It all started one miserable day when I went to my mailbox. It was shortly after I had finished the recording and release of “The Hard Way”. The bills were thick and furious, but one envelope carried far more significance than all of the others put together.

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) had sent me a little note. It seemed that they wanted to get to know Rob Oswin(Polyethylene Boy), Raw Boswin and LittleDitty.com Inc a whole lot better. This was a blow. On top of that, my family was going through a tough time with the illness of my Grandfather.

Over the course of the next 2 years, the CCRA administered a thorough butt-reaming on me and my affairs. I was so damned tired of the whole thing, and distracted with my family situation, that I decided to withdraw from the life I had worked so hard at… Music.

Two years later and a whole lot of blood, sweat, tears, dollars and sleepless nights, the audit finally subsided. Mr. Don Taniguchi of Luna Clarke and Associates was my Accountant in shining armour. He unleashed his knowledge on the bastards at the CCRA and eventually had the audit settled to my advantage. As a matter of fact, when the government was done with me, they had paid down some of my debt and bought me a Protools Recording Studio capable of recording my next disc on. I guess what they were saying was, “Keep up the good work!”

Thank-you Mr. Right Honorable Jean Chretien!!!!!! Isn’t Democracy wonderful?

That didn’t take long… well for Bon Jovi it might not look a lot like success, but for me, this suits me just fine.

I am in this to make music. If I can sell it too, well that would be just great. The key is radio play. Even though I have moved quite a few CD’s, I guess my fans don’t listen to CKUA, or their phones don’t dial out?

1000 CD’s to an Independent like me is no easy task. When asked how I managed the sales, I answer, “I have been doing a lot of travelling with NOVA over the last years and have been promoting both “The Hard Way” and http://www.LittleDitty.com. In this manner I have been able to promote my disc in almost every part of North America. I guess ny Plastics buddies like to throw the disc in while they entertain and say, “I know this guy!”. I am no rocket scientist, but I think that has really helped boost sales. Now I need airplay.

When asked about a video for “The Hard Way” CD, I respond, I think I will shoot one as soon as I loose about 15 pounds. I will be shooting a video very soon, I promise.

You can order “Rob Oswin – The Hard Way” online at CDbaby.com
You can buy “The Hard Way” tracks separately through iTunes.
You can also preview and buy downloads of RAW’s latest songs at Broadjam.com now!
Support your local GonnaBee!

It’s here! 12 original tracks recorded with tender loving care by some of the coolest musicians in Canada. The CD features the musical stylings of Steve Pineo, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Pat McGannon, Walter Marx, Danny Patton, Ross Watson, Ron Casat and of course, Rob Oswin (a.k.a. RAW Boswin). The music can be categorized as adult contemporary, and draws from influences ranging from Supertramp and Pink Floyd to the folk roots of Stan Rogers. This “easy-to-like” collection of roots rock is now available for download, or you can order the entire CD (including a 16 page booklet with lyrics and stories) from RAW’s Set Lists.

“I have made quite a few recordings in my days, but I have never been so completely satisfied with the end result before”, remarks Rob, “The time spent, the songs chosen and the players employed all seemed to make the project stronger and stronger at every turn.”

These words he speaks are true, the disc is no doubt, one of the best independent offerings to come along in years. Engineer and producer Danny Patton has worked with many great acts in the past including Jan Arden, Karl Roth, Mae Moore and Steve Pineo. He has now spent some “quality time” in sessions with Rob Oswin and the CD speaks for itself.

Rob is busy promoting the new CD to the local media and will keep the site updated as reviews and critics compile. “I am curious to hear what they have to say” Rob pauses and laughs, “You never know, they might even like it!”

The plan is to try to penetrate overseas markets with the disc. In particular, the Asian market. Rob has always wanted to travel through the Orient and sees this CD as a “free ride”. He claims it is easier to be a hero in a foreign land than it is to be at home. Isn’t that ironic? Don’t you think?

We will keep you posted as the reviews come in.

On the sudden realization that it was about time, Rob Oswin has returned to the studio.

Rob Oswin is quite possibly the next “Big Thing” to come out of Calgary. Blending good old fashioned Alberta-Boy rock roots with new found Canadiana folk influences, Rob has crafted some great songs for the CD. Like everything in Rob’s life, the story of these songs and recordings is a long one.

Back in February 97, Rob Oswin won a Christmas song writing contest with a song called “Verry Merry Christmas”. He received 10 hours of studio time at EK Sound with Dave Harrison engineering. Fellow Calgary musicians Ian MacDonald, Walter Marx and Ron Casat joined Rob in the session. These tapes were subsequently forgotten about until now. The session tapes were rediscovered and used to produce six of the beds on the new CD.

Presently under construction at Airwaves Recording Studios with Danny Patton at the helm, the CD promises to be Rob’s best work to date. Danny has worked with some of Calgary’s best musicians including Jan Arden.

“I have thought long and hard over which songs I wanted to put on the CD. In the end, I guess you get what you get. I don’t have the luxury of endless studio time… However I do know I have made my best recordings yet, and I still have enough strong material for a pretty decent follow-up CD.”

This eclectic mix of acoustic folk rock, spattered with jazz, country, blues and melodramatics, is seamlessly tied together with thoughtful lyrics and Rob’s unique vocal style. Some have compared his writing to Lyle Lovett and Elvis Costello, but if you listen close you will hear a cast of thousands.

“I used to write songs that I hoped other people would like. Now I am writing songs that I like. I figure if I like them, so will someone else. I have to feel them for myself, nobody else has to sing them, after all..”

Rob is influenced by a lot of great musicians and writers, but when asked if he tries to emulate anyone in particular he shrugs.

“I was the biggest Alice Cooper, KISS, and Rush fan in the world, but I don’t hear a lot of them in my music. I hear more of the songs I used to hear when I was in the back seat and my parents were in the front. Burt Bacarach and Billy Joel are more my kind of heroes nowadays.”

Lately, Rob has been writing and performing a “folkier” style of music. He blames it on the influence of the local Maritimers in the local Calgary scene. As a result, Rob fancies himself the “Original Prarietimer”. He claims he has gone so far as to change his hometown to Edmontongonish, a small fishing village about 3000 miles west of Antigonish???

Expect to hear guest appearances from various local and not so local music scene heroes. This recording is quickly turning into a gem that everyone will need to have in their CD collections. Long Live Independent Music!!!