The air inside Eastside Bar and Grill carries the scent of seasoned fryer oil and the lingering ghost of a thousand Saturday night cigarette breaks. It is the kind of room where the floorboards have a memory. For Ian Stone and Nick Houle, the twin engines behind Delta Stone and the Wardogs, this isn't just a venue. It is a home base.
Sitting across from them, you see the wear and tear of the road in their eyes, but there is a sharpness there too. They have spent the last few years transitioning from a stripped-back acoustic duo into a massive seven-piece blues-rock machine. And the industry is noticing. They recently walked away with a significant win at the Forest City London Music Awards, proving that the local scene still has an appetite for high-gain grit.
We sat down to talk shop, and the conversation immediately turned to the grind of the London circuit. Houle is a self-taught player who learned the trade in the trenches, far away from the sterile environment of a classroom.
Houle says, "My uncle played in bands when I was younger and I would hang around with them, I don’t really have any musical education. I dropped out of high school and played guitar a lot. I met Ian when I got work in a cover band that he was fronting, we started writing tunes and looking for the kind of players we needed to do the kinda tunes we were writing."
Stone, on the other hand, brought a more structured background to the table, though he eventually traded the drum kit for a guitar. He is a product of Fanshawe’s Music Industry Arts program, a local institution that has churned out more than its fair share of Canadian legends.
Stone says, "My dad started me with drums and I played those until I started jamming with my cousin; he was a guitarist. I played in the high school jazz band, the four of us in the rhythm section had our own rock outfit at the time. I came to London for college in 2009 taking Music Industry Arts. Eventually joined the band Bender, a local classic-rock cover act. Then I met Nick about three years after that when he joined Bender and we started writing songs and conceived Delta Stone almost right away. That was 2014 and we’ve been working together since."
The name Delta Stone sounds like something pulled from a dusty 45 rpm record found in a Memphis basement. It carries a certain weight. But the origin story is less about mythology and more about the practicalities of branding.
When asked about the potential connection to other bands or albums with similar names, Houle admits the choice was purely visceral.
Houle says, "I had no idea, I’ll have to check that out. We wanted a name that said 'Blues', because that’s where we come from, but also something that said 'Rock' because that’s what we are, but Delta Rock didn’t have that ring. Ian’s name was close enough so there it is."
Stone’s surname adds a layer of mystery to the marquee, even if it is a bit of a stage fabrication. It works because it fits the aesthetic of the music—solid, unyielding and classic.
Stone says, "No connection, we just put it together one day. It’s not my real last name, it’s cool though because few people can ever get my real name right anyway, so this is fine."
The evolution from a duo to the Wardogs was a tactical move. You cannot fill a room like the London Music Hall with just two acoustic guitars if you want to shake the walls. They needed a heavy-hitting rhythm section to anchor the sound.
They found that anchor in Warren Stinson and Mark Irmler. In the local scene, having a rhythm section that locks in intuitively is the difference between a bar band and a professional outfit.
Houle says, "We knew London’s super drummer Warren Stinson from working with him in another project we play for called Loveless. Megan Schroeder and Rickie-Lee captain that ship and it’s a ton of fun playing those shows. Warren’s really a great player, so once we worked with him we knew he had the chops for what we needed. Warren campaigned for the bass player Mark Irmler because they play together a lot and lock up intuitively, Marks a vet and played with some impressive names, he’s a great musician. Having a tight rhythm section is the corner stone of a band so that was great and we’re glad we listened to Warren on Mark. I think I found out Ryan played keys from someone and I just approached him like 'we need keys man, please learn these tunes and play these shows', and in no time he was running at our speed and is now invaluable to Delta Stone, we’re lucky to have him."
The transition to a full band was inevitable. You can only keep two guys with Marshall stacks quiet for so long before the electricity takes over.
Stone says, "When we started together in 2014 we had ideas of being mostly acoustic oriented. However, being a couple of losers with Marshall half-stacks we seemed to write a lot of high gain stuff. We felt these tunes were stronger so we got excited about producing them. About 2016 we decided to look for a group to include us to play the tunes we were writing. By 2017 we had drafted the first line of the Wardogs. We wanted to be able to distinguish between the duo and the rock thing. Having influences from greats like Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band or Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble surely had something to do with it too."
I feel that we were nodding at the blues with our work more than trying to be a blues band. ...Zeppelin had a few blues numbers on their albums and we liked that idea and rolled with it. It shows the heritage of our rock side.
The band’s release strategy is a bit of a throwback. In a world of digital algorithms, they have opted for the A-side and B-side format on Spotify, mimicking the old 45 rpm vinyl feel. It is a smart piece of marketing that appeals to the purists.
But it also reflects the reality of the modern musician: there is never enough time.
Houle says, "Oh thanks. I like that too, and yeah we had a strategy for the releases in the first year, we released a single with a music video and big release party every 3 months up until Too Much For You, at that point we assessed what we’d learned from those releases and updated the strategy, we’ve gotten very busy with gigs and writing and recording lately, the more you get into this business the less time you have."
Stone views their catalogue as a bank. They are not just throwing things at the wall; they are waiting for the right moment to strike with a specific sound.
