June 21, 1995

Watch Out
The Winnipeg Sun
writer unkown

They were nominated for a Juno award as band of the year this past March. In May they were informed that their second album In The Trees had gone platinum in Canada. And they've only just returned from their first ever tour of Europe, where In The Trees has just been released. But the four guys who make up The Watchmen - Winnipeg's premier rock outfit - haven't let any of the band's recent achievements go to their heads. Not outwardly, at least. Just last week an interviewer arrived at the bands rehearsal hall to find guitarist Joey Serlin and drummer Sammy Kohn chatting animatedly about bicycle repair. "I just read this section on brakes in my bike book," Serlin is telling Kohn. "I'm sure I could fix it for you." The scene isn't exactly the epitome of elegantly wasted rock'n'roll. Then again, Kohn, Serlin, singer Danny Greaves and bassist Ken Tizzard have never seemed too interested in defining themselves according to hoary old rock cliches. Their offstage demeanor is just as low-key and friendly as their shows are energetic and explosive. Which is just the way The Watchmen seem to like things.
Be cool offstage - go nuts on.
Accordingly, the band's assessment of it's recent 12-date club tour of England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands is full of tales of friendly people, inviting audiences and talkative bus drivers. "The tour was great, as far as the shows and the logistics go. It was the total opposite of playing in Canada, where you have to drive eight hours just to get to the next show," Serlin says. "Everything is so close together, so the drives feel like a half-an-hour." "And I think (the tour) achieved what we wanted to achieve." "In The Trees just came out over there, so the trip wasn't so much about getting out there and selling out shows as it was about introduce in ourselves to the people and the record companies in the various countries and then doing as much press as we could." "In Europe it seems that rock bands only expose themselves to their audiences through playing live and the written press, so word is only starting to get out." The brief trip left the band's appetite whetted for more intercontinental travel, but there's the small matter of a summer festival tour - the group plays the grandstand at the Red River Exhibition with Headstones on Friday night - to take care of, as well as almost constant rehearsal and writing sessions for an upcoming new album. Still, a trip back across the Atlantic is tentatively scheduled for next August. As for new material - some of which was performed when the band played the Albert in April under an assumed name - Kohn says the band has been exploring something of a different feel with a few songs. "The music just feels very relaxed. There's lots of space for interesting chord progressions and drum patterns and stuff," he offers. "I think we've been leaning towards that because so many of the songs are faster and faster - maybe we're just compensating for that now, or something. "We realize, though, that the secret is not to try and make it self indulgent. We have to please not only ourselves, but the audience as well." With parts or all of the approximately 16 songs written, Kohn and Serlin say there's still a lot of work to be done for a new album. Rough recordings are being made this week at soundman Neil Cameron's Private Ear studio, but the pair don't foresee making a finished LP until at least October. They are, however, looking forward to playing The Ex - and hopefully lots of people will be there," Serlin says, then chuckles a self-deprecating chuckle.
"And hey, it'll be our first stadium show!"