Tomato Tomato 'pumped' for ECMA nomination

You'll have to forgive Grand Bay-Westfield duo Tomato Tomato if they appear a little excited about their trip to the East Coast Music Awards.  

"This is our first time at the ECMAs so we are pumped," says Lisa McLaggan. 

Her husband John chimes in:  "And the first time in St. John's too, so we're doubly pumped."

At their very first awards, and they are nominees as well, in the roots/traditional group recording of the year category.

"Oh my gosh we were excited and so proud and kind of shocked," Lisa said.

It has been the Annus Wonderfulis for the couple. It started a year back when they made it in the CBC Searchlight contest finals as the choice from New Brunswick.

Then they released their debut album So It Goes and also became a finalist in the Galaxie Rising Star competition.  

The band's fun blend of roots, old-time, folk and jazz got them a Music New Brunswick nomination for roots/traditional recording and that was capped with the ECMA recognition.

"It's very humbling and motivating and validating," says Lisa.

"We think we should keep doing what we're doing, and make more music and try to get better and better," Lisa says.

John says it did come out of the blue.

Thinking more like the audience

"It is funny how you can coast along for years and not much happens and then all of a sudden, oh, there's something happening," he says.

While the great year did come as a surprise, John can look back and figure out the reason.  

"This may sound kind of cheesy but for the first time in our careers, we're really thinking more about the audience," he says. 

"You would think that's a given, but we both played jazz for years and there was never any talk about the audience. It was just about what going on stage and being hip and whatever. Now that we're focused more on a style of music that's about the audience and interacting, it's amazing how that changes things."

They don't have a heavy-duty career plan, but they do think things out.  

"A year ago we had entered Searchlight and we thought, 'What would the perfect year be in terms of accomplishments?'" says John.  

"And we said, well, if we could use Searchlight to give us a little bump, and then have a CD released, and be a finalist for Galaxie, and maybe Music New Brunswick awards, and then if everything goes really well, maybe an outside chance at some kind of ECMA recognition. So we were trying for it, but we're still equally shocked that it actually happened."

There's equal planning for the future here.  

"Our whole goal is to branch out," says Lisa.  

"We're terrified of people in Saint John getting sick of us. So we promise, we're looking to expand, and export, and go to as many places as we can, and grow both musically and in terms of our geography."