I thought I'd share it with all you guys before I give it to the site I write for!
Quote:The Tragically Hip are a household name in your native Canada, but elsewhere you're less well known, does it seem strange to go from the large scale venues at home to the smaller gig venues you play in Europe?[/b]- It's not the size of the venue that matters it's what you do with it. Playing music never seems strange and only seems strange. We could play on the ass of an elephant and make it happen.
For those of our readers who haven't heard you before, how would you describe The Tragically Hip? WhatThe should a new listener expect?- There will be blood...
Your latest album, We Are The Same, has perhaps the most relaxed feel of any of your releases to date. Was this a conscious direction or something that evolved naturally?
- As with the recording of any album, it was a bit of both,. I think we wanted to make sure, more than anything, that we weren't discounting songs for their relaxed feel. As with the recording of any album, you prepare and prepare and prepare so that you are open and ready to go in any direction, from moment to moment with confidence.
The new album is the second time you've worked with Bob Rock, you're obviously very comfortable working with him, what makes him such a good fit for you?
- Bob is a Family Man who loves loves loves music. He is someone to admire with a mindset you wanna emulate. An impressive person you wanna impress
Quote:Anyone who has seen you play live knows that it's a different experience each night. How do you decide the setlists and are there any songs that you wish you played more often?- We do up the Set Lists on the day of the show. We try and mix it up a lot. We try to visit the darker corners of our songbook, probably as much for our own edification and entertainment as anyone else’s
You support and even, it seems, encourage fans to record your live shows, something that Canadian bands seem much more happy to allow than do bands from the US or UK. Do you think it helps to have a network of people sharing live recordings of your shows, does it feel like you build more of a rapport with your potential audiences?- I'm not sure. I tend to think that policing such activity is way more work
You've shared stages with some of the biggest names in music, which bands really stand out for you and who do you think our readers should check out?
Well we've played with some of the Mt Rushmore acts (Neil Young, The Stones, The Who, Page n Plant...) and we've played with countless other inspiring acts; Midnight Oil, Daniel Lanois, Los Lobos, Wilco, Weakerthans, Sam Roberts, Dallas Green, The Sadies, Constantines, Attack In Black, Sarah Harmer, Stars, Feist...none that your readers wouldn't already know about. Presently, on the road and listening to Spoon, The Hold Steady, The National, Doves, Death Cab, The Cribs, The Thermals, The Marked Men etc
Quote:If you don't mind, I've opened the last couple of questions out to
your fans.
How is the band dealing with the family life?...How do you cope with the pressures of performing while maintaining a family?
Remi Gaudet, Frederington.
- Same as anyone else, Remi; one pantleg at a time
You've got an incredible catalogue of unreleased material - Get Back Again & Blonde Solid as my favourites - and the topic of a B-Sides/unplucked gems compilation has been wanted by your hard core fanbase for years... so; will these great songs ever see the light of day?
Chris Kirkpatrick, Toronto- 'dunno' is about my best answer, Chris. These days 'unplucked gems' aren't as difficult to find or come by. I guess as long as we're compelled by the search for 'A-Sides', the 'B-Sides' will have to wait.
Well done. Thank You. :thumb:
thanks
Great interview! Thanks for sharing.
I like the answer regarding fan-taping being too much work to police...classic :thumb:
srb Wrote:Great interview! Thanks for sharing.
I like the answer regarding fan-taping being too much work to police...classic :thumb:
Indeed.
But the quote I'm digging most is, "...as long as we're compelled by the search for 'A-Sides', the 'B-Sides' will have to wait."
Excellent questions + excellent answers = excellent interview. Kudos!
MattyM Wrote:Quote:If you don't mind, I've opened the last couple of questions out to
your fans.
How is the band dealing with the family life?...How do you cope with the pressures of performing while maintaining a family?
Remi Gaudet, Frederington.
- Same as anyone else, Remi; one pantleg at a time
You've got an incredible catalogue of unreleased material - Get Back Again & Blonde Solid as my favourites - and the topic of a B-Sides/unplucked gems compilation has been wanted by your hard core fanbase for years... so; will these great songs ever see the light of day?
Chris Kirkpatrick, Toronto- 'dunno' is about my best answer, Chris. These days 'unplucked gems' aren't as difficult to find or come by. I guess as long as we're compelled by the search for 'A-Sides', the 'B-Sides' will have to wait.
i gotta ask... where is Frederington? did you mean Fredericton?
So what's his email address?
Totally kidding. Great work. Thanks for sharing. Very cool with the two hipbase questions tossed in there.
Yeah, i told him Fredericton, NB canada.. its a small mistake, no worries. Pretty excited that he actually said my name in the interview!!
mark Wrote:MattyM Wrote:Quote:If you don't mind, I've opened the last couple of questions out to
your fans.
How is the band dealing with the family life?...How do you cope with the pressures of performing while maintaining a family?
Remi Gaudet, Frederington.
- Same as anyone else, Remi; one pantleg at a time
You've got an incredible catalogue of unreleased material - Get Back Again & Blonde Solid as my favourites - and the topic of a B-Sides/unplucked gems compilation has been wanted by your hard core fanbase for years... so; will these great songs ever see the light of day?
Chris Kirkpatrick, Toronto- 'dunno' is about my best answer, Chris. These days 'unplucked gems' aren't as difficult to find or come by. I guess as long as we're compelled by the search for 'A-Sides', the 'B-Sides' will have to wait.
i gotta ask... where is Frederington? did you mean Fredericton?
It was a typo... though I'm pretty sure it was spelt right when I sent it, not to worry it will be corrected before proper publication, I just wanted to share the interview with you guys first.
Apparantly Frederington is a Scottish Aristocratic name...
cool interview, btw :thumb: