Woodstock musician releasing second studio album

Woodstock native Cory Stewart is releasing his second album on vinyl. His Friendly City release party is set for Sept. 25 at Record Works on Dundas Street. (Contributed photo).

Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Former Woodstock native turned Toronto-based singer-songwriter Cory Stewart is releasing a new album titled ‘Take All My Toys and Go,’ described as a bold, unfiltered collection that turns heartbreak, fractured friendships, and self-discovery into a sharply crafted pop confessional.

The new album arrives Sept. 19, while vinyl pre-orders launched Sept. 2 through Dead Dog Records in Toronto, Stewart’s favourite local shop.

“A collection of songs about being hurt, growing, and then learning from the hurt.”

Those were the words Cory Stewart used when the Echo asked him to describe the new album in one sentence. He added his first album, released during the pandemic, was focused on grief, after he had lost his best friend following a stage four stomach cancer diagnosis.

“She was diagnosed in February of that year, and by April, she had passed away. Because of the pandemic we couldn’t go to the hospital. This album is more about picking up the pieces. I did a tour in the US in 2022 and there are some stories about the struggles with that because touring these days is no easy feat.”

Stewart said it wasn’t easy to come out ahead once the costs of travel, hotels and other expenses are factored in.

“If you are an Indie artist, you aren’t charging more than 15 bucks a ticket, so the money doesn’t add up. There was a lot of stress, friendships broken, and all of these experiences culminated in writing these songs over the past three years and putting it together with my producer, Gavin Bradley.”

Bradley is a highly decorated artist and producer, working with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Tori Amos, Jane Siberry, Serena Ryder, Jacksoul and The Philosopher Kings. He is also a Juno Award winner. Stewart added he’s looking forward to seeing the new album in a pressed version.

“This is the first time I have an album on vinyl. My last album was on CD, but we are going to vinyl because people are going back to it, which is a thrill because I am such a big fan. It makes you actually listen to an entire album, not just skip through songs which is what the TikTok generation has turned our lives into these days.”

Stewart has not performed in Woodstock since moving to Toronto, but when asked if he was open to the idea of a gig in the Friendly City, he didn’t rule it out.

“If people would come, I would do it in a heartbeat. As a kid, I did so many shows there as a member of various theatre groups, including Woodstock Little Theatre, as it was called back then. I would love to.”

Stewart still considers Woodstock home, and the last time he was here was in July to visit his grandparents. His father owns Corcoran Auto Sales on Dundas Street, and his grandfather, Trevor John Slater, served as Woodstock’s mayor for one year in 1966. Before that, he spent three years as an alderman.

The 41-year-old holds down a regular job outside his music career, and he explained that at this stage in his life, he is making the type of music he wants to make.

“Music has been such a driving force in my life. It’s something I have been involved with since I was a kid. I started training with the Royal Conservatory of Music (one of the most respected music institutions in the world) and worked with a boys' choir in London, and through that, I was able to go to Europe and do lots of things.”

Stewart didn’t start professionally releasing and recording his own music until 2018 with the release of an EP called ‘7 Different Sides,’ a theatrical pop project exploring LGBTQ+ themes such as self-acceptance and empowerment. His debut album, TOV, was released in 2021 and was a 17-track album divided into three emotional arcs—betrayal, heartbreak, and survival. It was named after his late best friend, Tovah Natalie. The album reached #9 on iTunes Pop charts and received critical praise. He also opened for Boy George in Montreal following the EP release.

Stewart is holding two events to release the new album. The first at Dead Dog Records on Church Street in Toronto on Sept. 18 and the second at The Record Works in Woodstock on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Stewart’s hometown release celebration, with an in-store signing and vinyl copies available. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite by searching Take All My Toys And Go Listening Party in Woodstock.

Stewart said he’s always nervous before any musical event and expects to be at Record Works.

“I’m the type of person where my mind always wonders to the worst possible outcome. You prepare yourself for that, so if it happens, you aren’t completely devastated. I know I have family coming, I know I have some old friends coming, and I’m excited to see everyone. Part of doing these listening parties, and specifically in Woodstock, is an excuse to see all of these people and force them to buy my album,” he joked.

“I am nervous, but Woodstock has been so supportive, and I am so grateful. Heart FM, for example, has always played my music. Just the community itself, it wasn’t always that way for me when I was younger, because I did grow up gay. It was a tough time and I think culturally we weren’t there.”

He added that times have changed with the formation of Oxford Pride and a greater acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.

Stewart’s debut album, TOV, delivered sleek, genre-blending pop that climbed to number nine on the iTunes charts and landed him on stages with icons like Boy George.