By Jim Barber
It goes with out saying, despite the fact that I’m about to say it, that it’s good to have pals. It’s even higher to have pals while you’re a artistic individual looking for new approaches, new interpretations, new factors of view and new challenges within the pursuit of your artwork.
When members of celebrated Canadian rock band The Trews have been looking for a technique to proceed to develop as musicians, songwriters and performers, to discover unusual new musical worlds, they reached out to a few fellow vacationers on the rock and roll journey for inspiration and even a bit of metaphorical injection of recent inventive vitality.
And so they didn’t have far to show, as their pals Brett and Jay Emmons of Kingston, Ontario’s The Superb Sons are all the time shut at hand. It’s a outstanding relationship between the 2 acts, as at one level The Trews, of their capability of considerably elder statesmen on the Canadian music scene, acted as mentors and advocates for the then up-and-coming Superb Sons. Now, the scholars have develop into the grasp (that could be overstating it a bit, however you get the purpose) because the Emmons brothers, the co-founders and artistic core behind one of many Nice White North’s hottest and dynamic bands over the previous decade, reversed their function and have become those providing inspiration, encouragement and motivation. It lead on to the band’s dynamically various, however the elementally rock and roll new album, The Bloody Mild.
“In 2023, we began with a producer, and we did eight or 9 songs, they usually weren’t actually taking place. We then stored form of making an attempt to revisit it, and we stored writing, and nothing was actually touchdown. It simply wasn’t sounding proper, and we form of simply tabled that undertaking. And all of the whereas we have been doing this, we have been enjoying demos for lots of our pals, and I assume colleagues, and at one level, my brother John-Angus was in Toronto with Brett Emmons from the Superb Sons, and he was enjoying a few of our newest spherical of demos, and Brett, he wasn’t too into them, to say the least. He referred to as John-Angus the subsequent day after they have been hanging out and mentioned, ‘simply give me an opportunity to supply one Trews music, and I’ll attempt to make the best Trews music ever recorded.’ That’s a fairly daring declare, however we determined to provide him a shot, as a result of all of us love Brett and the Superb Sons, and John-Angus goes manner again with them. He produced their first EP [Shapeless Art in 2013] and their first album [The Union the following year]. It was a little bit of a full-circle second, and subsequent factor you realize, Brett and Jay have been in our rehearsal house in Hamilton, Ontario, and we co-wrote a music referred to as ‘The Bloody Mild,’ which is the lead-off music from the report and the identify of the album. We instantly have been like, oh, that is actually nice, thrilling, and as quickly as we had that feeling, after going via a few yr of form of trying to find one thing cool, we determined to maintain working with these guys, which finally led to this report,” mentioned Trews’ vocalist Colin MacDonald from his residence in Hamilton, Ontario.
“Brett was only a phenomenal producer. I believe he introduced out one of the best in me vocally and lyrically and actually helped me form the songs properly. So yeah, I like that man. And I can’t say sufficient nice issues about him as a author and a producer and a performer in his personal proper, clearly. He was actually capable of form of residence in on what I’ve been making an attempt to say and actually make it clear and actually to the purpose. And I actually appreciated that. Yeah, I imply, I like it that it’s come full circle between us and people guys within the Superb Sons. It’s one of many issues I’m all the time very happy with, and I believe it’s been the important thing to The Trew’s longevity. I actually get a kick out of that. I like working with youthful producers, guys which have a recent manner of issues. And I like relinquishing a few of my management within the curiosity of constructing one thing extra fascinating for the band. And a man like Brett and his brother, Jay, they’ve very robust opinions on what The Trews must be. They grew up as followers of The Trews. I believe Brett was a 10-year-old child within the viewers once we performed the gig with The Hip throughout the causeway in Kingston in 2004. And Jay used to comply with our band round America once we toured with Ace Frehley in 2008. So they’d these form of core reminiscences of The Trews rising up as followers. They actually needed us to hit these marks that they thought have been form of quintessential to our band and likewise take The Trews in a course that they thought could be actually cool for us. And I believe we succeeded in doing one thing like that with them.
