Could this be Bywater Call's boldest song yet?
- Rock Metal Machine
- 21 hours ago
- 6 min read
BYWATER CALL
Canadian roots, rock, and soul band Bywater Call are excited to announce the release “Is This Thing On?”, leading up to the July 29th release of their highly anticipated fourth studio album Broken Souvenirs featuring the critically acclaimed singles “No One Else”, “Only” and “Hold Me Down.” The album is available to pre-order HERE.
Due to popular demand, two new dates have been added to Bywater Call’s January and February 2027 UK Tour. The band will now play Milton Keynes’ the Stables on February 1st, and Newcastle’s Anarchy Brew on February 7th. Tickets for all UK shows are available from The Gig Cartel, Gigantic, and Bywater Call.
The new single “Is This Thing On?” is available on all streaming platforms via – https://linktr.ee/bywatercall
“Is This Thing On?” is a haunting, soul-stirring blend of soul, Americana, blues, and folk — gritty, intimate, and emotionally charged. Built around beautifully arranged acoustic guitar, sweeping strings, and a raw, magnetic vocal performance, the song lays bare the vulnerability of sending art out into the world: exposed, unguarded, and searching for connection. It captures the quiet fear that, after pouring your heart and soul into something, no one may be listening.
The single’s minimalist arrangement gives the song room to breathe, allowing the listener to fully absorb its storytelling and emotional weight. It stands as one of Bywater Call’s most powerful musical statements to date, offering a compelling glimpse of the depth, maturity, and artistry that define their forthcoming album, Broken Souvenirs.
“Is This Thing On?” has already become a fan favourite at live shows, inspiring a call and response between the band and the audience.
Drawing inspiration from the raw storytelling of Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell, Brandi Carlile, and Jason Isbell, “Is This Thing On?” sits firmly within the emotional landscape of Broken Souvenirs. Rich in atmosphere and detail, the song places storytelling at its core, painting vivid scenes that invite listeners to step inside its world and carry its imagery long after the final note fades.
The song reflects Bywater Call’s commitment to blending timeless influences with fresh, contemporary sounds, while continuing to define a musical space entirely their own. That spirit of evolution and experimentation runs through Broken Souvenirs, capturing the emotional intensity, musicianship, and driving Bywater Call’s energy and conviction that fans have come to love.
“Is This Thing On?” was recorded at Palace Studios in Toronto, mixed by Patric McGroarty, and mastered by Kristian Montano of Montano Mastering. The official video for the single was choreographed and directed by Chelsea Preston and filmed by Badee Mirkham.
Broken Souvenirs delivers a captivating 11-song collection that captures Bywater Call at their most versatile, adventurous, and emotionally charged. Expanding beyond the boundaries of genre, the album deepens the band’s distinctive voice while embracing a bold, wide-ranging sound. Drawing on influences from Black Pumas, Alabama Shakes, Amy Winehouse, Shakey Graves, The Black Crowes and more, Broken Souvenirs moves effortlessly from feel-good retro soul and intimate acoustic moments to driving contemporary R&B, creating a rich, dynamic journey from start to finish.
NEW ALBUM – “BROKEN SOUVENIRS”
RELEASED JULY 29, 2026
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE
“One of My Favourite Bands... Meghan Parnell does a hell of a job. Put them in your playlist. Embrace it. Get the name out there”
– Joe Bonamassa, Different Shades of Blues, SiriusXM
“Bywater Call’s sound is a band who knows exactly who they are. If this is where 2026 is heading for them, then pour another bourbon, hit repeat, and settle in.”
– Rock the Joint
“Singer Meghan Parnell must be one of our favourite new voices (like Canada’s answer to Susan Tedeschi). She is in sublime form. Smooth, slow-burning mix of modern soul and emotional nuance”
– Classic Rock
BYWATER CALL
2026 & 2027 TOUR DATES
2027 UK TOUR
27 Jan 2027 | Faversham, UK – The Old Brewery Store
28 Jan 2027 | Southampton, UK – The Brook
30 Jan 2027 | Exeter, UK – Phoenix
