of Dead Root Revival.

We are releasing this record to the world on March 1st on double vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

What we need from you and what you get

Pressing a double album is very expensive, and we are completing this project without any government grants, or record label assistance. The band has laid it all on the line to bring you our best, and we sincerely encourage you to support this momentous rock and roll achievement by preordering the double vinyl album, or one of the other perks we've made available exclusively during this pre-order campaign.

Here are the different perks:

• The Controller's Exam on digital, CD, or double vinyl album
• Vinyl Bundle including "The Controller's Exam" plus my 2022 release, "21st Century Lo-Fi"

• Tom Savage CD Bundle - 5 CDs for $60(a 40% discount)

• DRR Merch Bundle - includes Double Vinyl Album,CD, DRR LIVE - VOLUME I - CD,DRR T-SHIRT

• a rare opportunity to have a drum Lesson with Bonz Bowering!

• sign up for an exclusive Tom Savage comprehensive 3-hour guitar workshop( limited to 10 people).

• Tom Savage will write a song exclusively for you and record it with members of Dead Root Revival!

• Your very own private rock concert with Dead Root Revival

• The original 32 x 32-inch painting of "The Controller's Exam" album cover by artist Jeremy Bruneel

• Plus, when you pre-order the new album, you can add-on discounted tickets to the album release celebration on March 9th at The Broom Factory in Kingston.

Your support is invaluable to us! Our fans were there for us in the first phase of this project, helping us with travel costs to Athens, Georgia, and our recording expenses. Now that the project is complete, we are calling on you once again for your support, by simply purchasing a copy of the album we've created.

Other ways you can help the cause

If you are not in a financial position to contribute at this time, we encourage you to show your support for Dead Root Revival by spreading the word by sharing links on social media, and talking up the album in your in-person conversations. Word-of-mouth is an essential tool towards this campaign's success.

Thanks for helping the DRR train roll on!

Tom

BIG NEWS: Double Vinyl Album From DRR Coming March 1st!

 The long-awaited Dead Root Revival studio album is coming your way, with an official release date of March 1st, and an album release celebration on Saturday, March 9th at The Broom Factory in Kingston.

Take a look at this mesmerizing album cover art, painted by London, Ontario artist Jeremy Bruneel!




We'll be releasing the first single from the record next Thursday, and kicking off our pre-order campaign on Friday, January 12th. You'll be able to pre-order the record in double vinyl, cd, or digital formats, and there will be deals on other merchandise, plus some one-of-a-kind opportunities to support the band.

DRR fans are going to be so pleased with this record. It was our goal to create an album that delivered our live concert energy and I believe we have achieved that in "The Controller's Exam".

Our trip down to Athens, Georgia to record at Chase Park Transduction not only provided us with the amazing experience of collaborating with renowned producer David Barbe(known for his work with Drive-By Truckers, R.E.M. and many others), and recording completely analogue (16-track to 2-inch tape); it also gave us the laser focus needed to create this album effectively, and brought the band closer together, allowing our music and performances to soar to new heights.

The journey continues. We're thankful to have you on board!

Tom

Georgia Recording Session Exceeds Expectations!

Back from our trip down to Athens, Georgia, and I have to say, the sessions with David Barbe at Chase Park Transduction exceeded all of our expectations. We had a short window to lay down tracks for the album, and we took full advantage, recording more songs than we had anticipated, and really capturing the Dead Root Revival sound.

16-track 2 inch tape. The parameters put in place by this technology might be seen as a hindrance in today's digital world of limitless tracks and limitless possibilities, but when dealing with a band known for live performance like DRR, there really was no other way to go. Limitations can be a good thing! They can allow you to get right to the heart of the matter.






Dead Root Revival. When deciding upon this band name, we wanted to convey our mandate as a band:

Dead = Lamenting things we feel are being lost: An appreciation for the rock show, that is being swallowed up by karaoke machines, home theatre systems and big screen televisions, and corporate-run streaming behemoths all across this land.

Root = Where we came from: Our influences, our rock and roll heroes, and our search for the magic tone that speaks to us.

Revival = Bringing the jams back to the people: The older generations who may have seen Jimi Hendrix in concert, and also to the younger kids who find themselves listening to the classic rock hits from 40 and 50 years ago because the music of today doesn't speak to them. DRR is here for you.😎🤘🎸


It only made sense for us to record the way artists like Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, and Deep Purple did in the 1970s. There's definitely a change in perspective when "fix it later" is taken out of the equation. You've got to perform! And that, my friends, is exhilarating.

Tracking for the album is complete, but it will be a couple of months until mixing and mastering is finished. Stay tuned!


SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWS

I'll be putting on my singer-songwriter hat for a bunch of shows in April. Coming up first, I'll be performing alongside umberlune and Brock Zeman at ABC Hall (3166 Bolingbroke Rd, Maberly ON K0H 2B0) on Saturday, April 1st. Three songwriters with distinct styles performing in-the-round in a welcoming country hall setting.
Grab your tickets online at Eventbrite 👉 https://tinyurl.com/57zuazhh or send an etransfer for $20 to tomsavagemusic@gmail.com to reserve your spot. You'd be a "fool" to miss it! 😉😄

Doors at 6 PM/ Show at 7 PM

There will also be coffee, tea, and PIE available!

