FIVE QUESTIONS WITH DREW THOMSON OF SINGLE MOTHERS

Fuzz Punk Poets Single Mothers Celebrate Negative Qualities Ten Year Anniversary

Posted By Ben Rispin

Single Mothers Perform Their Seminal Record Negative Qualities At Corktown Tavern Saturday November 30th at Corktown Tavern in Hamilton

Wether it was intended at conception or not, Single Mothers and Thomson are a living commune of dangerously honest creation equally challenged by a sincere look at at disfunction and accountability - that you can play air guitar to. - Ben Rispin

This week, the band announced via social media that they'll be playing their last show of 2024 at Corktown Pub where they'll be performing their seminal debut studio record, Negative Qualities front to back.

LISTEN TO SINGLE MOTHERS

SINGLE MOTHERS BIO:

Single Mothers broke up in 2009, 2011, 2015 and have been playing shows ever since. 

Founded by Drew Thomson in 2008 Single Mothers only relied on only one main principle: it wouldn’t have any members. For the most part - they have stayed true to that, and only that. Spanning a discography of genera morphing LP’s and a myriad of EP’s the only constant is that none of it sounds the same. Each album has different members, different song writers, different ideas. For a while there were even two versions of the band going at the same time, with completely different people. Through all this Thomson left the band and moved to Swastika, Ontario to be a gold prospector. Single Mothers continued without him. 

While Thomson was searching for gold in Northern Ontario Single Mothers released their first S/T EP, which they recorded before he left, with Jeremy Bolm’s (Touché Amoré) Secret Voice Records. The band with no members played a sting of shows with different singers before Thomson returned. That EP sent the band touring with Title Fight, Quick Sand, Touché Amore, The Bronx and many others. 

The first LP Negative Qualities was recorded twice, produced by Joby Ford (The Bronx) and came out in 2014 - 10 years ago, on XL Records imprint Hot Charity to critical acclaim and led to festival appearances like Pitchfork Fest, Redding & Leeds, Primavera Sound, Riot Fest and many others. Then, as Single Mothers were picking up speed, they fell apart and started over. 

Now, 10 years later - in celebration of the record that tried to kill them, they’re back to play it in full. “These are the best songs from the worst years of my life.” Thomson recounts, “and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH DREW THOMSON OF SINGLE MOTHERS

WHEN AND WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC FORM? 

What a question to ask. When? Where? I don’t know. Probably in the basement of the house I lived in back in East London. I had an old TV and boombox down there. I’d spend all my time in that basement, watching The Wedge on much music or looking up what bands were on the bootleg 411 skate VHS videos my friends were passing around. One of my friends had an aunt who worked for Sony records and she’d give him all the display copies of CD’s once she was done with them. He’d trade CD’s for snacks or ball bearings or guitar strings. Whatever you had. I got a bunch of good CD’s from him back in grade 7 and 8. After that, being in a band was the only career path I ever considered, even back then. Why work a job when you could write a song? It just made sense, but there was money in music back then. I’ve liked music from an early age, I assume like most people - but I’ve loved songs, and writing songs since around that age. 

WHAT WAS THE FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO? 

Matthew Good Band, London Ontario FairGrounds, Sept. 1997? I think 

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST “BIG SHOW”? OR YOUR FIRST SHOW EVER? 

I mostly went to Call The Office, a 180-ish cap venue in London - but the first BIG thing I went to was probably Warped Tour in the early 2000’s. I think they had one inside a place the first time I went. 

WHAT WAS YOUR WORST SHOW OR FUNNIEST SHOW MEMORY? 

I was banned from Pukklepop, a festival in Belgium. Everyone said it was funny, I don’t remember it. That was probably our worst show and also, for the band other than me, the funniest.  

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR BAND? 

I never know. Single Mothers exists in its own realm. It’s a car I get into with no one driving. 

Don't miss Single Mothers November 30th at Corktown Pub in Hamilton as part of Past Presents Future. Click the image below for tickets. Joining them will be Danny Miles of July Talk, Pedestrian, The Corps and Noviae.