DEROMANTIC

“I always daydreamed of being Kris Kristofferson: writing songs and making movies while maintaining the image of a modern day swashbuckler”, says Toronto singer-songwriter Steve Puchalski. “Now I realize it’s just a part, like so many others, I may never get the chance to play. It leaves me ill at ease.”

Getting the kiss-off is something Puchalski has become used to. He’s scraped by as a working actor for the past ten years while residing in Toronto, in the shadow of his daydreams. “I’m in television commercials”, Steve quips, “but I look at it as having fast food chains, Irish cream liqueur and credit card companies eagerly commissioning my artistic endeavors. A job is a job my father always says.”

These endeavors include the long-awaited, self-titled debut LP from his band, Deromantic (FM 301). The twelve tracks, recorded in Toronto at Ivy Laine Studio, were co-produced alongside band mate and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Laine, who also handled the string and horn arrangements. With songs ranging from gritty and epic to the genuinely sparse, the album revisits the classic elements of folk, country, soul and pop that have always been an influence in Steve’s writing. Layered with rich, poetic lyrics via Steve’s raspy-raw baritone, captivating melodies and a passionately organic approach in the studio, Deromantic is ambitious in its undertaking, and delivers, breaking hearts and resolutions wherever it's played.

“We all had domestic concerns outside of the studio at the time, more so than most sensationalized bands”, Steve recalls. “Between planning for upcoming weddings, overseas moves and worrying about a mortgage, the studio became a creative departure, a driven escape for five grown men”. He smiles, “Kinda like a clubhouse, but with a killer espresso machine and a live-in Buddha”.

Joining Steve and Jesse in the clubhouse was drummer Erik Allen, journeyman and singer-songwriter Clayton Denwood on Wurlitzer, and crackerjack guitarist Chris Wheeler whose beautifully manicured leads illuminate the record. “Nobody plays guitar solos on records anymore”, claims Puchalski, “probably because they don’t know how to. It’s like bunting in baseball: it’s a lost art”. Among the many guest performers were Richard Underhill (Shuffle Demons, Blue Rodeo, Taj Mahal) leading the horn section on alto sax, Stew Crookes (Matthew Barber, Jill Barber) on pedal steel and future drummer Tim Mulligan on percussion.

The name seems to have been stumbled on by accident. “I looked in my journal one day and Deromantic was stuck in a jumble of other meaningless words that I had scribbled down at some point”, Steve admits, “but it seemed to represent our attitude and what was happening. It’s open to anyone’s interpretation… just like the songs”. Although this collection of songs varies in style and mood there is a basic essence to the material: “I think this record is about de-romanticizing the delusions of youth and accepting the reality that life is a hard road that leads only somewhere, so you might as well enjoy the pain”. Like Kristofferson once said, “You don't paddle against the current, you paddle with it. And if you get good at it, you throw away the oars.”

The Album is the fourth release on the Familiar Music label that Steve established with friends Megan Hamilton (The Volunteer Canola), Shelby Lamb (The Shelby Lamb Band), and Gary Peter (These Electric Lives, Products of Better Living) and is distributed by Scratch Distribution. FM is an artist-run label/collective whose sole purpose is to release good music.

"The band's self-titled debut is a stellar effort, full of unexpected touches that are densely constructed to support Puchalski's weighty imagination. Wordy and sonically overfull, the songs of Puchalski strain the foundation of each melody, nearly drowning in their own splendor." -- Darryl Smyers/Dallas Observer

"Deromantic is both epic and grand and sparse and minimal. They deftly manage both ends of the spectrum. Steve Puchalski's voice has Doug Sahm's sadness, the epic nature of early Springsteen, and the soul of a veteran bluesman. This album, full of grand heartbreak and passion, attempts to look honestly and not apologetically at life's hard knocks. The band, more accurately the Familiar Music artistic collective, swings, grooves, smolders, and smokes. This is terrific soul-filled roots-pop." -- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music

"Puchalski’s song writing on this album has the feel of Darkness on the Edge of Town era Bruce Springsteen especially on “Coward’s Serenade”. There is the darkness of disappointment rooted in each song but it is balanced by their unique arrangements. The chemistry between Puchalski and Laine both inside the studio and behind the mixing board is a strong foundation for the evolving sounds and musicians that grace each tune. The result is a roller coaster ride of roots music that takes the listener to the brink of heartbreak with a head full of sound." --Rob Pingle/!Earshot Reviews

****"...a beautiful debut album. What you get is richly arranged roots-rock, with emphasis on Puchalski's coffee-brown voice and also the wonderful compositions recalling the cinematic bravado of Springsteen during Born To Run" -- Wiebren Rijkeboer/Alt Country NL

"One song reminded me of Eric Clapton, another brought Santana to mind, Evan Dando-like singing and musicianship on track 10. This band is all over the place, but you know what, it sounds good and that's kinda what counts." -- CJAM Music Review

“Awesome, It’s a truly eclectic album." -- Toronto Indie Music podcast/BlogTO

"Familiar music, it's a label we should all get to know. Deromantic is just another reason why." -- Herohill.com