The members of Sloan talk food, TV, movies, books and...oh yeah...music

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by Craig Pinhey

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The 2008 Salty Jam festival this weekend (July 10-12) in Saint John is marked by the reappearance in the Port City of Canadian pop-rock stars Sloan, originally from Halifax, but now based in Toronto. There was concern the festival wasn’t even going to happen this year, so the Sloan show alone makes this year’s Salty Jam a must-see, but it takes more than one popular band to guarantee a successful event.

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Salty Jam organizers are thrilled to be the ones who lured Sloan back to Saint John, after a long absence.

How long? Sloan’s Jay Ferguson isn’t even sure, but answers “The last one could have been playing there with Eric’s Trip and Change Of Heart in 1992.” It’s far too long, in any case. Sloan’s appearance means a lot to the organizers.

“Having Sloan play at Salty Jam this year is very exciting for both the Festival as well as the greater Saint John community,” Renea Sleep speaking on behalf of Salty Jam organizers says.

“Sloan has a vast following here and throughout the Maritimes, having originated from Halifax.

Having them play here brings a greater awareness of Salty Jam and the calibre of musicians that continue to be part of our Festival, making Salty Jam attractive to other artists, tourists, music fans from all over and the local community. As well, Sloan will draw fans from across the Atlantic Provinces to Saint John which is good news for the city as well as for Salty Jam.”

Sloan have followed the ambitious, arguably epic, Never Hear the End Of It LP (and I do mean L) with their 2008 effort Parallel Play, which they’re touring this summer. This includes a stop in the tent at Long Wharf on Saturday, July 12, as part of the festival lineup viewable at www.

saltyjam.ca.

As [here]’s pop culture and booze columnist, as well as a huge Sloan fan, I figured it was high time we heard more from Sloan than just platitudes about their latest recording, although I’m sure you’d like to hear some of those, too.

I caught up with them in an e-interview about some of their favourite things, partnered with some perfunctory (obligatory?) music-related questions to round out the article.

If you haven’t heard Parallel Play, it’s a real treat for Sloan fans. Parallel Play is a term used in education for kids who play differently, separately but at the same time, which perfectly describes Sloan’s music, except that, although they write very individually styled songs, and each has a fairly distinct* singing voice, they come together on record in perfect harmony, making each song a Sloan song, not just a solo effort. Parallel Play’s tracks are perhaps more distinct than ever, in terms of each band member’s songwriting efforts.

One of the most fun aspects of being a Sloan fan is figuring out who wrote and sang each song before you see them on tour – sometimes it’s more difficult that you’d think...The interview is divided in two sections. In the first, each member answers a series of culture questions, while in the second each member has his own private questions to ponder.

PART I: CULTURE Craig: What specialty dish you like to cook to impress someone or just to celebrate? If you don’t cook, where do you look forward to eating to most when you visit Halifax? CHRIS MURPHY: I can barely cook. I cook breakfast every morning for my lady, Rebecca.

I make scrambled eggs (usually with spinach), steamed broccoli, toast, and green tea. It takes little to no skill, but I must time everything properly or I catch hell.

I like to eat at The Ardmore in Halifax.

A N D R E W SCOTT:Cassoulet(Craig:

for you lesser experienced foodies out there, Cassoulet is a French stew of white beans, herbs, veggies and meat).

PATRICK PENTLAND: Pizza Corner, 2 a.m., any night of the week. (Craig: That’s Blowers St. at Grafton St., below the Public Library in Halifax, for the uninitiated. I’m wondering if Patrick enjoys the impromptu fight clubs).

JAY FERGUSON: In Halifax, I enjoy the Wooden Monkey.

Craig: What’s the last book you read for pleasure (not because you had to)? If you don’t read books, what’s your favourite comic book or comic strip? Any reason? CHRIS MURPHY: I read The End of Faith, The God Delusion, God Is Not Great and Letter To A Christian Nation. I highly recommend them all.

(Craig: I knew I liked Chris for some reason).

ANDREW SCOTT: How To Be Free, by Tom Hodgkinson (Craig: Look this one up for yourself, reader).

PATRICK PENTLAND: Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll, by James Greer.

JAY FERGUSON: Recording The Beatles, by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, The Official Drivers Handbook, by The Ministry Of Transportation.

(Craig: Sounds like Jay is getting his license soon?) Craig: Assuming you watch TV, what’s your “can’t miss” show or shows? If you don’t watch TV, what movie is tops right now on your “mustsee” list? CHRIS MURPHY: Rebecca and I tend to rent DVDs rather than watch TV shows. We’re on season five of The Wire right now. It’s amazing. We also loved season one of 30 Rock. We watched up to the end of season three of Battlestar Galactica.

