Sexsmith shines, states his case for stardom
By THOMAS BOND
Get Out

Ron Sexsmith is the best songwriter you’ve never heard of.

No lesser names than Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello have sung his praises and he’s always been a critical favorite, but none of that has translated into much commercial success.

“I think the majority of the population gets their music from what they hear on the radio or on TV and those avenues have been kind of closed to me, for whatever reason,” the 40-
year-old Canadian says. “Chris Martin (of Coldplay), Elton John and other guys have said to me ‘I don't understand why you don't get radio (play).’ I don't understand it either!

“But it's out of my hands. All I can control is the music and try to make the best albums that I can. I'm thankful that I've been able to put out so many albums and that when I do, they get a little attention and people write about them and my loyal fanbase picks them up. If anything should happen and a song should breakthrough, I'm ready for it, but I don't lose sleep about it.”

Now would be a good time for the general public to take notice. Sexsmith's just released, seventh album “Retriever” may be his best yet. It's earned his usual critical hosannas, including an “A” review in Get Out. It's a hook-filled musical showcase of Sexsmith's greatest strength, his straightforward lyrics. Emotions from deepest sorrow (“I feel for the driver in the aftermath of a child who chased a ball across his path”) to ebullient joy (“I'm so in love with you, if this ain't happiness, baby, it'll do!”) are laid bare in simple, non-clichéd terms.

“Somewhere along the line, irony took over and I think it had a negative effect on music,” Sexsmith says. “There was a time when you could just sing how you felt and nobody laughed at you and then all of the sudden everybody started winking at you and making everything a big joke. I've tried to stay away from that kind of writing.”

Like a certain talented singer/songwriter named Bob Dylan, Sexsmith's voice may be something of an acquired taste. It's tremulous, not gruff like Dylan's, but it's similarly unpolished.

“I'd like to think that I'm a work-in-progress and I'm trying to get better at singing and I think this new album reflects that. It's got some of my best singing,” Sexsmith says. “On the various albums I've made, I was always singing as good as I could at that particular time. I don't really think (previous producers) Mitchell Froom or Steve Earle were what you'd call vocal producers. They'd never really call me on anything. They never would say, ‘Oh you're flat here or sharp there and we should fix this or redo that.’ Whereas (new producer) Martin Terefe is like that and as a result I think the singing on my last two albums has been a lot more accurate.

“We're starting to get some radio play (of the new album) for the first time, so maybe I do have a Top 40 voice after all!” Sexsmith laughs.

Even if the public still doesn't take notice, he's got the respect of his music business peers. Rod Stewart and k.d. lang have covered his songs and Sexsmith met another famous singer at his last concert in the Valley.

“I met Glen Campbell at that show!” he says of the country music legend and local resident. “He came to see me because his son is a fan of mine. We were backstage in the dressing room preparing to go on and somebody knocks on the door and Glen Campbell is standing there! It was like a ‘Simpsons’ episode or something. So, of course, we were all excited to meet him and tried to play the show like he was the only one in the room. It was great to meet him and he came back after the set and introduced me to his son. It was really nice.”

That evening, in February of last year, found Sexsmith opening for Coldplay at the Dodge Theatre. After crossing paths with the band in Australia, the multi-Grammy winning British rockers became fans and friends, inviting Sexsmith and his group to join them on the road.

“I did two tours with them, but it's hard opening for people,” Sexsmith says. “I think we went over well enough most of the time, but sometimes you just can't win when the audience grows impatient. You're trying to play and they're yelling out for Coldplay.”

At the Dodge Theatre show, Coldplay singer Chris Martin joined him on stage to duet on “Gold In Them Hills,” just as the pair do on Sexsmith’s 2002 album “Cobblestone Runway.”

“That was always nice and he didn't do it every night,” Sexsmith says. “I never knew if he was going to come out until I heard people screaming. It was very generous of him.”

Good things come to those who wait and Sexsmith has done more than his fair share of that. Perhaps his mainstream breakthrough is on its way.

“My first album came out when I was 31 and I'm starting to feel, at 40, that I've built a career and I've got all these albums behind me and there's a lot of people rooting for me,” he says. “It feels really good and it feels like anything's possible.”