Toronto-based Americana trio, the Lonesome Ace Stringband, will be releasing their sixth album Try to Make It Fly on Friday, October 13.
The trio — consisting of banjo player Chris Coole, bassist Max Malone and fiddle player John Showman — spent seven years as pillars of Toronto's roots rock scene and playing back-to-back sets at the Dakota Tavern before taking their craft to the recording studio. With Try to Make It Fly, the band had two main goals: to create an album that leans deeper, both sonically and lyrically, into the Americana genre; and to reflect the energy of their live shows in their recorded material.
"We have a unique take on all of the traditional material we do and wanted to keep pushing our sound to new places," said Showman in a press release.
The trio had to scrap the original round of recordings for Try to Make It Fly in order to hone in on and perfect the sound they were trying to find. "You have to make sacrifices to get what you want as an artist, and these first sessions were what we had to give up," Showman explained.
The trio ultimately achieves said goals through the album's opening song, "Sweeter Sound."
"Perseverance and belief in what you love to do and trying despite evidence of success is the essence of its message," Malone said of the opening track.
The group will take the record to Western Canada on tour next month after they wrap up a stint in the US. Canadian dates include Toronto, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Red Deer, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver and Oliver, BC. See the schedule, as well as the Try to Make It Fly tracklist and video for "Sweeter Sound" below.
Trying to Make It Fly:
1. Sweeter Sound
2. Praying for Rain
3. You'll Be There
4. First Frost/Blue Grouse
5. Midnight Band
6. Come with Me Tonight
7. Simply Going Sideways
8. Crossing the Junction/Deer River
9. Smoke on the Shoulder
10. The Echo
11. Country Mile
12. Lonesome Ace Number 1
The Lonesome Ace Stringband 2023 Tour Dates:
10/18 Cambridge, MA - Club Passim
10/19 Exeter, NH - The Wood Barn
10/20 Saratoga Springs, NY - Caffe Lena
10/21 Brownfield, ME - Stone Mountain Arts Center
10/22 Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed
10/23 New York, NY - City Vineyard at Pier 26
10/25 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
10/26 Oberlin, OH - Music at Riverdog
10/28 Manitowoc, WI - Sabbatical Brewing Co.
10/29 Holland, MI - Park Theatre
10/30 Ann Arbour, MI - The Ark
11/01 Toronto, ON - The Tranzac Club
11/22 Edmonton, AB - Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society
11/23 Saskatoon, SK - The Bassment
11/24 Red Deer, AB - The Velvet Olive
11/25 Calgary, AB - Foothills Bluegrass Circle Music Society
11/27 Missoula, MT - Longstaff House
11/29 Sisters, OR - The Belfry
12/01 Portland, OR - McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel
12/02 Seattle, WA - Ballard Homestead
12/03 Victoria, BC - Victoria Event Centre
12/04 Vancouver, BC - The Anza Club
12/05 Oliver, BC - The Oliver Theatre
The trio — consisting of banjo player Chris Coole, bassist Max Malone and fiddle player John Showman — spent seven years as pillars of Toronto's roots rock scene and playing back-to-back sets at the Dakota Tavern before taking their craft to the recording studio. With Try to Make It Fly, the band had two main goals: to create an album that leans deeper, both sonically and lyrically, into the Americana genre; and to reflect the energy of their live shows in their recorded material.
"We have a unique take on all of the traditional material we do and wanted to keep pushing our sound to new places," said Showman in a press release.
The trio had to scrap the original round of recordings for Try to Make It Fly in order to hone in on and perfect the sound they were trying to find. "You have to make sacrifices to get what you want as an artist, and these first sessions were what we had to give up," Showman explained.
The trio ultimately achieves said goals through the album's opening song, "Sweeter Sound."
"Perseverance and belief in what you love to do and trying despite evidence of success is the essence of its message," Malone said of the opening track.
The group will take the record to Western Canada on tour next month after they wrap up a stint in the US. Canadian dates include Toronto, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Red Deer, Calgary, Victoria, Vancouver and Oliver, BC. See the schedule, as well as the Try to Make It Fly tracklist and video for "Sweeter Sound" below.
Trying to Make It Fly:
1. Sweeter Sound
2. Praying for Rain
3. You'll Be There
4. First Frost/Blue Grouse
5. Midnight Band
6. Come with Me Tonight
7. Simply Going Sideways
8. Crossing the Junction/Deer River
9. Smoke on the Shoulder
10. The Echo
11. Country Mile
12. Lonesome Ace Number 1
The Lonesome Ace Stringband 2023 Tour Dates:
10/18 Cambridge, MA - Club Passim
10/19 Exeter, NH - The Wood Barn
10/20 Saratoga Springs, NY - Caffe Lena
10/21 Brownfield, ME - Stone Mountain Arts Center
10/22 Greenfield, MA - Hawks & Reed
10/23 New York, NY - City Vineyard at Pier 26
10/25 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
10/26 Oberlin, OH - Music at Riverdog
10/28 Manitowoc, WI - Sabbatical Brewing Co.
10/29 Holland, MI - Park Theatre
10/30 Ann Arbour, MI - The Ark
11/01 Toronto, ON - The Tranzac Club
11/22 Edmonton, AB - Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society
11/23 Saskatoon, SK - The Bassment
11/24 Red Deer, AB - The Velvet Olive
11/25 Calgary, AB - Foothills Bluegrass Circle Music Society
11/27 Missoula, MT - Longstaff House
11/29 Sisters, OR - The Belfry
12/01 Portland, OR - McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel
12/02 Seattle, WA - Ballard Homestead
12/03 Victoria, BC - Victoria Event Centre
12/04 Vancouver, BC - The Anza Club
12/05 Oliver, BC - The Oliver Theatre
