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

What's This? A Surprise Album?!!

 Two more shows for Dead Root Revival this year! Friday, December 1st we will be at The Atria in Oshawa, warming the stage for Doghouse Rose and Trash Puppets, then on Saturday, December 16th, we will be at the RCHA club in Kingston, for our final show of 2023(Get your tickets at the bar or on Eventbrite).

I know there's a lot of anticipation for the release of our album that we recorded in Athens, Georgia this year. We are putting the finishing touches on the record, with the album cover being painted by London artist Jeremy Bruneel, and I can tell you that the release date of the album will be March 1st, 2024, with a Kingston release celebration to take place at The Broom Factory on March 9th. 

It has been a long wait and we appreciate your patience. With that in mind, I've decided to release a surprise album to tide you over until then! 

As recording sessions for my 2017 release Everything Intertwined came to a close, we decided to add another day in the studio, switching out bass players(Seamus Cowan played on EI), and bringing in Geoff Chown to record some Blues tracks. It was a really fun day of letting it all hang out musically and getting gritty, live off the floor at North of Princess studio. The recording turned out great, but was promptly put away in the archives for future considerations. In the ensuing years many crazy events occurred in this world of ours, so in the archives the Blues record stayed.

Until now!!!

Looking back at Everything Intertwined and now listening to Sure Can Play That Guitar!!, I can really see how my music and songwriting were turning a corner in 2017, and the seeds were being planted that would grow into what we now know as the band, Dead Root Revival.

Many songs have found their way into the DRR setlist. From EI, there's Kid, Burnt By The Sun, Come Home, and 17 Years, and on Sure Can Play That Guitar!!  you will hear the familiar jams An Angel Rose, Train Blues, Moonshine Baby, as well as the title track.

I hope you enjoy this collection of previously unreleased music.

 

Pick it up Friday, December 1st on Bandcamp as part of #BandcampFriday. Available only in digital or CD format. No Spotify...no Apple Music...no Deezer...no Tidal... you get the idea. 😄😉

Rock and Roll,

Tom 

Say this 5 times fast: Furnace Falls Farm Fall Harvest Feast of Fields & Concert

Dead Root Revival has a bunch of fun shows around Ontario in September and October.  I'm particularly looking forward to this meal...er, this show next week! 

However, I may get my dinner to go. There's nothing like finishing an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet a half hour before you perform an opening set for The JD Edwards Band at the Times Change(d) in Winnipeg to teach you to not eat too much before you go on stage. I carry this lesson from the road with me to this very day(even though it's Bhuna long time 😄😅🥁).

Fall Harvest Feast of Fields & Concert Featuring Dead Root Revival with Tom Savage. Attend the Dinner and Concert or Concert only.

Dinner & Concert - $70

Concert only - $25

Tickets 👉👉https://tinyurl.com/2p8pt5b8

Menu:
Fall Fritters
Family style meal
Garden salad with sweet potato vinaigrette
Herb grilled chicken
Roasted fingerlings
Seasonal roast vegetables
Irish Apple Cake with custard sauce
Blueberry maple lemonade

Cash Bar!

The Concert is indoors in the large barn with five indoor restrooms for your convenience.
Arrival 5 pm
Dinner 5:30 pm to 7 pm
Concert 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Upcoming DRR Fall Shows

October 8th - Keystorm Pub - Brockville

October 13th - Wellington Legion - Wellington Take note fans in PEC/Quinte Region!! Tickets available soon!

October 14th - Blu Martini w/ Josh Piche - Kingston - Get Your Tickets Now: https://tinyurl.com/6cbybxys Hometown Show! Support Local Rock and Roll!!!

October 19th - Heartwood Hall - Owen Sound w/ TROFLOW - Tickets: https://heartwoodhall.ca/events/oct-19-dead-root-revival-troflow/

October 20th - Corktown Tavern w/ Back Road Bourbon

November 2nd - Dakota Tavern supporting Josh Piche

November 4th - Richmond Tavern - London

See you out there!

Cheers,

Tom

Shows starting to happen + Overdrive Express Deluxe (previously unreleased music)

 I hope you are enjoying the summer, and taking advantage of the loosening of COVID restrictions, by taking in some live music and supporting your local restaurants and businesses. It has been a long haul this past 16 months! Shows are starting to happen, and while it is going to be some time before the schedule is full again, there is hope on the horizon.