Stone says, "We’ve been known to bank songs until we feel it’s time to release them, for whatever reason. It’s somewhat strategic, but mostly for things like if we think the song is ready to be produced. Or, if we think that we haven’t produced enough (insert adjective here) songs we may pull a song out of the bank that suits it, or write a new one to fit. The next releases have had a focus on putting out a faster song or two, so we’ve focused on that this time. Singles are the new-old-game it seems, plenty of people are doing records still, but singles fit our writing style just fine. It’s a great throw back to the sound that we’ve been shooting for too. Plus when we get to doing vinyl we’ve got our 45’s already figured out. A and B also sounds way better than Song 1 and 2."
The hustle is real. Back in May, the band pulled a triple-header, playing three different events in a single day. It is the kind of schedule that breaks lesser bands, but the Wardogs turned it into a piece of content.
Houle says, "Well that’s the video for 'Pay My Tab' actually, Kevin Labonte of KXL Productions came with us that day and filmed a ton of footage, so we got a video out of it and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had, I love traveling, driving and playing, I could do it every day."
Stone is more pragmatic about the exhaustion that comes with that kind of pace.
Stone says, "It was fun, It’s a lot to do on just a few hours sleep. It wasn’t too hectic, we got rained out for one and that freed up an hour or so and gave us lots of time in between."
Winning Best Blues Band at the Forest City London Music Awards was a milestone, but it also brought up an interesting identity crisis. Are they a blues band, or are they a rock band that just happens to know their history?
Houle’s take on the win is refreshingly honest. He isn't interested in the trophy for the sake of the mantle.
Houle says, "That was a hoot, what a great night, Maestro is cool as hell, and I guess getting recognized is never a bad thing, it feels good and kind makes you content for a while, but its good to remember that we’re not doing it for awards, we’re doing for the money. Lol"
Stone sees the award as a nod to their influences rather than a strict genre box. It is about the lineage of the music.
Stone says, "It feels good, surprising too, considering how new we are, and I feel that we were nodding at the blues with our work more than trying to be a blues band. I hear from most of the fans I talk to about their favourite song from us being On My Way, or Cajun, or another rock tune of ours. Zeppelin had a few blues numbers on their albums and we liked that idea and rolled with it. It shows the heritage of our rock side. It’s definitely helped the resume though, for sure."
The band has already started rubbing shoulders with the heavyweights. They opened for April Wine, a staple of Canadian rock history. They almost had a slot with Starship, but illness derailed that particular plan.
Houle admits the nerves were high when stepping onto the big stage at London Music Hall.
Houle says, "That night was amazing, we were so nervous that the crowd wouldn’t like us, we’re just some small bar band in London, Ontario who lucked out to have the chance, it was such a humbling experience. We hung out and hoped to get a chance to meet the guys, but they were busy and hungry and it was late, so we didn’t get a chance to talk at all really, but they were nice enough to make time for a quick picture, that was pretty nice of them."
Stone is just happy they got the chance to play for that specific demographic.
Stone says, "The Starship night was fun, I hear he’s recovered just fine now so that’s good. We got to play the whole night with Starship fans so that was cool, they dug it. We talked to the band a bit after the April Wine show and shot a photo, they were very nice. Kind of a surreal thing to play that show and get the response we did."
Despite the growth of the seven-piece band, the original duo remains the core. There is a shorthand between Stone and Houle that you cannot manufacture with a larger group.
Houle says, "Yes and Yes. The focus is on band shows. Ian and I play together without effort, it’s very easy for us to communicate through a performance, so the Duo gigs are great. But yes the focus is always on band gigs."
Stone notes that the acoustic side of their writing has taken a backseat to the roar of the Wardogs.
Stone says, "We’re not as focused as we once were but we still keep on it. I think the thing that’s fallen away is the acoustic writing. However half the reason the band exists is because we put out 10 rock tunes for every acoustic tune so I think it works."
Looking ahead, the calendar is filling up. There are new singles on the horizon, including "High Road" which is set to drop Apr. 4. They are taking the show on the road, hitting spots across Southwestern Ontario like Chatham, Sarnia and Kitchener.
Houle says, "Well we’re always writing, but we still have a lot of stuff that hasn’t been recorded or released. We actually recently finished up in the studio on the next 2 singles we’ll have coming out, they’ll both have B sides as usual and the first one’s called 'High Road' and it drops April 4th. There will be a release party and video premier at Eastside Bar & Grill in London, Ontario and we’ll be hitting Toronto, Oakville, Chatham, Sarnia, Kitchener, Woodstock and we’re adding more places all the time."
The long-term plan involves a track called "Faster Than Your Angel Flies," though fans might have to wait a while for that one.
Stone says, "The second is a well anticipated one called 'Faster Than Your Angel Flies', likely to be released late next year, possibly even spring 2021. We have plans to expand our online presence too, we’re still testing ideas but it looks like a solid thing to revisit."
Delta Stone and the Wardogs are a reminder that the bar scene in London is still a viable incubator for talent. They have the pedigree, the awards and the volume. Now, they just need the road to keep calling.
