Returning to Australia later this year are iconic Canadian rockers The Trews. Just after they left the stage on Prince Edward Island in Canada (where they were supporting The Tragically Hip), I caught up with lead singer Colin MacDonald and we spoke about the recently release record Hope and Ruin, their experiences in Australia and more.
Not that you ever stop, but how’s the touring going at the moment?
*laughs* Tonnes of people, fun times… it’s all good!
You played quite a few shows last time you were in Australia, and you’ll be back down here again soon! How did those shows go?
Yeah really well! Last time we kind of just did residency gigs around Sydney, and a couple of shows in Melbourne. By the end of it we were getting some pretty big crowds and so we though, shit, we better come down and do this one more time and see if we can’t bring out more people. The next time around we’re going to be doing more of a tour, going around area. We’re looking forward to it, we love Australia and we feel that there is a home for our band there.
You put on some truly energetic performances while you were here, and you’re well known for it. But you guys never stop! How do you keep doing that night after night?
*laughs* I dunno man… insanity. Total insanity. I can’t even explain it. But we love it. We love being on stage. We love making music. It gets us fired up, be there 10 people or 10,000. We consider this the job for our lives at every level. We’re just going to bring it every time because we don’t have a backup plan! We just want to play music forever.
Let’s talk about Hope & Ruin… it’s been out for a couple of months now. How do you feel it’s been received by the fans?
I don’t know yet about Australia! We’ll find out when we come back. But up in Canada it’s been great. We’ve been busy as hell, the songs have been going over really well live, it’s been really great.
How do you find that your songs translate in the live environment?
Oh I feel they totally come to live life. On record they’re this one thing, and then when we’re live they take on a whole new level of feeling. And that’s the way we write songs I guess. We’ve been a live band for so long that it’s just a subconscious thing. Everytime we decide to commit something to record, we’re like “OK, this has got to kick arse live, or else what’s the point, you know?
The music video for single “Hope & Ruin” was a pretty wonderful one… seeing you jump between your hometown of Nova Scotia and your current residence of Toronto. What was the recording experience like for that?
It was really hard man. I mean I was the focus of the video, and we managed to shoot it on the coldest day on record in Toronto. I think it was minus 35 degrees Celsius. Ridiculously cold. It wasn’t the easiest video to shoot. The way we went about it was they gave me an in ear monitor, so that I could hear the song, but no one else could, just for the playback. So I was in Downtown Toronto, at 8am in the morning, doing the morning commute, and I’m there singing this song at the top of the lungs, looking like a crazy person. It was kind of funny.
I think the video ended up looking really great, but yeah, it wasn’t the easiest video to make.
At least most of Toronto is underground!
Yeah yeah for sure!
So what’s next for you guys? It looks like, before coming to Australia, you’ve got a non-stop touring schedule through July and August.
Yeah we’re going to be on the road to Christmas. We’re going to do a bunch of festivals in Canada and America. Then Australia in the fall, and probably Europe after that. We’re just going to keep as busy as we can and keep playing, and have fun.
Well I’ve heard people refer to you as the hardest working band in Canada and you certainly give precedence to it!
Yeah. Now I think we’re becoming the hardest working band in the world. We’re not getting by on our looks so we have to be hard working!
Would you have it any other way?
No man, I love it. I get so bored and depressed when I’m in one place for too long… I love being on the move.
Well we can’t wait to see you back down here very soon…
Yeah we can’t wait either man. We had such a great time both the times we’ve come down there. It’s just been awesome. We go down there touring as The Trews, but really it’s just an excuse to go surfing and hang out on the beach. It’s a good place man, love it.
