Artist of the Day | TOMMY JOHN EHMAN
ARTIST OF THE DAY
03.09.2021
TOMMY JOHN EHMAN
LOCATION
Craik, SK, Canada
GENRE
Country / Country-Rock / Alt-Country / Canadiana
CURRENT MEMBERS
Tommy John Ehman
Rob Ehman
Todd Ehman
Chris Real
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
We were playing a show at the Northern Lights Casino in Prince Alber, SK when we started to hear rumblings that things may be shutting down fairly soon and that Covid 19 was starting to take hold in Saskatchewan. The following week we were in Yorkton, SK and sure enough, we were informed that it would be our last show for...well, we had no idea how long. We finished the weekend and headed home with no idea that it would last pretty much an entire year, and beyond. Things were certainly changing!
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
We did have a number of shows planned for the summer of 2020, most of which were cancelled or re- scheduled. It was something we had obviously never experienced before and weren't sure how to approach it. I had recorded music ready for release but I didn't know if we should wait or go ahead, considering we wouldn't be able to promote the new songs live. But we decided to go ahead with our releases for 2020 which included two songs, "Maria Queen of San Antone" & "Fart Cadillac Pink Guirtar." Both songs did well for us so I think we made the right decision to press ahead and do what we could to keep current and stay as connected to our fans as much as possible.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
Songwriters write songs, which is exactly what i did during the time we were staying home and doing our part to help keep the pandemic as contained as posible. And I wrote a lot, at least at the start. This was definitely a major part of keeping focused and strong during such a trying time, which was something we were all trying to do in our own way. My writing did slow down as time went on but I think it was just my conscious telling me that it needed to take a break and to allow new ideas and experiences to flow. Now that we are back to playing some shows and things are looking a little more normal, I think I'm ready to start putting pen to paper again. Lord knows I've got some pretty interesting stories to tell from the past 18 months, yikes!
As things are reopening & restrictions are lifting have you booked any new gigs? Tours? Etc? If your region is still under restriction, how are dealing with the Covid third wave?
Here in Saskatchewan we have most of the restrictions lifted now, which we are very thankful for and hope it stays that way. So some festivals and venues are starting to open up and bringing back live music. So far our schedule is not as full as a typical summer might be, but as we move forward I think we'll be booking more events and playing more live shows around the province.
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
I always like to let everyone know how much we appreciate all the support we receive for our fans, friends and family. It truly means the world to us. It's been a pretty crazy time over the past 18 months and we can't thank you enough for continuing to play our music and keep up to date on what we're doing. And...I can't wait to see you all at a live show as soon as possible. Thnk you!
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