Here are some events coming up in the Kingston area:

July 24th - Tom Savage and Kevin Davidson at Spearhead Brewing (2-5 PM)

August 1st - Savage Family Band at the Hotel on Wolfe Island (1-4 PM)

August 7th - Tom Savage's Surprise Mystery Band! at the RCHA(7-10 PM)

August 15th - Savage Family Band at The Mansion(3-5 PM)

August 21st - AnnFest 

A celebration of life for my Mom, Ann Savage, who passed back in May. COVID wouldn't allow us to honour her wishes at the time, so we had to wait. Friends of Ann, Johnny, and family are invited to The Cove for an afternoon filled with music, laughter, and no doubt some tears. On stage with myself will be Bonz Bowering, Kevin Bowers, Mike Corrigan, Kevin Davidson, Richard Piche, Tony Silvestri, plus Benji Savage, and other musical guests. Geoff Chown will be providing the sound. There will be a cash bar and some complimentary eats. 2 PM. 

August 25th - Z.A.M.F.I.R

August 28th - Hosting the Z.A.M.F.I.R afternoon jam(3 PM)

September 10th - Dead Root Revival Returns! Joel Stone Park in Gananoque, featuring Tony Silvestri on keyboards

September 17th - Hosting the Spearhead Open Mic (7-10 PM)

September 18th - Savage Family Band in Market Square (6:30-8:00PM)

September 26th - Savage Family Band at the Mansion ( 3-5 PM)

Looking forward to playing music and seeing friends! : )

FROM THE ARCHIVES: TOM SAVAGE TRIO - OVERDRIVE EXPRESS (DELUXE)

Available TODAY! I'm reaching into the archives to bring you some previously unreleased music! This reissue of 2012's Overdrive Express includes five bonus tracks, recorded during the sessions, but never released. Fans will recognize songs Still Hung Up On You, and Northern Ontario Highway[from my 2009 release, Live at the Acoustic Grill],The Slow Decline [which appears as the closing track on History of a Common Man (2014)], and TST's barn burning rendition of the Townes Van Vandt classic, Waitin' Around To Die, which was a fan favourite at live shows.

The digital album costs $10, and you'll receive the 5 bonus tracks with your download. Song Supporters: As always, this album (with bonus tracks) will automatically be added to your collections. 

tomsavage.bandcamp.com

Recorded live off the floor at The Mansion, in Kingston, Ontario, this album truly showcases the Alt Country, Cowpunk, Rockabilly, and Blues stew that the band conjured up in their years of touring back and forth across Canada. It was fun to go back and listen to these tunes. You can hear the seeds of Dead Root Revival being planted. 

Let's head down the sonic highway for another hit of good ol' fashioned Dirt Road Rock and Roll!

1. The Wheel Still Turns
2. Train Keeps A Rollin'
3. 49 More To Go
4. Amarillo
5. Lunatic Baby
6. Down in the Flood
7. We're Older Now

BONUS TRACKS***

8. Still Hung Up On You
9. I Just Wanna Go To Bed
10. Northern Ontario Highway
11. The Slow Decline
12. Waitin' Around To Die 

Bonz Bowering - Drums
Geoff Chown - Bass
Tom Savage - Guitar, Vocals

with guests:

Tony Silvestri - Keys on "Amarillo"
Kevin Davidson - Backing Vocals on "Train Keeps A Rollin"

All song written by Tom Savage, except "Down in the Flood", by Bob Dylan, and Waitin' Around To Die, by Townes Van Zandt
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Geoff Chown

NEW MUSIC IN THE WORKS

I want to send out a big thank you to all the Savage Song Supporters who have been there for me during this pandemic by subscribing to my Bandcamp, and to all fans who have purchased albums over the past 16 months as well. I have been staying creative during this time, working away in my home studio, and my new album is nearing completion. I am really looking forward to you all hearing this record because it is your subscriptions(and album purchases) that have funded this project.

I am also incredibly grateful to have received a resiliency grant from the City of Kingston Arts Fund to help put this project over the finish line. 

Still some finishing touches, but I hope to reach completion this Fall. Stay tuned!!

