Evolver

Bloorstation were a Toronto folk-rock and pop group active during the early 1990s, centred around songwriter and guitarist Gregg Lawless, singer Mia Sheard and guitarist Steve Briggs. Their music combined acoustic guitars, close vocal harmonies and Lawless’s songwriting with a larger group of supporting musicians on record.

The group appears to have formed around 1990. A later account described Bloorstation as originally being a five-piece formed by Lawless, although the names of the other early members have not yet been confirmed. By the time the group began receiving wider attention, the core lineup had settled around Lawless, Sheard and Briggs.

During their early years, Bloorstation played numerous Toronto clubs, busked in the Toronto subway system and released an independent cassette titled Evolution #1. The cassette received radio play across Canada and helped establish the group before their association with The Pangaea Music House.

Their live work also took them outside Toronto. Bloorstation played festivals and clubs in British Columbia and completed a West Coast club tour that included the Sunshine Folk Festival. Back in Toronto, they performed regularly at venues including C’est What, opened for the Holly Cole Trio and The Skydiggers, and continued building their presence on the local circuit.

One of their early radio opportunities came through the CFNY Discovery Mobile, which recorded Bloorstation for an hour-long radio broadcast from Clinton’s in Toronto. Clinton’s was an important venue for the group. Talent buyer and manager Bo Cairo later remembered booking Bloorstation for a second appearance before their first show at the club had even ended.

The group also performed at the Toronto Festival of Festivals gala connected with Simcha Jacobovici’s documentary Deadly Currents, winner of the 1992 Genie Award for Best Feature Length Documentary. Another early appearance found them performing during Earth Day celebrations.

By 1993, Bloorstation had become associated with The Pangaea Music House, a Toronto music publishing and production company headed by Tony Tobias, brother and longtime manager of singer-songwriter Ken Tobias. Pangaea had been active in Canadian music publishing and also represented See The Light Music, the publishing catalogue owned by The Jeff Healey Band. Ken Tobias himself also had a direct connection to the Healey camp, co-writing ‘Joined At The Heart’, which appeared on The Jeff Healey Band’s 1992 album Feel This.

Through Pangaea, Bloorstation recorded their six-song cassette EP Evolver, catalogue number PMH-CA 1001, at Reaction Studios in Toronto.

The recordings featured Mia Sheard on lead and harmony vocals, Gregg Lawless on lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitars, slide guitar and harmonica, and Steve Briggs on electric and acoustic guitars and harmony vocals. They were joined by Ian de Souza on fretless and electric bass, Jeff MacPherson on drums and percussion, Matt Horner on Hammond organ and piano, David Matheson on accordion, Mike Holder on pedal steel guitar, and horn players Joe Allen, Bob Rice and Mei Kelly.

Lawless wrote ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Down By The Water’, ‘She Don’t Love Me’ and ‘Never Been This Lonely’, while ‘Fallin’ All Over You’ and ‘Strawhouse’ were written with David Matheson. The sessions were produced by Gregg Lawless and Bloorstation, engineered by Ormond Jobin with assistant engineer Tom Heron, and mixed by John Sheard and Gregg Lawless. Tony Tobias served as executive producer.

Evolver contained ‘Fallin’ All Over You’, ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Down By The Water’, ‘She Don’t Love Me’, ‘Never Been This Lonely’ and ‘Strawhouse’. The cassette was scheduled for release in November 1993, with an invitation-only launch at Reaction Studios followed by a headline appearance at Lee’s Palace.

The same six recordings were also included on the rare 1993 two-CD Ken Tobias / Bloorstation Radio / Promo Sampler issued by The Pangaea Music House. The Bloorstation disc carried the same songs and running times as Evolver. One small manufacturing error appeared on the CD itself: ‘Down By The Water’ was printed as ‘Down By The River’. Both the Evolver cassette and the accompanying Pangaea insert give the correct title as ‘Down By The Water’.

During 1993 there were also plans to take Bloorstation overseas. British booking agent Mark Ringwood of the Marco Polo Agency was developing a Canadian touring package that was intended to include Bloorstation alongside artists such as James Keelaghan, Amos Garrett and the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band. Interest had been reported from festivals in Britain, although it has not been confirmed that the proposed European tour ultimately took place.

Bloorstation remained visible into 1994. Toronto independent music magazine RHiG published a feature titled ‘The Bloorstation Paradox’ in its April/May 1994 issue, showing that the group was still active after the release of Evolver. A firm date for the end of the band has not yet been established.

The three principal members all continued in music. Gregg Lawless began releasing albums under his own name, starting with Greggorian Chance in 1997. He later returned to all six songs from Evolver, recording new versions for his solo catalogue, including ‘Down By The Water’, ‘Never Been This Lonely’ and ‘Fallin’ All Over You’.

Steve Briggs continued working as a guitarist and arranger in Toronto and later led the western-swing group The BeBop Cowboys. Mia Sheard established her own recording career with albums including With Love and Squalor, Reptilian and Anemone.

Bloorstation left a small recorded catalogue, but their early years are unusually well documented through Evolution #1, the CFNY recording, contemporary press coverage, Evolver and the Pangaea radio sampler. Their songs also continued beyond the group itself, particularly through Gregg Lawless, who later returned to all six compositions from Evolver in his solo work.

-Robert Williston