Broken Social Scene
02.03.06
Q&A
words: Russ Josephs
photos: Myspace Page

Seeing bands in New York can sometimes feel like the fashion week edition of Groundhog Day, where show after show is not so much about the music but the look. Countless acts are filled with poseurs, pouters and preeners, often without anything to back it up. I for one am tired of asymmetrical haircuts, ironic t-shirts and all kinds of retarded, artsy gimmicks (matching suits, singers stealing Iggy and Mick’s moves, samples and effects disguised as music, etc.). So it was a breath of fresh air to catch Broken Social Scene recently at Webster Hall, seeing this group of 16 play their hearts out, all without irony, pretense or hipster-wear. They did it simply because of their love for each other, the music and their fans. I spoke with Andrew Whiteman, one of the band’s guitarists and songwriters, about their motivations and many other subjects.

Loose Record: You guys were on Conan O’Brien the other night!

Broken Social Scene: Yes.

LR: How was it? Were you nervous?

BSS: Not at all. It was fun. He was cool.

LR: You were also on with that “Chronic of Narnia” guy from Saturday Night Live, Andy Samberg.

BSS: Yeah, we were so happy because for the past three weeks it’s been nothing but: “true that double true!”

LR: And last week Metric was on there.

BSS: Yes, and Feist was on earlier in the month.

LR: You guys are taking over. Speaking of which, how do you feel about all the recent attention on Canadian bands and cities like Toronto and Montreal? Does this have any effect on you?

BSS: I think it’s well-deserved. Canada has had a fantastic music scene for years. And Toronto, where we’re from, has been great for some time. But whatever happens, we’ll survive and keep going, whether people write about it or not. The scene shaped us, created us, even though now we’re not even really around. Also, pretty much all the attention is focused just on indie rock, while there’s lots of other great shit out there.

LR: Like what? What bands are out there now that you really love?

BSS: There’s a fantastic Toronto band called Deep Dark United. Their lead songwriter is Alex Lukashevsky and he opened for us at the Bowery Ballroom last year.

LR: You guys tour a lot with bands that share members with Broken Social Scene. If you could tour with any other bands, what would they be?

BSS: Wow, there’s so many. Spoon, definitely. And Animal Collective. I also really like Sufjan Stevens.

LR: That would be a great bill. You guys are on Arts & Crafts. Have you ever been approached by a major label? Is this something you would even consider?

BSS: No I wouldn’t consider it, we’re doing fine. Feist is an example. She’s our major label girl. In Canada she’s on Arts & Crafts, but selling Feist to Canadians is like…you’d have to be a moron not to like her. But in the States for example she’s on a boutique label of Interscope. So when I’m talking to her I hear all this stuff about how major labels work, and I know I don’t want that. Sure, we’d probably sell more records, but we’d have to deal with a bunch of jerks. It’s not worth it.

LR: How do you think the music industry has changed since you began? Is it better or worse?

BSS: I think it’s better. The music industry has had to reinvent itself. Everyone can make a record in their bedroom now and put it out on their own label. Of course, it makes for a sea of shit, but if you’re a music junkie it’s good. The majors are scared because of all the people downloading music, but I don’t have a problem with it. CDs were a scam to begin with. Majors need a new way to survive, and change is good.

LR: When you guys travel, do you put Canadian flags on your bags so people don’t think you’re American?

BSS: No dude, at this point our reputation precedes us.

LR: What I liked about your show at Webster Hall was that everyone was up there, together, but at the same time everyone was doing his or her own thing. You guys jump around and get into it but you don’t pose. It’s not an act; it’s real. My question is, how much of an effort do you put into your live shows? Do you use the same set list or change it up every night? Do you all have a particular place where everyone is supposed to be on stage, or is it random?

BSS: We set up the same way every night, but don’t use the same set list. We'll change the set night to night, but certain songs flow into each other better than others, so we’ll probably do a chunk of the same four or five songs. We might add a new song during our sound check. That Friday show at Webster hall was really intense. We fired on all pistons that night.

LR: Are there any shows of yours that stand out? I imagine you’ve had many great ones, but any that you just can’t forget?

BSS: One time we played a song we hadn’t recorded yet called “Stuck,” which lasted for 20 minutes. That was our opening band. Then, this screen came down, and we did the rest of the show behind it. Some people were mad because they couldn’t see us interact. What we do comes from being in a basement, and that was the only time on stage where we really captured what it was like to play like that.

LR: I think you got ripped off by the Gorillaz. What about a performance that was just really weird, where something really crazy and unexpected happened?

BSS: One time we were playing a massive festival in Europe and we had Jimmy Shaw with us, playing to my right. He was playing a guitar solo, and he got up on the monitor, which was 25 feet up off the ground, no crowd underneath, just bouncers and concrete. He rocked out way too hard, lost his balance and plummeted to the ground. A bouncer was fast enough and caught him, and then they pushed him back on stage. The whole time he was still playing his guitar. It happened so fast the other half of the stage didn’t even notice.

LR: That’s incredible. Is there video of that?

BSS: Yes, I think there is video of that.

LR: I’d love to see it. How is it playing in front of different audiences? Do you get a different reaction in Canada and the U.S. than Europe?