SAVAGE FAMILY BAND - GOTTA SLOW DOWN

Music is my religion. Over the past 16 months, COVID has really turned the world upside down. Musicians have been unable to work. It has been a weird holding pattern. The uncertainty can lead to incredible anxiety, so it is important to try to live in the moment as much as we can, and not get too caught up in the things we can't control.

"Gotta Slow Down" has become my mantra. Breathe deep and enjoy the sunshine!

This performance is from our set for the Homegrown Live Music Festival, which raises funds for Joe's MILL ( a music instrument lending library in Kingston).

We had the pleasure of having Chris Brown sit in with us for our set at the hotel on Wolfe Island. Amazing!

Check it out!  https://youtu.be/UqslbRzYF9Y

Enjoy the sunshine everyone,

Tom

"Something Real" A song for these uncertain times

Below is a post I shared recently on social media regarding the current reality artists find themselves in. Starting today, I will beginning a new approach to how I release my music in an attempt to adjust to these uncertain times.

________________________

I’m a working class musician. Have been for my entire adult life. In that time I’ve also been a staunch defender of the artist’s life, and the importance of art in our society.

We need art. We need music. We need movies. We need photographs. Art helps us process emotions and reflects our world back at us in order for us to better understand ourselves, each other, the universe.

We are at a crossroads. COVID-19 has dealt a major blow to performing artists, and will continue to do so. For how long is anybody’s guess. Summer provides some performance opportunities with patios and other outdoor venues, but when fall/winter hit, I feel the realities of the situation are going to start to hit home. CERB comes to an end in September. This is going to be a crushing blow for artists, the self-employed, and for the economy in general. I feel the Canadian government needs to implement a universal basic income through the tax system, or Canada will be in danger of seeing mass evictions and homelessness rivaling, or eclipsing that of the Great Depression.

However, I am skeptical that they will answer the call that history is making.

So, where does that leave me? How do I make a living?

I've been scratching my head, trying to figure out my next move. I'm a live performer. My summer schedule was reduced from 60 shows to 4, pretty much in a blink of an eye on March 17th. The internet has always provided me with very little in the way of income, but I am now faced with the harsh reality that the internet may be my biggest tool in earning an income. This is scary stuff!

The upside of this COVID mess is that I've had a lot of time to be creative. As a DIY musician, I've always spent more time running my business than I would have liked, and not enough time allowing the artistic process to flow unencumbered. These past months, with the turmoil in this world, have provided much inspiration for songwriting, and I am thankful to have a home studio in which to allow my ideas to take shape.

Over the next weeks and months I'll be sharing my creations with you, and I am asking for your support in my efforts by subscribing to my Bandcamp VIP member page ( http://tomsavage.bandcamp.com ). You will receive all my new creative output, exclusive content and merchandise, and help me raise funds for an eventual vinyl release of my next album.

I thank you all for your support of my music over these many years. It is now, in these most difficult and surreal times, that we need to make the internet a viable marketplace for artists and musicians. We need to stop the devaluation of music that started well before, but has now been accelerated by COVID-19.

Join me!

"Something Real" is the first in a series of releases over the coming weeks and months. It's definitely a song that relates to what is happening in the world right now, so I felt it should be first out of the gate. Thanks to Jason Mercer for contributing bass and synth tracks to this cut.

Something Real - words and music by Tom Savage

Flying on the edge of darkness
Straining to get a glimpse of the light
Can you live a life without purpose
Can you give up without a fight

When the enemy is in the shadows
The only thing you feel or see
When the truth is always the wrong answer
When Facts are made by order of decree

We want Love we want life we want liberty
And justice for one and all
Put a business suit on a tyrant
And say prosperity will come to call
Who’s prospering around here? I don’t see much of that. All I see is a hopeless tide

You keep saying work hard it will be alright. I call that propping up an age old lie

Is anything real
Is anything real
Is anything real

The bank says don’t pay until later
But the interest will keep piling on high
Business as usual when nothing is usual
A practice nobody seems to decry

I’m falling you’re falling we’re falling
One way trip down into the abyss
Looking for some kind of sign this ain’t all just a dream

Is anything real
Is anything real
I want something real

Tomorrow is the answer to the questions we all have
Hang onto each other
Hang onto the love

I’m falling you’re falling we’re falling
We pull each other up out of this
I’m dreaming you’re dreaming we’re dreaming
A better day is gonna come

And the change will be real
Yeah the change will be real

I want something real

tomsavage.bandcamp.com

14 year old Rocks Market Square

This summer my teenage daughter and I spent many hours practicing songs in order to build our repertoire to hit the streets of Kingston busking.