“For lots of our data, like Civilianaires, which got here out in 2018, we labored with a younger producer named Derek Hoffman. He form of did the identical factor. Pay attention, we’ve been doing this for therefore lengthy, and we’ve been collectively for therefore lengthy, for us to get stale could be the worst factor ever. We wish to preserve it fascinating. And we wish to form of have that newbie’s mindset, even the best way we method our music. Which I believe has been the rationale why we’ve been capable of make high quality data and stick round. As a result of we don’t have this like, angle of ‘no, The Trews do that and that’s it,’ you realize? I believe that’s simply so limiting. One of many nicest moments for me once we began working with Brett and Jay was, I believe, on the second music we did collectively, which was a music referred to as ‘Downtown Once more.’ I used to be within the vocal sales space recording my vocals and my brother confirmed me a video on his cellphone after I used to be achieved singing for the day. And the take that we lastly used, which was just like the actually, it simply had some magic to it. All the guys – Brett, Jay, and Steve [Kirstein], the engineer, who’s now really the guitar participant for Superb Sons – they have been all dancing across the management room singing as a result of they have been simply that into it. You recognize, they’re like, ‘oh, he’s getting it, he’s getting it.’ And I simply was so moved that I assumed, okay, I could make a report with these guys. That is actually cool. It was actually inspiring. They approached it like a household. They have been like, ‘no, this feels like what I like about you guys.’ And that’s actually cool.”
Extra particularly, MacDonald talked about how Brett Emmons pushed him to increase his voice, to basically take off the any restraints and unleash it on various tracks for The Bloody Mild.
“Brett actually, actually pushed me. And we did a variety of takes and he actually needed me to make use of my complete vary. So he mentioned for me to start out as little as I can go and as excessive as I can go. And it was, you realize, there was a variety of takes and he was very explicit about what he needed from me. There have been some days the place we’d do 50 takes and we’d find yourself going with take three anyway, however that’s one other story,” MacDonald mentioned with a chuckle.
“He actually pushed me vocally and I’m grateful for it. It was nice to have a man like that to work with. Having a vocalist produce you vocally was so nice as a result of he might simply sing me what he needed to listen to. He’d be like, ‘do that half like this,’ you realize? Typically you’re employed with a producer who can’t sing they usually’re making an attempt to elucidate one thing to you. It’s very, I don’t know, arduous to grasp generally. However Brett was very direct along with his directions. I believe on a few events he was getting me to go fairly outdoors my limits so I’m like, ‘hey, perhaps you attempt doing that.’ However no, however general it was great. I acquired all the pieces I want from a producer out of Brett Emmons, I’ll let you know that.”
The Trews have been a staple on the music scene because the burst out of their hometown of Antigonish, on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, with their now platinum promoting debut album, Home of In poor health Fame in 2003. All however one in every of their six subsequent albums charted within the high 10 in Canada, to rising essential and standard acclaim. Songs reminiscent of ‘Not Able to Go,’ ‘Poor Ol’ Damaged Hearted Me,’ ‘Maintain Me In Your Arms,’ ‘Hope & Damage,’ ‘What’s Honest is Honest,’ and their powerfully evocative single honouring Canada’s fallen army personnel, ‘Freeway of Heroes,’ proceed to be live performance favorite’s and radio staples.
However over 20-plus years, folks change. As particular person people, as songwriters, as performers and musicians, MacDonald, his brother John-Angus, co-founder/bassist Jack Syperek and latest member, drummer Theo Mckibbon, are clearly not in the identical life conditions and headspace as they have been as hungry 20-somethings trying to fulfill their rock and roll desires. Occasions change, views change; hell, tastes in music change, and the best way that music is consumed has additionally undergone monumental, paradigm-shifting transformations.
