![]() ![]() So, I don’t know how many people will be onstage when we get to Pittsburgh,” Spearin says, adding, “at least eight. ![]() “We’re always looking around for horn players to jump up and join us for a show or two. On this tour, the size of the band has varied, depending on the night. ‘OK, you can turn up the snare drum the way you want it in that song, if you have this guitar part in the other song.’ It gets pretty bizarre.” “It’s great because everybody’s passionate, but at the same time it’s almost political. “The last part of a Broken Social Scene record is the hardest, when everybody has their different opinions and ideas,” Spearin says. “You sort of have a mysterious - a new melody is going to be in, a new sound, a new instrument.”Īll the input, however, can complicate the mixing process. “We half-write the song knowing that somebody else is going to come in and help with it,” Spearin says. Songwriting credits are absent from all of the band’s albums because many people lend hands in the recording studio. Guitarist Kevin Drew and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Canning handle most of the lead singing, but the group isn’t simply their vision, fleshed out by their friends. If you want to come and be on it, we’d be more than happy to have you,’” Spearin says. We always open the door for each other and say, ‘Hey, we’re making a record. “Everybody branched off and did their own thing, but still managed to keep in touch. The 18 musicians credited on Hug of Thunder include vocalists Leslie Feist, known for her solo act under her surname, and Emily Haines, of the band Metric. “Honestly, most of the people in the band are longtime friends,” he says. Spearin describes Broken Social Scene, which came together in 1999, as a cooperative. The vocals on “Halfway Home” swell like a choir, and the whole group sounds orchestral during the closing “Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse.” ![]() If band members aren’t following the same chord pattern, the outcome still sounds more panoramic than chaotic. The songs reveal a writing style rooted in classic pop, with layers of vocals, instruments that drop in and out at any given time, and lyrics that frequently verge on the oblique. “Colorful” certainly describes Hug of Thunder, the band’s fifth album. But they can be made into - I don’t know - slightly more colorful chords.” ![]() “We’ll find out later that everybody’s playing different chord progressions. “A lot of the times I don’t even know the chord progression of the song, but I’ll have my parts ,” he says. Considering the Toronto band might have more than a dozen musicians onstage at one time, it’s not surprising.Ĭharles Spearin, who plays guitar and bass with the group, says the joke is partially true. This time around, they were back to the core members who played on recent double EP Let’s Try The After, with newer regulars Ariel Engle and Lisa Lobsinger in the Feist/Haines roles.The members of Broken Social Scene have a running joke inspired by the group’s massive lineup: Those on stage left never have any idea what’s happening on stage right. At that decade-ago show, the sprawling band had recently settled into a core lineup that let busy breakout stars like Leslie Feist, Amy Millan and Emily Haines be occasional guest stars, but everyone reconvened for that concert, playing encores until the noise curfew forced them off the stage. But they’re still power-hitters when it comes to hometown shows.įor Canada Day, they returned to Harbourfront Centre, the scene of some of their most memorable shows, including one of their best-ever 10 years ago. When you swing for the fences, you sometimes strike out, which is what can make the band’s more “regular” concerts seem somewhat disappointing. Rating: NNNNīroken Social Scene are always aiming for big moments. What does the album title You Forgot It in People mean After hearing Kevin Drew take the mic as the other members of Broken Social Scene (nine total on this occasion) flooded the stage around him, it feels clearer: it is a placeholder that represents the things we value in others, like openness, kindness and empathy. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE featuring CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD, members of WHOOP-SZO, JULY TALK, SHAYE and others at Harbourfront Centre, Monday, July 1. ![]()
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