Rebecca loves it. I like it. We also watched and loved Arrested Development, Extras, The Sopranos, Freaks and Geeks, Six Feet Under, Strangers With Candy, The Office (UK)...That’s a lot of TV.

ANDREW SCOTT: Hockey games, any new Werner Herzog documentary. (Craig: FYI, Werner Herzog is a famed German filmmaker who is renowned for his animal footage, long, extended landscape shots, and his work with Klaus Kin-ski).

PATRICK PENTLAND: I’m keen on Battlestar Galactica, which is wrapping up. I still watch The Simpsons and Family Guy. I really like the Family Guy’s take on Star Wars: Blue Harvest.

Definitely worth watching if you’ve seen Star Wars more than a few times.

JAY FERGUSON: Any Seinfeld rerun.

PART II: PRIVATE ...with CHRIS MURPHY Craig: You must get annoyed with all the Lennon comparisons. Are you a Rolling Stones guy or a Beatles guy? (or maybe the Kinks or The Who?) or none of the above? Costello, perhaps? CHRIS: I’ll take Lennon comparisons. They’re better than Ringo comparisons, as a songwriter anyway. A Ray Davies comparison would be of the highest order but I don’t deserve it.

I love The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks and The Who. They’re basically the four greatest bands you can name. The Beatles/Stones divide of my generation was REM/U2. I was a U2 guy.

I gave up when Joshua Tree came out because I thought (wrongfully, on several levels) that they belonged to me prior to that.

Craig: Do you have a rock opera about The West (Halifax West High School, Halifax) in your back pocket so you can one-up that scrawny Plaskett dude? CHRIS: I’ve thought about the rock opera. Jay wants to make a rockabilly opera but some think the musical palette would be too limited. I have known Mr. Plaskett since he was 16 years old or so. When I go to Halifax I tell everyone how well he used to shine shoes. Then he gets mad and tells me he doesn’t shine shoes anymore. I tell him to calm down. We h a v e a drink. I pause and say “Now go get your f—in’ shine box!” and he always freaks out.

PS I love Joel Plaskett.

...with ANDREW SCOTT Craig: You seem to channel various ‘60s and ‘70s musicians. Do you have a checklist that you are going through like the guy on My Name Is Earl? “Let’s see, Dylan, check, The Doors, check, Floyd, check...”

ANDREW: No. I just like a lot of different music.

Craig: Do you prefer being back with the drum-kit or upfront singing and wailing on the guitar? ANDREW: They’re equals at this point.

...with PATRICK PENTLAND Craig: Your music ranges from punk and prog rock to crunchy AC/DC riffs and melodic ballads.

Were you ever in a hair metal or heavy metal band? Would you like to start one? What would it be called? PATRICK: I was in a (non-hair) metal band in early high school, called Prosecutor. They really meant Persecutor, but got it wrong. We did strictly Maiden and Priest.

Craig: Why have you stayed away from Saint John for so long? I’ve heard rumours about a bad gig way back when. Truth or fiction? PATRICK: I have no idea why we haven’t played there in so long. We certainly haven’t stayed away on purpose. Most likely it had to do with tour routing and a lack of venues when we’ve been in the area.

...with JAY FERGUSON Craig: I remember when you used to skateboard around Halifax visiting used record shops.

Do you still skateboard, and if so, do you still have the mad skillz? JAY: ‘Bad spillz’ would be more accurate. No, don’t skateboard. Never did very much. Occasionally to FYP (Foundation Year Program) at King’s College as I was always so late and didn’t have a bike at the time. Before I knew him, I think I skated past Chris once on the way to a record fair. After that, I used it to push amplifiers around Halifax.

Craig: Are you really a huge April Wine fan, or do you just play one on records? (PS I have a soft spot for old April Wine, ever since I saw them at The Forum in 1977 or so - I wondered what that smell was in there) JAY: The only thing I know about April Wine is that I Wouldn’t Want To Lose Your Love is a pretty good song (although I prefer Patrick’s version), that a bunch of their fans destroyed one of the ferries after a concert at the Metro Centre and that Myles Goodwin tried to make Chris kiss his ring.

- - - Craig: I hope you feel you know Sloan a bit better now after this little look into their cultural habits and musical influences. I know I do. But I want to know more about Chris Murphy and Myles Goodwin’s ring.

*All this time I thought it was Jay singing I Wouldn’t Want To Lose Your Love on the Recorded Live at a Sloan Party bonus disc that came with some editions of One Chord To Another. I’ll see you at the show July 12. There are excellent openers too: Carmen Townsend and Tom Fun Orchestra.

Go to saltyjam.ca for ticket information.

Craig Pinhey is a huge Sloan fan, but clearly not as good as he thought he was at band member voice identification. Visit Craig at www.frogspad.ca.