Ron Sexsmith

Combining the sophisticated pop of pre-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco and the melancholy of Elliott Smith, Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has occupied a space between mainstream success and outsider folk status since his 1991 debut, Grand Opera Lane. He’s presented a consistent musical vision across 12 full-length releases, yet most people only know him as the pen behind Feist’s “Secret Heart.” In an attempt to bust through the mainstream barrier, he teamed up in the studio with Bob Rock (the award-winning producer responsible for Metallica’s “Black Album” and Mötley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood) on his new album, Long Player Late Bloomer. This process was the topic of the documentary film Love Shines, which shows the two working in the studio alongside interviews with Sexsmith supporters such as Elvis Costello and Steve Earle. While the big-budget polish covers his lo-fi roots, the distinctive charm remains. 

Updated 03/14/2011