B-Side Guys

Unexpected collaborations occasionally achieve that rare alchemy where artistic identities don’t compete but complement. Hamilton troubadour Mattie Leon’s partnership with The Trews’ guitar virtuoso John-Angus MacDonald exemplifies this phenomenon on “Dreaming On Your Feet,” a track that bridges generational songwriting approaches while maintaining unmistakable individuality.

Released April 24th, this “jubilant acoustic rocker” celebrates romantic intimacy through dance—a subject that could easily collapse into saccharine territory. What prevents this outcome is the creative tension between Leon’s contemplative singer-songwriter tendencies and MacDonald’s rock sensibilities. The result feels both sophisticated and accessible, like finding vintage denim perfectly tailored to contemporary tastes.

Leon’s refusal to “leave the past behind” manifests throughout the composition. His vocal delivery contains echoes of sixties and seventies folk-rock without devolving into mere imitation. This commitment to classic form while avoiding pastiche aligns perfectly with the track’s thematic exploration of dancing—an activity that similarly honors tradition through physical reinterpretation. Just as dance passes bodily knowledge between generations, Leon’s songcraft transmits musical heritage without mummifying it.

The production approach reinforces this aesthetic continuity. Having worked with acclaimed Canadian producer Mark Howard on his latest album—recording “the old fashioned way” with everyone “in the same room”—Leon brings this organic philosophy to his collaboration with MacDonald. Their instrumental interplay demonstrates how musical conversation benefits from physical presence, each player responding to subtle cues impossible to capture through remote collaboration.

Leon’s road-tested performance experience, garnered while touring “across Canada, from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts,” manifests in the track’s confident pacing. Years spent alongside drummer and brother Mike Leon have created the “unique thing that happens when siblings share the stage”—an intuitive musical shorthand that provides solid foundation for MacDonald’s guitar flourishes. This rhythmic bedrock allows the song to maintain its heart-to-heart intimacy despite its more expansive rock arrangements.

What ultimately distinguishes “Dreaming On Your Feet” is how it transforms a deeply personal sentiment into universal experience. By focusing on that singular moment when lovers lock eyes while dancing, Leon captures a fleeting connection that transcends era or genre. The track doesn’t merely describe this experience—it sonically recreates it through the collaborative dance between contemplative songwriting and rock expressionism.

Leon’s artistic philosophy of creating something “familiar but unmistakably new” finds perfect embodiment in this release. By bringing together seemingly disparate elements—introspective lyrics with jubilant instrumentation, classic songwriting with contemporary production—”Dreaming On Your Feet” demonstrates how meaningful connection, whether between dancers or musicians, inevitably produces something greater than its individual components.