“I believe as a human being, you simply stay your life and also you undergo issues, and one of the best songs are typically those which are reflecting your life because it’s taking place. So like, certain, we might go and say, oh, we’re gonna make a giant political rock opera. If the songs aren’t coming, then you definately’re not gonna have the report. So within the case of this album, I simply assume all one of the best songs, those that basically stood out to us have been those that have been form of deep, emotional, private, very human songs, they usually simply ended up being one of the best tunes. So I believe for each band, themes form of present up while you begin working. In the event you assume an excessive amount of about it, you set an excessive amount of of that into it, it may possibly form of damage it. So I believe a variety of these issues current themselves as you undergo the method. When it comes to what was form of inspiring it, I don’t know if you happen to’ve been round for the final 4 or 5 years, however there’s been a variety of existential happenings on the planet, and I believe that positively makes its manner into the songwriting, and a variety of uncertainty too. We simply acquired via a pandemic, after which we’re proper again into the second Trump administration. It simply looks like it’s form of one factor after one other on the planet. I believe that finally ends up, you realize, popping out of us as artists. I imply we’re simply human beings residing life like everyone else, and we’ve got the identical fears, and, you realize, hopes, and all of these issues, they usually’re mirrored within the lyrics. I believe songs like ‘Love or Ache,’ and ‘Between the Finish and As soon as Upon a Time’ from the brand new report are simply actually about, you realize, changing into extra linked with your self, and extra linked with the folks round you, and maturing, and residing life, and making an attempt to grasp your self, and understanding your self in relation to your surroundings, and the folks you’re surrounded with,” MacDonald mentioned, dropping the ‘M’ phrase, which few rock and rollers wish to admit occurs of their lives – maturity.
“I believe that’s impressed us making an attempt to raised ourselves, and get higher at our craft, and go locations that we haven’t gone but, and I believe that’s what retains it recent and fascinating for us, and it nonetheless feels like the reality on the finish of the day. We’re positively not 21 yr olds writing bar rock anthems now, we’re in our late 40s writing bar rock anthems now [another chuckle]. We’re simply rising as folks, and we’ve all the time labored actually arduous at our music, and actually arduous on the craft, and yeah, it’s good to know that it’s rising gracefully with us, the music.”
This led to a dialogue on the significance of music in robust occasions, not just for the audiences who’re looking for solace and emotional sanctuary, however for the artists who create that music, who’re looking for a technique to course of the vagaries and vicissitudes of life in a manner that’s wholesome and satiating.
“A million %, and I believe what acquired me via like, you realize, the 2020, 2021 pandemic was simply writing daily, writing on a regular basis, and some of these songs confirmed up on the report. It’s a very good level you’re making, as a result of it’s therapeutic for me, and for the band to course of all the pieces via what we get to do for a residing. It’s such an expressive outlet to place all of this angst, and heartache, and confusion, and hope, and love, that we will all put it into the music. Ideally, the hope is that, you realize, folks will really feel that once they hearken to it; that they will have a spot to go the place they will perhaps really feel heard simply by listening to what we’re doing. That’s what’s been driving us ahead. And it’s a lifeline, you realize. Even over the pandemic, I used to do stay streams from my lounge each Friday for our followers on Fb and Instagram. And to this present day, persons are nonetheless saying, oh, thanks for doing that. I’m like, no, thanks. I used to be doing that for me. Lots of people have been tuning in, however I wanted it as a lot. I imply, we wanted it as a lot because the folks listening. You’re proper, music has all the time been a protected place. It’s been a spot to make sense of issues. And it’s been a spot of empathy. That’s a very powerful a part of music is when somebody on the market looks like me or somebody out there’s feeling what I’m feeling and going via it and I’m too. And that we’re gonna do that collectively. I believe that’s simply so stunning. I believe the very last thing the world wants proper now could be extra podcasts and other people simply speaking about issues, as a result of you’ll be able to simply go on and on and on and on. It’s by no means ending. However with a music, when it’s achieved rather well, you don’t need to say as a lot. It’s like, oh, it’s all there. I get it. I really feel it, you realize? If that’s making sense,” MacDonald mentioned, emphasizing the connective facet of music.
