The former Waltons frontman Jason Plumb has figured out the key to sustaining a career in the Canadian music industry — write engaging pop songs, accumulate a stellar list of musician friends, and remain dedicated to your craft.

With 25 years under his belt, the Regina, Saskatchewan-based singer and songwriter has amassed an impressive body of work that has taken him across Canada and around the world. Winning a Juno, gold-selling records, and doing major tours with the Barenaked Ladies and Blue Rodeo have all contributed to his longevity.

Plumb has consistently created music that is accessible and unique, identifiable, and pop-friendly with edgy honesty. He engages his listener and rewards them for their faithfulness by keeping audiences spellbound with soulful performances. It’s not surprising that he has been embraced by Canadian audiences and acclaimed by the industry and his peers.

Plumb assembled an impressive guest list that includes Steven Page and Ed Robinson (Barenaked Ladies), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Serena Ryder, Chic Gamine, Ian LeFeuvre (Starling, The Hundreds and Thousands), Todd Lumley (Mr. Lonely, Waltons), and Richard Underhill (Shuffle Demons). And of course, his homeboys, the exceptionally tight and talented band, appropriately dubbed, The Willing. Plumb says, “It’s probably more a Jason Plumb and The Willing record than anything I’ve put out.”

The band was first to use Toronto’s newly opened Revolution Recordings studios. Modeled after Abbey Road, it’s an anachronistic throwback to analog’s heydays. Plumb says that the room and the microphones that they were able to use “helped shape the sound of the record.” They used the same console and analogue equipment he recalled working with on the early Waltons records. “Another full circle for me,” he noted. “Everything that’s old is new again.”

However, he doesn’t want to live in the past. “I don’t want to be one of those artists who is always reminiscing about the 90s,” he said. “I recall guys talking to us in studio about who they toured with in the 70s. I remember thinking that was a lifetime ago when you’re 25. And now I find myself talking about the 90s exactly the same as those guys.”

Although the Waltons never officially broke up, the band members each started doing their own thing. After his experience on a major label with the Waltons, Plumb realized it would be easier to just put out his own records, which led to the beginning of SoccerMom Records.

There are a few things that come to mind when you think about Saskatchewan. The wide-open spaces, harvest-yellow wheat fields, the Roughriders, and a burgeoning music scene. Not exactly grey enough to illicit the idea of being a godfather to that movement, Plumb is more like a scene enthusiast who discovers talent, connects the dots, and collaborates.

When wearing his label hat, he said that it made sense that he would look within his own community for new talent. “We were looking for artists and I just looked in my own band.” Three members of The Willing are signed to SoccerMom and have albums coming out the same day.

“We’re lucky to have such great artists to put out all of their debut records with us. I’m lucky to be in a band with three other lead singers who have their own projects and are releasing their own records. All these guys are in my band. We all live in Regina. And we’re all on SoccerMom.”

As Plumb rides his own personal Möbius strip, he is going with the flow and is humble about still being able to do this gig. “I consider myself lucky for a number of reasons. That I’ve been able to survive this long is something I don’t take for granted.”

Instrumentation

Jason Plumb - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano

Gord Smith - Bass, Guitars, BG Vocals

Cody Gamracy - Lead Guitar, BG Vocals

Mike Thompson - Drums, BG Vocals



Discography

The Waltons "89 Demonstrations" indie 1989

The Waltons "Lik My Trakter" Warner Music 1992

The Waltons "Simple Brain" EP Warner Music 1994

The Waltons "Cocks Crow" Warner Music 1995

The Waltons "Empire Hotel" Warner Music 1998

The Waltons "Liv" MapleMusic Recordings 2001

Jason Plumb "Under and Over" MapleMusic 2004

Jason Plumb and The Willing "Beauty In This World" SoccerMom

Records/Warner Music Canada (2007)

Jason Plumb and The Willing "Wide Open Music: Songs for Saskatchewan"

SoccerMom Records/Warner Music Canada (2009)

Jason Plumb and The Willing “Alive & Willing” SoccerMom Records/Warner

Music Canada (2011)

Jason Plumb and The Willing “All Is More Than Both” SoccerMom Records/eOne Music Canada (2012)

Acclaim

“One of Canada’s best singer/songwriters.” — Jian Ghomeshi (Host, CBC Radio’s ‘Q’)



"Songwriter Jason Plumb is not only one of Canada’s best tunesmiths, but possibly one of the world’s.” — Q (British music magazine)

Management / Label:

Carly Gowan

SoccerMom Records

email: gowancarly@gmail.com

website: www.jasonplumb.com