As this whirlwind of a year comes to an end, a Canadian band recognizes the people who played an important role in the pandemic with the release of their new song, Thanks 2020 (A Tribute to COVID workers).
“It was a truly international effort, bringing this song together,” said Bernie Haughian, vocalist and guitarist of The Hollow Logs, a band based in Ottawa.
Haughian and his wife moved to Collingwood in 2018, but he continues to record with The Hollow Logs remotely and plans to perform with his bandmates in Ottawa once COVID has passed.
For their newest song, Haughian recorded the vocals and some of the guitar work in Collingwood before sending it off to Ottawa for the rest of the band members to fill in their parts. They then sent the song to a friend in Sri Lanka who turned it into a music video.
The Hollow Logs launched the video on YouTube at the end of November and it has already received more than 400 views.
“It just goes to show that we can still do things with our friends. We may not be able to see each other face-to-face, but we can still reach out and do these things not only across cities within Ontario but right across the world,” said Haughian.
The band has been performing and recording together in Ottawa for over 30 years. Along with Haughian on vocals, guitar, mandolin and harmonica, The Hollow Logs includes Mische Hudon on drums and Robert Libbey on guitar, keyboard, percussion, mandolin and harmonica. The lead guitarist, Graham Young, passed away in May 2019.
The band began by covering Paul Kelly — an Australian singer-songwriter — along with other classic musicians such as Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones before transitioning to write, record and perform their own songs.
Haughian also plays and performs with a number of local musicians in Collingwood.
The idea for Thanks 2020 came from a song called Thanks by Australian musician Spencer Jones, which was dedicated to thanking the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Jones was the guitarist for Paul Kelly and a big inspiration for The Hollow Logs.
The band used the musical composition from the original song and replaced the lyrics with their own.
“We kept the words Thanks at the end of each verse and crafted our own words with respect to what was going on with the COVID situation and wanting to thank people like first responders and other essential workers,” said Haughian.
Jones has since passed away and Haughian looks at the song as a tribute to him as well.
Listen to Thanks 2020 (A Tribute to COVID workers) on YouTube.
