Southcote

Websites:  No
Origin: London, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Southcote was conceived in London, Ontario by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Doug Varty, emerging in 1972 as an outgrowth of his earlier band Homestead. The project first gained traction on the Ontario high-school and university circuit, where Varty’s sharp songwriting and polished stage presence made the group a reliable draw across London, Guelph, Burlington, Mount Forest, and Toronto. By late 1972, Southcote had established itself as one of Southwestern Ontario’s most promising new acts, performing regularly while seeking a recording outlet.

In 1973, Varty’s concept evolved into a new, label-ready lineup featuring Beau David (William Small) on lead vocals, Breen LeBoeuf on bass, keyboards, and vocals, Charlie White on guitar, Joe Ress on keyboards, and Lance Wright on drums. This configuration signed to Toronto’s Smile Records and recorded the band’s breakthrough single “She,” produced by Ben Kaye and distributed nationally by Quality Records. Driven by David’s warm vocal tone and the group’s crisp, harmony-rich pop sound, “She” became an unexpected radio success through late 1973 and early 1974, breaking out on CFPL (London), CKOC (Hamilton), CKRC (Winnipeg), and CHAB (Moose Jaw). The song climbed from #88 to #35 on the RPM 100, earning Southcote a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Group and placing them among Canada’s leading new pop-rock hopefuls.

Smile and Quality maintained the domestic campaign while a U.S. release through Buddah Records gave “She” second life south of the border, picking up rotation in Chicago, Boston, and Detroit. The follow-up single “Who Knows His Name” appeared in May 1974, produced by Peter Hodgson (Rhinoceros, Blackstone) with guest musicians Danny Weis and Mike Fonfara, then touring with Lou Reed. The record—“shipped gold” through Smile—showcased a more sophisticated, soulful approach while maintaining the group’s pop sensibility. Plans were announced for a full-length LP to be recorded at Toronto Sound in early 1975.

By 1975, a newly formed Southcote resurfaced under manager W. David Smail and his Dollars & Sense Company, joining labelmates Studebaker Hawk and Raving David for a planned Ontario-U.S. college tour and October studio sessions with producer Hilly Leopold at 440 Productions. In this incarnation, Doug Varty—who had originated the group concept several years earlier—rejoined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist alongside Beau David, reuniting the creative threads between his early London projects and Southcote’s national phase.

After the band’s dissolution, its members pursued diverse musical paths. Doug Varty became a fixture on the London blues-rock circuit, fronting the Doug Varty Band, recording extensively, and later leading tributes and studio projects. Breen LeBoeuf went on to major success with Offenbach and later April Wine, establishing himself as one of Québec’s most respected rock vocalists. Lance Wright played with Toronto outfit Brutus, while Joe Ress and Charlie White remained active as studio and live players throughout Ontario. Beau David (William Small) continued as a session vocalist and songwriter into the late 1970s.

Though their active years were short, Southcote captured a pivotal moment when Canadian pop-rock was shedding its regional boundaries and claiming national identity. Their single “She”—a sparkling blend of radio polish and youthful exuberance—stands among the era’s defining Canadian hits, cementing Southcote’s legacy as one of London’s most enduring contributions to the country’s 1970s music renaissance.
-Robert Williston