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Roundhouse Song

from Vol. IV: Independency by Plaid On Flannel

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about

*Song Description By Noles*

On my songwriting journey, I've always written about things I've been up close and personal to. Familiarity is a key component to artistic expression. Our lives are what we write about. And we make the best of what happens through our own artistic output. I worked at Steam Whistle Brewing at the Roundhouse in the heart of Toronto from 2014-2018. Les Cassling (Plaid On Flannel's bassist from 2014-2017) has been a truck driver for Steam Whistle since 2008, and he got me the job in Steam Whistle production at the Roundhouse. I worked in bottling and canning before being promoted to kegging in 2016. Steam Whistle was a big part of my life with all the events/parties and the beautiful women I got to work with. There are so many great memories from my 4 years there.

When I was writing new material for the Independency album in early 2016, I decided it was time to write a theme song about Steam Whistle and working at the Roundhouse. My immediate inspiration was the Cheers theme song by Gary Portnoy. I wanted to make a song that would play in the intro credits if Steam Whistle had a T.V. sitcom. I was told that some people attempted to write a Steam Whistle theme song in the past, but those songs never lasted. So that prompted me to see if I could write a tune about the company.

I wrote "Roundhouse Song" on April 30, 2016. It was all written in a couple of hours. The lyrics flowed quite easily as I wanted to mention every aspect of Steam Whistle and not leave anything out. The only thing I really left out of the lyrics were the owners Cam Heaps and Greg Taylor. They were personable guys and didn't need any mentioning because they were humble as well. I used to play solo acoustic gigs at the Roundhouse and play "Roundhouse Song" every time.

I started recording "Roundhouse Song" on August 1, 2016. What influenced the initial rhythm was "Kiss This" by The Struts. A new song at the time, it had some great hooks and children sing-along type melodies. My intention was to make a song of innocence. In "Roundhouse Song", there's a vocal harmony that stays with the lead vocal a lot through the tune. Including in every chorus where the notes are extended. Longer notes make for better hooks. The instrumentation in "Roundhouse Song" is clean in a folk/roots rock style similar to Creedence Clearwater Revival. But halfway through the bridge, an analog moog lead is added and that synthesizer sound comes out of nowhere, but sounds really cool at the same time! I finished recording "Roundhouse Song" on December 16, 2016. Although it's a love memento to Steam Whistle, I retired the song as I don't work there anymore. But it will always live on through this final track on Independency.

lyrics

Words and music by Nolan Randall

There's a place that you can go
See some people that you know
Where you will never feel alone
All the brewers never stop
Fill the tank right to the top
Filtration gets into the zone

And when you hear the bottling line
From sunrise to sunset
You'll see them working overtime
Doing it all every step

Welcome to the roundhouse, enough to go around
Meet me at the roundhouse
You're lost, but now you're found

From the wonders of team clean
To the events we have seen
The working class gets a reward
Friendly service of retail
Expectations are prevailed
And then you check into the store

And when you see the trucks on the road
They gotta distribute the dream
The office carries quite the load
It's not as easy as it seems

Welcome to the roundhouse, enough to go around
Meet me at the roundhouse
You're lost, but now you're found
Now you're found
Welcome to the roundhouse, enough to go around
Meet me at the roundhouse
You're lost, but now you're found
Now you're found

Say hello to the good beer folks
Different people have different strokes
The fifth ingredient, well worth the time that's spent
A vintage pilsner recipe, always a cold one next to me
Do one thing really well, the whistle rings the bell

New accounts from the sales reps
Getting it done step by step
They always like to set the tone
Someone has to fill the kegs
Move around on their own legs
To pay for the place they call home

And when you see the canning line
From sunrise to sunset
You'll see them working overtime
Gotta go for what they'll get

Welcome to the roundhouse, enough to go around
Meet me at the roundhouse
You're lost, but now you're found
Now you're found
Welcome to the roundhouse, enough to go around
Meet me at the roundhouse,
You're lost, but now you're found
Now you're found

credits

from Vol. IV: Independency, released July 29, 2018

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Plaid On Flannel Toronto, Ontario

Plaid On Flannel is an alternative indie blues rock act from Toronto, Canada. With 80+ original songs recorded since 2011, singer-songwriter Nolan Randall has remained the sole constant member of the band. POF's music is known for guitar riffs/solos, memorable hooks, catchy melodies/harmonies, evocative lyrics, & superb musicianship. While keeping a focus on originality and songwriting quality. ... more

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