DUNNVILLE — Local musician and producer Rob Lamothe knew early on that his recent collaboration with popular musician Logan Staats – co-producing Staats’ album ‘A Light in the Attic’ – was going to be special. That instinct has proven correct as the album landed a 2024 Juno nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year.
Lamothe has been working with Staats for a while, playing guitar in his band for about eight years: “I’m super-familiar with how Logan works, so it just made sense when he asked me to produce the album with him.”
Starting his musical career singing and writing in San Diego and Los Angeles, Lamothe got his first record deal in the late 80s as a member of rock band Riverdogs, leading to an extensive period of European touring. Lamothe moved to Hamilton in 1994, and then Haldimand County in 2005.
‘A Light in the Attic’ was recorded at Lamothe’s home studio. He recalled, “We did lots of experimenting. We started out making a folk album and then Logan wanted to try recording some songs with a heavy rock instrumentation and some songs with an old-school country vibe. I said yes to everything … and we kept experimenting until Logan felt like we had an album that best represented him at this point on his journey.”
They ended up with 25 songs, some with multiple versions, that had to be whittled down to the 11 that make up the album: “We focused on the songs that we felt were the strongest.”
While Staats, who won CTV’s The Launch in 2019, is the headliner on the album, many people were involved in its making.
“The core band for the album and for the past five years of live performances included Logan’s sister Layla Staats singing harmonies, Justine Fischer on bass, and my son Zander on drums and percussion,” said Lamothe. “The five of us cover a lot of ground, but it was great to have people like Toronto’s Olivia Esther on French horn for the song ‘California’ and Six Nations’ own Adrian Harjo making beats and adding traditional vocals on ‘Six Miles’.”
The album was mixed by Jay Dufour and mastered by Joao Carvalho: “They did a beautiful job of getting the album to the finish line after the band poured their hearts into Logan’s songs.”
Lamothe added, “I have decades of experience making albums based around creative freedom. When you have a core group that is there to serve the songs, it’s effortless … and the results are incredible. My mantra is ‘Create without fear. Edit without mercy’.”
While Lamothe has those decades of experience, he knew that ‘A Light in the Attic’ was going to be a special chapter in his extensive career. Staats agreed, sharing the following about Lamothe.
“Rob was my light in the attic… Felt like my only friend during a difficult time. I was pretty beat up and weathered, music just wasn’t hitting the same, I was numb and having a hard time. Rob picked me up, dusted me off, and help me find faith in my music and myself.”
Staats said of the collaboration, “I like to think Rob seen a little bit of himself buried deep within me. That he became for me what he needed when he was young and navigating the industry, there was always this instant respect and feeling of redemption every time we played together, wrote together.”
Lamothe shared, “On the day we started making this album a couple years ago, Logan and I talked about getting a Juno nomination. We knew he had it in him. The pandemic created some logistical challenges, but we just kept at it. Logan slept on my couch many times throughout the making of ‘A Light In The Attic’, so we could get up early … and dive right into the work.”
“The neighbourhood kids loved it when the band was rocking out in my living room,” he continued, noting the work went on into the evening. “We all knew we were creating something special. The Juno nomination is the icing on the cake.”
Not one to rest on his laurels, Lamothe has many more balls in the air already.
“I’ve signed a record deal with a label in London (UK) called Border Town Sound. I’m playing a concert there in June, playing some shows in The Netherlands, and ending the tour in Paris, France,” he explained.
Additionally, Lamothe’s solo albums are about to be released to streaming platforms, re-released on CD, and released on vinyl for the first time: “I’m thrilled about all of that.”
Last but certainly not least, Lamothe said to look out for the debut album from Staats’ sister Layla, which is currently under production.
“Layla is a water protector, a courageous change-maker … and an incredible singer,” said Lamothe.
The 2024 Juno Awards will be held on March 24, 2024 from 6-8 p.m in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Canadian icon Nelly Furtado.
Staats concluded, “Rob Lamothe is truly my biggest mentor, and over the coarse of our journey he went from stranger to actual brother. He’s been my guardian is so many ways. I always wanted a brother, Creator gave one.”
For more on Lamothe’s work, visit his webpage at roblamothe.com.