With only a year of bass lessons, she is a quick study. I anticipate we will see her performing with her own band in the years to come. As she recently stated, "it will be nice to play with people who aren't old." Here is a short video of Bella on bass, Bonz Bowering on drums and myself this past Labour Day in market square. 

Pre-order "Great Beyond" Today 

Excited to share with you that my latest album, "Great Beyond", will officially be released on October 15th! This record is a unique representation of my live solo show, recorded with only me and my guitar, live off the floor at North of Princess studio in Kingston, Ontario. 

Sneak Peek: Have a listen to "Slow Learner". A slide guitar number from the album now streaming on Spotify.

For much of the past decade, I've traveled around Canada and the USA performing solo. Me and my guitar (or guitars rather...occasionally mandolin) up on stage, or in someone's living room, without a net. After touring with a band for many years, it was definitely a big change. It took some time to develop my approach to performing solo, and the kind of energy I wanted to bring to the stage. Ironically, in the end, I found approaching a solo show in the same way as a full band concert was the way to go. The thing is, I didn't have the band to help create that energy with me, so it required a commitment from myself to push that force out into the crowd each and every night. It also needed me to approach the playing of my acoustic guitar in a more aggressive, percussive fashion. Playing chunky rhythms and lead licks simultaneously.

This is a gift to those of you who come to my solo shows and want to take a piece of that experience home with you. For those who haven't had an opportunity to take in one of my solo shows, this is what it sounds like. I hope you enjoy it. The pre-order campaign has begun. Sign up for your copy of "Great Beyond" today! Check out the Indiegogo site for special offers such as "The Box Set" and "Concert For Two". I'll even come play a concert in your living room in exchange for your support!

For fans in the Kingston area that plan to attend the hometown release concert at The Mansion on October 25th, be sure to take advantage of the CD + Concert ticket offer on Indiegogo (a 37% savings!). This show includes The Mill Rights and Dead Root Revival on the bill, and will be a truly amazing night. Don't miss it!

Canadian Tour Starts Tuesday!

Hitting the road again. I'll have the new record in tow, and look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones along the way on my annual Western Canadian excursion. Spread the word and come say hi if I'm passing through your neighbourhood!

09/10 -  The Townehouse - Sudbury, ON

09/12 -  The Apollo - Thunder Bay, ON

09/13 - Bob's Burger Bar - Kenora, ON

09/14 - Ship and Plough - Gimli, MB ( 9:00 PM)

09/15 - Bruce's Firehouse - Dauphin, MB (3:00 PM)

09/17 - The Capitol - Saskatoon, SK (feature set at open mic)

09/18 - The Slice - Lethbridge, AB

09/19 - The Ironwood - Calgary, AB w/ Johnny Faithful and Carter Felker 

09/20 - Twin Butte General Store - Twin Butte, AB

09/21 -  Whitetooth Brewing Co. - Golden, BC

09/22 - Small Axe Bistro - Enderby, BC

09/24 - The Heatley - Vancouver, BC

09/26 - Legion Branch 31 "The Stand Easy"- Jasper, AB

09/27 - The Auditorium Hotel - Nanton, AB

09/28 - Boho Lounge - Carstairs, AB

09/29 - Last Chance Saloon - Wayne, AB (3:00 PM)

09/30 - House Concert - Humboldt, SK

10/01  - Qu'Appelle Valley Arts Centre - Fort Qu'Appelle, SK

10/03  - Midtown Stage - Dryden, ON

10/04  - The Apollo - Thunder Bay, ON

10/05  - Lakeview Hotel - Wawa, ON

10/19 - Few Acres Farm Concert - Russell, ON

10/25 - Hometown Release Concert at The Mansion w/ The Mill Rights and Dead Root Revival - Kingston,ON

See you down that road!
Tom