“It’s positively what we’ve been pondering for a really very long time. Individuals hearken to a lot music now. There’s a lot music on the market and other people want it. They like it. And hopefully they’re going to need stuff that’s a bit of bit deeper than simply the floor stage. Possibly they’re going to need one thing that speaks to a deeper a part of their humanity, and that’s why we preserve going with it. I imply, it’s been form of an ever-changing state of affairs for us simply when it comes to the best way the music business has gone via its ups and downs and simply staying important as a band has develop into essential for us. Earlier as we speak, once we have been doing press, my brother mentioned that we simply wish to get out what we’re doing it doesn’t matter what it’s, whether or not it’s on vinyl or CD or streaming or no matter, as a result of we simply need folks to listen to what we do. Now we have a variety of confidence in it. If something, I imply, we’re working more durable at it now than we ever have as a result of we actually do consider we’ve acquired heaps extra good music left in us. I simply don’t assume we’re taking it as a right and I believe we’re very grateful for what we’ve constructed over this a few years and we wish to preserve constructing on that. We nonetheless really feel like we’ve got stuff to say in these sorts of loopy occasions of not understanding what’s actual and what’s not nowadays. We’re simply making an attempt to remain genuine and say one thing significant and hopefully transfer any person on a human emotional stage. Possibly I’m being manner too optimistic however that’s positively what’s been driving it.”
There’s an apparent evocativeness in regards to the album title and title monitor, The Bloody Mild. As MacDonald beforehand acknowledged, it started within the fertile and infrequently twisted, gothic-minded grey matter of Brett Emmons, which implies there actually might be a number of meanings. ‘Magnificence,’ or on this case, that means, is unquestionably within the eye of the beholder.
“I like the title as a result of to me it might imply so many issues. The way in which I take a look at it is rather like how arduous it’s to get to these moments of illumination, which is form of a extra pretentious manner of it. It additionally might simply be your British grandmother saying, ‘flip off that bloody gentle!’ There’re so some ways you’ll be able to take a look at it. And Brett really got here to us with that concept. That was his, that was like his music. All of us wrote it collectively however got here to us and mentioned let’s work on this concept. All of us got here to the desk with a bunch of little concepts simply to start out off, and it simply got here collectively actually rapidly,” he mentioned, not ruling out the title being a extra horror-minded attainable interpretation, and even that it represents the proverbial ‘gentle on the finish of the tunnel.’
“I had form of thought of it as a bit of bit autobiographical. I’m unsure if it was essentially about me proper now, nevertheless it positively felt like a music about me once I was in my youthful years, for certain, and simply consistently pondering that elusive factor, that magic, searching for one thing that’s just a bit bit on the horizon and form of falling quick, however nonetheless staying on that journey. Brett described it as like a Western the place he simply footage an outdated cowboy roaming via the desert on his horse, each of them with out water.”
‘Carolina’ veers away from that film-noir Western film vibe to extra heartfelt accents of grown-up love and gratitude, as MacDonald explains it was impressed by his associate of the identical identify. Once more, it’s a extra mature (there’s that rattling phrase once more!) tackle romance that what the 21-yea-old model of the singer might have composed.
“That music’s about actual love, not simply chasing round idealized, loopy love, I assume. I wrote it for my girlfriend who simply so occurs to be named Carolina. And at first I used to be like, I’ve by no means put an precise associate’s identify within the music. I’ve written a few ton of relationships for certain, however her identify simply sounds so good in that refrain. And as soon as it occurred, it was too good to depart off. In order that one’s for her. She’s Latina and that’s how her identify is pronounced [Care-o-leen-a],” he defined earlier than transferring on to speak about one of many extra highly effective, compelling and emotionally resonant tracks from the album – ‘Manifest.’
“That’s really our single proper now. With ‘Manifest’ I describe it as our ‘Don’t Cease Believin’.’ It’s a music about wishful pondering, and I assume it’s additionally about a bit of little bit of that form of hopefulness, even within the face of actual struggles, while you’re going via a very tough patch, which might be useful. I don’t learn The Secret or any of these books. However I simply thought it sounded good. As soon as once more, it form of got here out of me out of nowhere. In the event you actually hearken to the verse lyrics, it’s actually about how we don’t actually ever get all of it. We would like all of it, which is form of the majority of all of our struggling, however on the finish of the day, it’s a tough life, so preserve going, preserve making an attempt to visualise good issues for your self. It’s form of a tragic music with a bit of tinge of hope to it, which is what I linked with.”
