OTTAWA'S BLUES ROCKERS LYLE ODJICK & THE NORTHERN STEAM TO RELEASE THROUGH THE RAIN
Originating from the Algonquin reservation of Kitigan Zibi, QC, now based in Ottawa, ON, Lyle Odjick went from living in a small town with very little exposure to blues or live music to teaching himself harmonica and starting his own blues band.
After playing one gig with a borrowed house band he knew he needed to scout out some local blues musicians on the Ottawa scene to form his own blues band. Less than a month later “The Northern Steam” was formed and became a solid foundation for his Chicago blues harmonica driven sound. What began as a blues cover band with a fat swinging rhythm section and a harmonica wielding front man has evolved into a high energy blues-rock band with their own foot stomping sound. With a burning desire to play on stage, Odjick went from strumming in a small town to opening for heavy hitting acts such as Colin James, Randy Bachman, MonkeyJunk, Paul Reddick and more.
A few recent festival appearances include RBC Ottawa Bluesfest (x2), Calabogie Blues & Ribfest (x2), Mont Tremblant International Bluesfest, Junofest and Ottawa’s Westfest. Whether they’re showcasing their original blues-rock material or performing a modern take on a blues classic by Muddy Waters, Lyle Odjick & The Northern Steam never cease to turn heads at every venue they play.
Through The Rain, the long awaited debut album by Lyle Odjick & The Northern Steam is set to be released June 10, 2022. A 10 song blues rock album recorded primarily at Tone King Records and mixed/ mastered/produced by Jason Fryer. All vocals were recorded by band keyboardist Sean McGee inside his personal studio. Through The Rain consists of eight original tracks written by Lyle Odjick as well as two covers of old blues favourites “Leaving Trunk” made popular by Taj Mahal as well as “Rock This House” by Jimmy Rogers.
Featured musicians on this project include The Northern Steam’s Ben Griggs on rhythm and lead guitar duties, Fred Sebastian on drums and Sean McGee on keys / organ. Special guest session players include Mike Turenne on bass, Jason Fryer on lead guitar, Tanya Paulin on background vocals for “Rock This House” and award-winning Tony D (MonkeyJunk) on lead guitar duties. All lead vocals and harmonica are performed by Lyle Odjick as well as rhythm guitar duties on “Through The Rain”, “Bad For You” and “Devil Man’s Dues”.
The album is years in the making and aptly named after the track “Through The Rain”, as it represents what all parties involved in the recording process had to go through in order to complete the long delayed project.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Misery Train (1:56)
2. Cut Me Loose (3:24)
3. Leaving Trunk (4:13)
4. I Wanna Hold You (6:05)
5. Harpin & Howlin (2:34)
6. Bad For You (4:26)
7. Devil Man's Dues (5:18)
8. Broken Man (5:18)
9. Through The Rain (5:02)
10. Rock This House (3:53)
