I had a moment in the very beginning of my musical career that was so liberating. In little old Westport, I had found a wild guitar player who had managed to channel Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and some rockabilly on his Gibson Nighthawk electric guitar. I was floored but I wanted to be a part of it. He gave me the earliest of live music inspiration that I can only hope others have the chance to experience early enough. I’m happy to say that over the course of my musical life, he has continued to inspire, evolve and continuously create. It’s amazing to see someone doing exactly what they want to do! Hear this troubadour Thursday, February 6 from 5-8pm at The Cove. Details and reservations here: web link

Seamus Cowan: In the early years of your musical development, you clearly got into embracing some of the wild guitar players of our time. I’m happy to have learned from someone like you who channeled them. Can you tell us about your early inspiration?

Tom Savage: Hendrix and Jimmy Page were early influences, but perhaps to a greater extent, Roy Buchanan, Dickie Betts and Freddie Robinson (in particular, his performance on John Mayall's album, Jazz Blues Fusion). I would include Alex Lifeson in there as well, as he was a big prog rock guitar influence… oh, and Jeff Beck, of course!

Q: Writing songs and carving out your own sound has always been so important to your character. I know this as I saw it all happen first hand. Was there something that made you feel empowered to write music from the get go?

Tom Savage: As long as I can remember, I was always walking around with melodies in my head, and I realized that it felt good to do something with them. Creation is the greatest buzz a human being can have! There wasn't anything that made me feel empowered though; it was more of an impulse that became a way of existing in the world.

Q: There have been many stylistic stages of your career. In this day and age, we have so many eras of influence at our disposal that it’s hard not to be discerning and selective and not get overwhelmed and incorporate it all. Is there some sort of a common thread with the influences as to what you’ve arrived at with your sound?

Tom Savage: I always have a few irons in the fire. Anyone who has attended a Dead Root Revival concert and one of my acoustic singer-songwriter shows can attest to that. I feel the common thread that attracts me is a rawness and an authenticity to a sound or to a lyric. I do write in many different styles and I tend to put the songs in different piles: the acoustic pile, the blues pile and the Dead Root Revival pile. I then visualize what an album project will sound like. For instance, the album project you took part in, 2017's Everything Intertwined with its more indie rock sensibility, was followed up by a solo acoustic record in 2019's Great Beyond. Dead Root Revival jumps around in genre influences as well. One song can be jazz fusion, the next song indie rock. I think it's important to serve the song and allow it to take you where it wants to go. Can you deliver it with conviction? That is the true test.

Q: Making records is a big deal, not matter how you slice it. You had the opportunity to record your latest with your band Dead Root Revival in Georgia. Can you tell us what made this particular experience so special?

Tom Savage: Working with a seasoned pro like David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, k.d. lang, R.E.M.) was an amazing experience. I had been a fan of his work with Drive-By Truckers for years. For the most part I knew we were in good hands, but the recording process went better than I could've ever imagined! We were all on the same page as to the type of sound we wanted to achieve with the album and on a personal level, the camaraderie and friendship we formed made the experience all the more fulfilling. It felt like a validation of sorts for a DIY band from Canada to have David enthusiastically invite his colleagues into the studio to listen/watch us tracking. It was amazing that by the end of the week, the word had spread around Athens that we were there and how our band had created something special in the studio! The experience also brought us closer as a band, and I think we've been on an upward trajectory ever since.

Q: As you continue to write, record and perform, it’s probable that you feel like you have done so much and seen a lot. Are there some things that you feel are still left to be uncovered and conquered in your musical life?

Tom Savage: Dead Root Revival has been my focus the past few years because the band offers so much room to move creatively. We have the improvisational aspect, we have the hooks, we have thought-provoking lyrics, we jump around in genres. I'm really enjoying what we are doing and want to continue to explore.

I'm in less of a hurry to put out a solo record these days. The sense of urgency has faded. I have enough new material for probably three albums at the moment, and I never stop writing, so they will go into their prospective piles until I'm ready to call upon them.

Some of my fans may have noticed the shift in my writing over the past few years towards social issues. I feel it is important for artists to speak up about inequality and injustice, and to use our voices to raise awareness and affect positive change in the world. On a grass roots level, my work with the weekly Tom's Tunesday jam at the R.C.H.A. Club in Kingston, as well as the community concert events Dead Root Revival puts on, has shown me the incredible importance of music as a tool for fostering connections and creating and maintaining communities, in what can seem like a hyper-individualized, divisive society. The positive power of getting people together in a room, dancing and having fun, should not be overlooked! Posted: Jan 22, 2025