We’re very familiar with George Boomsma on the At The Barrier pages having enjoyed his What’s Left Behind EP and watching him play in support to Sam Kelly as well as at the Folk Expo events. He’s just released his The Promise Of Spring album (our review) that showcases not just his lithe folk and fingerpicked guitar but a broad range of songwriting. We called it “reflective, nostalgic, deeply personal and thoroughly engaging.”

He’s now the third of the group from the English Folk Expo mentoring programme to join us for a Why I Love, on this occasion, opting for an artist and a particular album – Ron Sexsmith and his 2017 album, The Last Rider.

We all have those certain albums that were a well needed companion through tough times, and Ron Sexsmith’s The Last Rider was one for me. Remember when we were allowed our daily walks during lockdown? Almost everyday, mine was accompanied by Ron.

It was one thing to go through lockdown, but as I’m sure some of us know, an entirely different thing to go through lockdown after losing a loved one. And whilst there was a lack of healthy outlet for my grief at the time, The Last Rider helped do a little of the expressing for me, keeping my mind schtum and my feet trudging.

It’s that compulsive urge to repeat the same song over and over again, each time making a small lyric change here or certain phrase there to make the song seemingly fit exactly how I’m feeling, as if they wrote it especially for me. If you’ve had it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. As a songwriter, I can only hope a song of mine has that effect on someone someday, and I’d be very chuffed about it.

Even years later, the album is still a bitter-sweet comfort to listen to. For those certain times when I want to just dip my toes in some sadness and relive the feeling of those days, it’s an album which gets me there. Not the most obvious album for grief I’ll admit, but like most connecting albums, it happened to find me at the right time.

One thing I love so much about Ron’s music is how his songs can deliver joyous and feel-good arrangements, whilst at the same time bury us in a depth of beautiful and moving lyricism. Before I heard his albums, I’d always thought that introspective lyrics of a serious and poetic nature had to be matched with equally solemn and earnest music.

However, Ron’s more poppy McCartney-esk melodic and harmonic style heard in this album has shown me that sometimes, the more accessible the music, the more hard hitting the lyrical message can be. And by also using the smallest hints of lyrical humour, you can go along way to hit the heavy even harder.

I took these as a real inspiration in the writing for The Promise Of Spring, my album of songs exploring those years. As I didn’t want the listener’s experience to be a solely sombre affair, I encouraged myself to write my full band arrangements with The Last Rider’s style in mind, leaving the space then to do what I needed to do conceptually.

The Last Rider is an album that never fails to stun and throw me onto an emotional roller-coaster, whether I like it or not, and has definitely been the cause for concern by some neighbouring seats on flights. Without fail, as soon as the brass band comes in on The Man At The Gate, I’m gone.

Here’s George playing Passing The Silence live:

Our thanks to George for his insight on an artist and an album that has clearly inspired his own music.

George Boomsma online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

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