Fresh-baked pie and live music. How can you say no?!





Brock and I will be out performing some shows later in April as well...

April 20th - Jethro's - Peterborough 7 PM - Get tickets
April 21st - Bracebridge Hall - Bracebridge 8 PM - Get tickets
April 22nd - House Concert - Guelph ( Contact Larock Productions for details)
April 23rd - Havelock - matinee show as part of Stone Hall Sessions (2 PM) - Get tickets


TUNESDAY

Thanks so much to Jon McLurg for filling as host for the Tunesday jam while I was away. By all accounts it went swimmingly and our bass player streak is still in tact. Awesome! 😁👍🏻 I look forward to getting back to this fun-filled Tuesday routine at the RCHA(4-7 PM, live music, drink specials, and pizza!).


See you out there!

Cheers,
Tom

Exciting Announcement: Dead Root Revival set to Record New Album with Producer David Barbe(Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, R.E.M.)

It has been a great musical beginning to 2023! A couple of amazing concert events for Dead Root Revival, first in Sharbot Lake, collaborating with Frenchie's Chip Hut and K&P Brewing to put on the first annual Wintertide Meltdown on January 13th, then performing to a sold out audience at Sans Souci in Belleville on January 28th. Both of these concerts were incredible community gatherings. We as a band are thankful for the support of our fans(old and new), and are feeling the momentum as we shift our focus to performing the majority of our shows as ticketed events. The quality of these shared experiences, and interaction between audience and performers, is definitely spurring us on to continue down this path. 

Tunesday Afternoon Jam

Music is such an important tool in bringing people together, and expression of art on any level should be encouraged and nurtured, for the health of a community. There was a time not long ago in human history, that if you wanted to be entertained by music, you would have to learn to play an instrument, or sing, or (going way back) bang a couple of bones together. A time before radio, before recorded music. With the advent of technology, we as a society have turned more passive than active in how we experience, and how we digest music.  More background music everywhere you go(except Dollar Tree...I'm a big fan of their no background music policy), more mindless streaming, dismissing a song if one is not hooked within 30 seconds(I’ve often listened to an album 10 times through before I truly appreciated what it had to offer), and less engaged listening and learning of instruments/performing, then in the past.

My grandmother was a piano teacher and choir director. My mother was piano teacher and choir director. I've only ever dabbled in teaching, but I have been running various jams/open mic nights for over twenty years now, so I suppose I am a third generation nurturer of musical talents, working to shift the balance between active and passive engagement in music. All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I'm so pleased with the success of the "Tunesday" Afternoon jam at the RCHA in Kingston. I want to thank everyone who has been coming out on Tuesday afternoons (from 4-7 PM, Happy Hour drink specials 😁 ) for their enthusiasm and encouragement of the musicians on stage(I can tell you the players really enjoy the jazz club-style practice of applauding after solos), the dancing, the community spirit, the laughter. These afternoons have shown me the essential need for a relaxed, welcoming, environment for musicians and music lovers to gather, particularly in the afternoon and early evening. As our society ages I feel events in this time slot will become even more essential for our collective mental and spiritual health. Here's to many, many more Tunesdays to come!! 💃🏻🕺

DRR is Georgia Bound!

In other super-exciting news: Dead Root Revival is heading to Athens, Georgia in March to record our debut studio album(!) with none other than legendary producer David Barbe, who has worked with the likes of Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, and R.E.M., among many others. 🤯😎🤘

I personally have been impressed by David's production style since I picked up the DBT album, The Dirty South at a CD store in Calgary while the Tom Savage Trio was on tour, way back in 2008. We wore that record out in the ol' Sienna CD player on that run. What struck me was the tonal warmth and rock and roll power of that recording. After talking with David, I now know that this is a result of the recording process. Completely analog. Reel-to-reel tape!

He says his process is very much like making a record back in the '70s and this couldn't be a better fit for DRR and our music. We are so stoked!

We are having a couple of concerts to raise funds for our travel expenses down to Georgia and back.

Feb. 18th at the Gananoque legion

Dead Root Revival with special guests Weathered Siding and Old Pony

Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 92

55 King Street East Gananoque, ON K7G 1E8

Doors at 7 PM/ Show at 8 PM

$15 advance/$20 at the door

Tickets available online : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/520236911607

Folks living in Gan can purchase in person from the DRR rhythm section (Bonz or Richard), or from Mike Corrigan at the Wooden Boat Shop

and

Feb. 25th at Blu Martini in Kingston

Dead Root Revival with special guest Graven.

BLU Martini 178 Ontario Street Kingston, ON K7L 2Y8

Doors at 8 PM/ Show at 9 PM

$15 advance/$20 at the door

Tickets available online - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/520234424167

or from me in person(drop by the Tunesday jam and pick them up) or via etransfer to tomsavagemusic@gmail.com

We hope you'll buy a ticket for one(or both) of these shows and help us out as we embark on our greatest rock and roll quest!

Cheers, Tom