BSS: It’s hard to say because the context of being in each one of those countries is very different. We mold with wherever we are. People who come to the show have a pretty good idea of what’s going to happen and have certain expectations. They want to get their money’s worth.

LR: You seem to really connect with your audiences. During your show the other night two of you climbed into the crowd and hugged random audience members, totally without irony.

BSS: Hugging solo!

LR: Yes. Can you describe the relationship between the band and your fans?

BSS: We do it for the fans. The reason we do it is for them. We love to play, but touring is a nightmare. Maybe it’s different if you’re in a four-piece band, but we don’t roll with any extra space. It’s like being in a u-boat or a submarine. I’m not saying poor us. We’re blessed to be able to do this. But, going out on the road is all for the fans, and we’re lucky to have them. Mainly I feel gratitude toward them, and it’s wonderful to know that you’re making a connection. And as you said it’s totally unironic.

LR: It was really nice for me to see that because in New York it’s generally a bunch of guys posing or doing a routine. It’s very artificial without anything real behind it.

BSS: It’s true. We are a family. The emotions just come with it. There’s no getting around it. The nature of our band is very experimental. The members change. We have people leave for a while and do their own thing and then come back. Most bands don’t operate that way with so much support for everyone’s individual projects. We’re gonna keep morphing. It’s hard to change when you’re used to something. It feels organic. But you have to. That’s the nature of what we do. It feels like it’s going to fall apart at any moment. That song “It’s All Gonna Break” is one of the first songs we made up. It’s very relevant to what we do.

LR: Is that where the name came from?

BSS: The name came from Brendan. I think he just said it without knowing what it meant but it’s absolutely accurate.

LR: How do you all get along? I’m in a band with four people and it’s difficult. How do you manage to make it all work with so many people?

BSS: We get along well. If you’re a schmuck you’re not allowed in the band. Like I said, we’re a family.

LR: Where do you rehearse? I imagine you must have a giant warehouse or something.

BSS: We don’t rehearse anymore. Those days were fun. We don’t have time anymore. We just figure it out as we go along.

LR: How many days out of the year do you tour?

BSS: Let’s see. I had a month off, and I’m going to Montreal to record the new Apostle of Hustle record, then we’ll have another break before touring again for another six weeks. Last fall we did eight weeks. I guess, overall, it’s maybe seven, eight months out of the year.

LR: When the Ramones were on tour, occasionally people would confuse them with a group of retarded people. Have you ever been confused with anything, like a cult?

BSS: If they did, they didn’t say anything. I think it’s pretty obvious we’re a band.

LR: Who would win it a fight, Broken Social Scene or the Polyphonic Spree?

BSS: Those guys are pussies. There’s no question who would win. I could take five of them at once. I’d do a Three Stooges, grab their robes, pull them over their heads, punch them in the stomach.

LR: It sounds like you don’t care for them very much.

BSS: I love them! Actually, I don’t know their music. We opened for them in Austin, Texas once but I didn’t see their show. I grew up in the 70’s and I didn’t trust that shit then and I don’t trust it now.

LR: How do you feel about the following: George Bush?

BSS: He can die tomorrow.

LR: Paul Martin?

BSS: He’s out of the picture now, and I don’t care much about him. Now it’s Stephen Harper making our country more like yours.

LR: Tony Blair?

BSS: He’s good at following orders, isn’t he? Lump him with the other guys.

LR: Bryan Adams?

BSS: Bryan Adams! I don’t think about Bryan Adams. He’s not in my scope. Although, once I was in Indonesia and some guy told me he named his kid Bryan after Bryan Adams. I was shocked. That was the last time I thought about him.

LR: The Killers?

BSS: Don’t know who they are.

LR: Hip-hop.

BSS: Foundation music.

LR: MTV?

BSS: Don’t watch it. I guess it does its job. It’s just a creation of the advertising industry. I’m not a huge fan of videos, although there are some good ones out there. Sugarcube by Yo La Tengo, for example, is a great video.

LR: America?

BSS: You mean the poem by Allen Ginsburg? America is imploding under the weight of itself.

LR: Is that a good thing?

BSS: Not to the people that are going to get fucked. It’s good only in the same way that revolution is good. America is a dark place. Although our country is only a little less dark. Unless that darkness is just shadows cast from your country. Although that’s really not fair to say, because I haven’t met too many asshole Americans. All the ones that come to our shows are fantastic people. There are many forward thinking people there, but I wish they had more power. The old guard will not budge. Business interests rule. America can help the world but it doesn’t. It’s really fucking frustrating. Fuck!

LR: Are you okay?

BSS: Yes.

LR: Your shows and songs are very upbeat and hopeful, which is especially needed today where fear and desperation are everywhere. With an uncertain future ahead, including global warming, terrorism, growing nuclear arsenals, A.I.D.S., bird flu, etc., how can you stay so upbeat? Or do you see it as your job to wake people up and spread hope and love?

BSS: The hope and loves comes from our connection, music and otherwise, through this specific group of people. The joy that we feel playing music with each other translates to the audience. But we don’t have a message. The new record is actually quite claustrophobic, second-guessing and terrified. The joy and love is simply how we feel about each other and the audience; there’s no message beyond that.

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