The aforementioned ‘Between The Finish and As soon as Upon A Time,’ is one other monitor infused with the form of wizened authenticity and perspective that come from hard-earned, sometimes scarring expertise and the lumps and bumps one earns alongside the best way.
“So I wrote that music originally of the pandemic, however I didn’t actually wish to point out the pandemic round that, as a result of on our final report, Wanderer [released in 2021], there was extra pandemic themes, as a result of it was written for the pandemic. However that was the primary music I wrote in like April of 2020. And it was proper when the world fully, you realize, shut down. I simply began interested by my life as much as that time. Sometimes you’re probably not supposed to put in writing songs about life itself as a songwriter, however I form of did on that one. If there’s one time in historical past when you might do it with some stage of authority, it could have been in the course of the first world pandemic in 100 years,” MacDonald mentioned.
“It was form of a dreamy form of tune. It was like simply photos I had of the yr main as much as that, like simply being in St. John’s in the course of July, ready to do a present that night time. I used to be simply sitting by the harbour, and it was simply photos that have been coming to my thoughts, and simply among the struggles that I’d gone via that yr, And I simply form of put all of it in a music. And it’s one in every of my favourite songs on the report.”
When it comes to how a lot of The Bloody Mild makes it into the band’s set once they return on tour, MacDonald mentioned there’ll in all probability be a good illustration within the set checklist, however that will change as time goes on.
”Each time we put out a report, you begin enjoying like 10 songs an evening from the brand new report, however when you’re actually again into the tour mode, you’re doing like three, as a result of folks wanna hear all of the outdated stuff, too, you realize? However with this one, we’ve already street examined so lots of the songs. I imply, ‘Bloody Mild’ has already been within the set for a yr, and ‘The Breakdown’ is within the set, and ‘Manifest’ is within the set. ‘Carolina’ might be a staple. I’m hoping that we’ll have you realize, six or seven, for certain. And perhaps even [the last song on the record] ‘Countless Weekend.’ That’s our foolish little music on the finish of the report. We have been on the fence about placing that one out, however each album wants a form of gentle second like that, however it could be summer season music.”
Earlier than wrapping up, since his identify was already talked about earlier within the interview, the topic of touring with Ace Frehley, who died not lengthy earlier than this interview was carried out, got here up once more, as few Canadian artists can say they shared a stage with Kiss and even former members of Kiss.
“It’s all the time unhappy. Prefer it sucks to lose these legendary guys, you realize. With Ace Frehley, we did a complete tour of America for six weeks with him in 2008, enjoying like Home of Blues kind golf equipment. And it was great. He was so enjoyable and so cool. And naturally you realize, Ace has acquired the one good [1978] solo report out of all of the Kiss stuff,” mentioned MacDonald.
“I like Kiss. Early Kiss is one in every of my favourite bands with albums like Dressed to Kill and like Hotter Than Hell and Destroyer and clearly Alive. Then to be on tour with Ace and he would play, you realize, all of his finest issues. And just like the drummer had a very good voice. So he’d sing like ‘Love Gun’ and people kinds of issues. Ace was wild, man. He was simply precisely like Ace Frehley. He actually was just like the man from outer house, you realize? And we frolicked with the band and crew and he was all the time simply cool. He was simply precisely such as you’d anticipate him to be. I bear in mind this one story the place we confirmed up in Cleveland and he acquired on stage and mentioned like, ‘good night, St. Louis.’ And his roadie, he needed to run up and say, ‘no, no, it’s Cleveland, it’s Cleveland.’ It was like a traditional second, proper out of Spinal Faucet. We acquired to do a variety of nice reveals due to that tour. We performed for 1000’s and 1000’s of die-hard Kiss followers for about six weeks. It was wonderful.”
For extra data on the Trews, together with forthcoming tour plans and The Bloody Mild, go to https://www.thetrewsmusic.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and creator based mostly in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. In addition to his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood. Contact him at bigjim1428@hotmail.com.