31 Jan 2027 | Sheffield, UK – Yellow Arch
1 Feb 2027 | Milton Keynes – The Stables
2 Feb 2027 | York, UK – Crescent
3 Feb 2027 | Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor
4 Feb 2027 | Manchester, UK – Band on the Wall
5 Feb 2027 | London, UK – 100 Club
6 Feb 2027 | Norwich, UK – Waterfront
7 Feb 2027 | Newcastle – Anarchy Brewery
Tickets: www.bywatercall.com
**More dates to be announced
U.S. / CANADA 2026
Jun 27 Winter Park, CO, USA – Blues from the Top
Jun 30 Ridgefield, CT, USA – CHIRP 2026
Jul 1 Londonderry, NH, USA – Concerts on the Common
Jul 2 Saratoga Springs, NY, USA – The Parting Glass
Jul 3 Hawley, PA, USA – Harmony in the Woods
Jul 7 Gravenhurst, ON, Canada – Peter’s Players Cruise
Jul 8 Mont Tremblant, QC, Canada – Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival
Jul 11 Kincardine, ON, Canada – Lighthouse Blues Festival
*Jul 12 Sherman, NY, USA – Pine Junction
*Jul 13 Warrendale, PA, USA – Jergel’s
Jul 14 Columbia, MD, USA – Collective Encore
*Jul 15 Ardmore, PA, USA – Ardmore Hall
Jul 17 Moscow, ID, USA – Rendezvous in the Park
Jul 18 Nine Mile Falls, WA, USA – Live at Andres
Jul 19 Winthrop. WA, USA – Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival
Jul 23 Thomas, WV, USA – Purple Fiddle
Jul 24 Lawrenceburg, IN, USA – Whiskey City’s Liberty Theatre
Jul 25 Waterville, OH, USA – Blues, Brews & Brats
Jul 30 Terre Haute, IN, USA – Terre Haute Brewing
^Jul 31 Des Plaines, IL, USA – Rivers Casino
Aug 1 Erie, PA, USA – Erie Jazz & Blues Festival
Aug 13 Saranac Lake, NY, USA – The Waterhole
Aug 14 Putney, VT, USA – Bandwagon Series
Aug 15 New York, NY, USA – Hudson River Blues Festival
Aug 16 Homer, NY, USA – Homer Centre for the Arts
Aug 17 Lima, NY, USA – Fanatics
Aug 21 Dayton, OH, USA – Levitt Pavillion
Aug 22 Westland, MI, USA – Token Lounge
Aug 24 Evanston, IL, USA – SPACE
Aug 26 Lincoln, NE, USA – Zoo Bar
Aug 27 Omaha, NE, USA – The B. Bar
Aug 28 Paola, KS, USA – Paola Roots Festival
Aug 29 West Plaines, MO, USA – Shenanigan’s
Aug 30 Evansville, IN, USA – Mojo’s Boneyard
Sep 3 St Catharine’s, ON, Canada – Warehouse Concert Hall
Sep 5 Midland, ON, Canada – Midland Cultural Centre
Sep 6 Etwell, ON, Canada – Etwell Concert Series
Sep 12 Hamilton, ON, Canada – Mills Hardware
Sep 13 Guelph, ON, Canada – Sonic Hall
^Sep 15 Ottawa, ON, Canada – History
Sep 16 Fredericton, NB, Canada – Harvest Music Festival
Sep 23 Burlington, VT, USA – Higher Ground
Sep 24 Belleville, ON, Canada – Southside Productions
Sep 25 Palmer Rapids, ON, Canada – Highlands Festival
Sep 27 Morrisburg, ON, Canada – Harmony Concerts
Oct 13 Scarborough, ME, USA – Brickhouse
Oct 14 Portsmouth, NH, USA – Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues~
Oct 15 Northampton, MA, USA – Iron Horse
Oct 16 Plymouth, MA, USA – Spire Centre
Oct 17 Shirley, MA, USA – Bull Run
Oct 18 Pawling, NY, USA – Daryl’s House
Oct 20 New York, NY, USA – Bleeker Bell
Oct 21 Sellersville, PA, USA – Sellersville Theatre
Oct 22 Elkton, MD, USA – Elkton Music Hall
Oct 23 Jim Thorpe, PA, USA – Mauch Chunk Opera House
#Oct 28 Albuquerque, NM, USA – KiMo Theatre
#Oct 29 Flagstaff, AZ, USA – Orpheum Theatre
#Oct 30 Phoenix, AZ, USA – Celebrity Theatre
#Nov 1 Tucson, AZ, USA – Rialto Theatre
#Nov 3 Grand Junction, CO, USA – Mesa Theatre
#Nov 5 Colorado Springs, CO, USA – Phil Long Music Hall
#Nov 6 Ft Collins, CO, USA – Aggie Theatre
#Nov 7 Boulder, CO, USA – Boulder Theatre
Nov 20 Westport, ON, Canada – Cove Inn
*Supporting Robert Jon & The Wreck
^Supporting Blackberry Smoke
#Supporting Joanne Shaw Taylor
EU / U.K. 2026
22 Jan 2027 | Den Haag, NL – Paard
23 Jan 2027 | Utrecht, NL – Tivoli
24 Jan 2027 | Bonn, DE – Harmonie
27 Jan 2027 | Faversham, UK – The Old Brewery Store
28 Jan 2027 | Southampton, UK – The Brook
30 Jan 2027 | Exeter, UK – Phoenix
31 Jan 2027 | Sheffield, UK – Yellow Arch
1 Feb 2027 | Milton Keyes, UK – The Stables
2 Feb 2027 | York, UK – The Crescent
3 Feb 2027 | Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor
4 Feb 2027 | Manchester, UK – Band on the Wall
5 Feb 2027 | London, UK – The 100 Club
6 Feb 2027 | Norwich, UK – Waterfront
7 Feb 2027 | Newcastle, UK – Anarchy Brewery
U.S. 2027
Apr 10 | Tampa Bay, FL, USA – Tampa Bay Blues Festival
Apr 11 | Miramar Beach, FL, USA – Soundwave Festival
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