The Trews are a great rocking band hailing from Canada, over in Australia for their first ever Australian tour. They have been much touted as Canada’s seminal rock band, and judging from their live performances over the weekend this is entirely justifiable. Here, Simon Clark has a chat to them about their music, opening for the Stones and much more.
Welcome to Australia, how have you been finding it so far?
Fun. Beautiful. Exciting.
You played a couple of sets over the weekend for the One Movement Festival, how did they go for you?
The shows have been going over great. We did about 5 sets associated with the One Movement Festival over 3 days, all in very different setting and environments but the response has been positive all round.
Did you approach the industry showcase any differently to the festival stage?
Not really. We always try an do our best and rock hard no matter where we’re playing or who we’re playing to.
I have to ask, what is it like opening for The Rolling Stones?
Great. We opened for them at one of their secret shows that they did in Toronto at a club with a capacity of around a thousand people. We got to watch them sound check and we hung out with them for a while after our show. They’re still such a great band.
Do you have a favourite track you like playing live? Any which are the most fun to play?
I like playing ‘Poor Ol’ Broken Hearted Me’ and ‘Tired of Waiting’. Those are the two that we seem to constantly be expanding on so you never know where it might go night after night.
What sort of venue do you prefer to play in? where do you feel more comfortable, and why?
I like the intimacy of a small club but I also like the grandeur of a big outdoor festival stage or an arena, it takes all kinds…
How familiar are/were you with the other Canadian bands on the bill over the weekend?
Fairly familiar. Despite its size I feel like Canada has a pretty small industry so we’re constantly bumping into a lot of the same people all over the globe. I became a fan of Elliot Brood in particular on this trip.
What records/albums have you been listening to recently?
Colossal Head- Los Lobos, Mumford and Sons, Our new one (not out yet),
Who do you see as being your influences musically?
Beatles, Aerosmith, Black Crowes, The Hip, The Stones, The Faces, Zep, Big Sugar…
What has been your favourite moment in music so far?
One Movement of course : )
What are you plans for the future?
Gonna continue to tour. We’re hoping to make it back to Australia in fairly short order. We have a new album coming out in Canada in the spring of 2011 and hopefully that will be coming out here shortly after that.
———-
