TORONTO—Before being inspired to write his band's latest project, Derek Lathrop had forced himself to take a long needed break from music.
The singer and multi-instrumentalist, and frontman for the Toronto-based outfit Adams Rib, decided to bring his family to Chile on holiday in February 2020 amidst the harsh winter season. The experience brought a burst of creativity to Derek which would ultimately transcend to the birth of FOOTPRINTS. By the time he had to travel back to Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Derek was ready to record what would become Adams Rib's eleventh studio album.
Much like Adams Rib's 1997 debut SCENES FROM THE CORNER STORE the album was entirely written, produced and performed by Derek who crafted the 26-track release in his Mississauga basement sometime in 1996. After releasing the album—which saw moderate success on radio and MuchMusic—Adams Rib expanded into a band, encompassing some of Toronto’s finest musicians and hit the road.
Eye Magazine once described Adams Rib as "passionate, driving, and very personal," while The Toronto Star applauded Derek’s ability to know "when to hush and when to push, in the service of a song's dynamic."
Adams Rib has been highly active on the tour circuit ever since its inception, including regular performances for the Royal Caribbean International cruise lines in the early 2000’s. The band alumni list is an impressive array of some of the best musicians in Canada. In between headline tours and countless TV/radio spots, Adams Rib has shared billing with some of the biggest names in music including Santana, Sting, Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac), Judas Priest, Goo Goo Dolls, and the Allman Brothers, to name a few. In 2009, Derek took the band on its first trip into Chile when Adams Rib was booked for a gig. The event would kick start the band's foray into Latin music, adding to a diverse sound that already switched freely between rock, reggae, jazz, and funk.
In May of that year, the band released their fifth studio album FREE MUSIC which featured a single that reached the top 100 on Mediabase, a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in US and Canadian markets. Success continued in 2011 with the release of AFTER AUGUST and the charting single "Souvenir," which remains one of their most popular records to date.
Since its inception, Derek has put a huge emphasis on the band maintaining a steadfast work ethic, which has led to a vast and impressive catalogue available on all major digital streaming platforms. 2013's Chameleon was mixed in Nashville by Producer Mike K. 2016 ushered in a new Spanish sound with the all-Latin powered EL DEREK. 2017 was 42 a collection of songs Derek had been molding in the studio. 2021, after a long break , the next album, FOOTPRINTS, is expected to ring in the holiday season with a release slated for DECEMBER 18 2021. "It plays like a double album", say Derek. "The first half is full band rockers, the second half is acoustic ditties." Always in search of a fresh sound, the album was recorded in Derek's home studio and features a myriad of guest musicians from his home area of Port Credit.
Discography:
1997 – Scenes From a Corner Store
1999 – Nevada
2000 – Hollow Bodies
2001 – Forever Café
2007 – Blue
2009 – Free Music
2011 – After August
2013 - Chameleon 2016 - eL Derek
2017 - 42
2021- Footprints
2022 - one man plays (cover song album)
