*You’ve been quite busy this tour, are your creative juices still flowing? I’m usually ready to burst with juice. I actually just got a new guitar. I’ve been having fun with that… It’s hard for me to finish songs while on tour, but I get lots of ideas that I record into a little device. Then I finish things when I get home.
*What has been your favourite city and/or concert so far?
I just played a neat little gig in Ymir. We performed in an weird old school house. It was a pretty spooky building and half of the town came to the show. People got drunk and screamy by the end.
*Have you played in Edmonton before? If so, what was it like?
I play in Edmonton a few times each year. It’s usually pretty fun. I like smaller venues, but I’ve been playing at the New City lately. They’re really nice to me and the decor in there is fuckin crazy. I’ve heard good stuff about the Haven. It seems like the right size of room, and they treat people fairly there. I played at the Haven before it was the Haven—the Black Spot. That was a deluxe little activist commie place. It had the right kind of thing going on there. Hopefully the Haven has tapped into some of that craziness.
*You mentioned you were touring with a lot of people on your website, how
has this experience been so far in comparison to your other tours?
Yea. I traveled east with Rich Laviolette and the Burning Hell. Two really deluxe acts. I really like the camaraderie that goes along with that sort of travel, but there are logistical issues with getting from place to place, sleeping, eating and whatnot. I like the fact that we all suffer together. Solo is more painful, but I make more money. I prefer the poor, rambling caravan tours that I’ve been doing lately.
*Do you prefer a band backing you over performing solo?
I used to like playing solo better, but now I like them both in completely different ways. My band is fucking incredible. Aidan and Mark are supremely talented fellows.
When I play solo, I get intimate with my machines. That’s nice too.
*Carl Wilson of the Globe and Mail called your performance “Un-Canadian,”
what are your thoughts on this statement? Have you changed your performance style since then?
I don’t know. I think that what I do is very Canadian. I’m not quite sure what Carl meant by that, but he’s a nice guy none the less. I think that I represent all of the things that this Country is afraid to admit about itself. They’re not bad things at all… just scary things.
*How would YOU describe your performance style?
Scary and funny. Dancy and sombre.
*What was your goal after the success of your third album The Price? Have
you succeeded at accomplishing this goal?
I just keep making stuff. I really enjoy the things that I do. I think it’s more about the road than the destination.
*What is the music scene like in Hamilton and/or Ontario in comparison to
Edmonton and/or Alberta? British Columbia and/or Vancouver?
Hamilton is gritty and explosive. Edmonton is attentive, drunk and dancy, Vancouver is awesome fights on the inside until you can’t afford the rent and you move someplace cheaper.
*What is your connection to animals in relation to your music, song titles
and lyrics?
I wrote a few songs about the animals. I seem to have moved on from it, but it felt really right at the time. It turns out a lot of people are writing songs about the animals. I just try to do things that feel right. I like that animals are funny and scary at the same time. Right now I’m watching a cat scouring a kitchen counter for old bits of tuna. It’s cute and fairly gross.
*Do you miss the days when it was just you and a computer recording your
music? Or have you embraced the studio recording process?
No. I used to record with a four track device. I did miss playing my classical guitar. An ex-girlfriend of mine smashed my last classical guitar when we broke up. I finally bought a new one on this tour. It’s bringing back all kinds of old juice.
*Are you watching the Olympics?
No, but I’m listening to people arguing about the Olympics on the radio. I think that the Olympics in themselves are fairly stupid, but I’m fascinated by all of the politics that surround them.
*What’s YOUR favourite song on the radio right now?
I hate the radio. I have satellite radio now and mostly listen to the news. Sometimes I listen to music stations. I heard the new Spiral Beach on there the other day. That was fun.
*Any thoughts on the upcoming show at the Haven Social Club?
It’s going to be nice. There are a lot of people in Edmonton that I’d like to re-connect with.
*****August 15th, 2008
Note: I haven't been posting a lot because I have two jobs and it's kicking my ass. I thought I would include something I'm working on right now for the Haven Social Club. It's a brand new live music venue in Edmonton, Alberta and I'm in charge of promotions and all that jazz. For more information go to www.thehavensocialclub.com or check us out on Myspace and Facebook! I am done my advertising for now, more posts to come when my ass is not getting kicked.
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