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 Futurists have often promised delight on demand, be it Brave New World's
soma or Star Trek's holodeck. With the millennium encroaching, Our Lady Peace
is back with a new record announcing that the future is here but Happiness
... is not a fish you can catch.

"I do understand the frustration and the anger. I do understand the rampant
near-nihilism of kids today," says OLP guitarist Mike Turner over the phone
from his Toronto home. "That's actually some of the subject matter for this
album. Ten years ago, people wouldn't even admit they owned that (snuff)
video Faces of Death. That stuff's on TV now.

"So when people feel moved to react in a visceral and passionate matter,
they're not going to get up and deliver an eloquent speech because that no
longer garners shock. It no longer has the desired impact because the people
have been so desensitized."

We are discussing a society fragmenting, perfectly encapsulated by the recent
demise of the Woodstock dream, a doomed festival at which OLP performed on
the final day, fleeing the scene before the centre stopped holding.

But though he understands why the kids aren't all right, he doesn't think
that gives agro performers like Limp Bizkit carte blanche.

'PRODUCT OF MEDIA AGE'

"You know (Bizkit frontman) Fred Durst is a product of the media age," Turner
says. "When he talks about busting s--t up, there's frustration and an anger
that he's only giving voice to, he didn't invent it.

"But as much as there is a ton to be angry about, it takes a little more to
sit back and say 'why am I angry? And what am I gonna do about being this
angry?' People aren't getting past that now."

One Man Army, the new single from Happiness" -- the highly anticipated
follow-up to the two-million-selling Clumsy in stores tomorrow -- delves a
little deeper into this millennial malaise.

Singer and lyricist Raine Maida has described the song as being about
individuality, "about the courage to strip naked and set fire to your
inhibitions." Though now drenched in irony given the exhibitionistic
pyromania of Woodstock '99, the song at least attempts to promote a little
reconstruction after the fall.

"It's very much saying I've figured out who I am and what I think and believe
and screw you if you don't understand it. And everything else is just trash
and you can put it in a big fat trash heap and burn it because it is useless
to me," says Turner, offering up lyrics like "undress your soul, show them
your vigor ... Head up high, walk like a winner/Let the bare feet be the last
sound that they hear."

While Turner is most impressed with the words Maida turned out for the new
record, he is equally assured of the music itself, somewhat of a departure
for the seminal '90s Canrock band.

"The turning point was when we decided to take off the table our usual
constraint, which is that if we can't pull it off as a three-piece
instrumental then we shouldn't be doing it," Turner says.

"Now we're like, we'll get another guy, we'll do whatever we have to, let's
just make a great record. So we indulged ourselves with a lot of textures, a
lot of other sounds."

Though making a name for themselves as a straight-ahead rock outfit, the
increasing acceptance of electro-organic music has allowed OLP -- who heads
out next week on a U.S. tour with Creed before returning to Ottawa to
headline the Corel Centre for New Year's Eve -- to bring in keyboard whiz
Jamie Edwards to sprinkle effects.

And technophobic fans be damned.

"We kind of ignore them," Turner says. "I hate to sound arrogant or ignorant
but we're very selfish about what we do. The flipside is that I think we also
have a great kinship with our fans.

"They trust if we're going to stick our neck out and go wandering down some
strange little path. They'll come along for the walk and take a look at the
scenery.

"If they want to hear another Clumsy, it's always going to be track number
seven on that last CD and you can put it in and play it whenever you want.
But there's no point in reproducing it."

I can't resist. The singer of Our Lady Peace is so serious. He's the
angst-ridden Hamlet of Canadian rock 'n' roll.

In a recent phone interview, 29-year-old Raine Maida weighs in on the media,
gun control, the evils of television, the obsession with celebrity, you name
the issue, he has an opinion. He's fed up with the trivial, disgusted by
materialism and repulsed by small talk. Even the customary, "How are you
today?" that follows "Hello" rankles him.

He can sum it up with a line from the title track of Our Lady Peace's new
album, Happiness ... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch: "Talking is just
masturbating without the mess."

Says he, "That, to me, just sums up a lot. Especially in the music business,
so many people just talk to hear themselves talk and build themselves up to
fulfil their own egos. It's such bulls--- and if people would just get over
that character trait, they would find themselves so much happier, because
you're not so consumed with yourself.

"If you have something to say, make sure that there's some passion behind it.
Don't just talk for the sake of talking. That's just boring and redundant.
And it's a waste a time."

How ironic that he says one of his biggest fears is being "preachy" in his
work, which is why he uses irony and poetry to mask the message in the music.
During interviews, however, he does tend to get off on a rant.

WALLS OF GUITAR

This album is no departure: Same walls of guitar, same plaintive vocals, same
producer/honorary fifth band member Arnold Lanni, who's worked with the band
since its inception (and 70-something model Saul Fox, the band's mascot, once
again graces the album cover).

Maida's goal was to make a record fans can listen to all the way through.

"It doesn't matter to us if we have the big hit single," he says, though One
Man Army is as fine a tune as the band's ever made. The main difference you
might notice is that both the songs and that man that wrote the lyrics (which
the rest of the band doesn't usually see until the CD artwork is done) are a
lot more cynical. Extensive touring in America is partly to blame.

Off he goes: "I will not move from Canada now. I've learned to appreciate
this country. I can bitch about the way we abuse things in Canada. It has its
own problems. But there's nothing like living and not being scared to walk
around at night. There's just a different sense when we're in America."

For more on this topic, Maida says he's working on a book about the decline
of the U.S. and its effect on Canada. It's a work in progress. "I'll see how
I feel about it," he says. I suggest he listen to left-wing spoken-word guru
Jello Biafra, who makes Maida look as shallow as a Backstreet Boy clone.

Meanwhile, the music takes priority.

BORING TV

He goes on, "A lot of this record came from obsessions: Definitely seeing
those obsessions in the States, the guns, the Gap ads and how the media
determines who you are these days. But we have all the same commercials in
Canada. It's so boring these days to sit in front of the television and waste
your life. It's such a drag and so many people do it. And I think I'm just
getting more passionate about it. During the recording of this record, we
talked a lot about death, for whatever reason. There's definitely an
obsession with death and a huge fear. But in knowing that, it makes you hate
these other things more, because it's not what life's about. Buying Tommy
Hilfinger (sic) because it's cool has nothing to do with any kind of
emotional value or content, and music for me does. So when they hit each
other, I get pretty emotional about it."

Even to the point of punching out a paparazzi or something? Not quite, he
says. But becoming a "rock star," which tends to happen when you sell
millions of albums, is another thing Maida would despise.

"There's a thing called Star TV now. My God! It makes me puke. If I ever end
up on that station, I'll definitely throw my TV out the window. I just hope I
don't hit anybody."

Happiness ... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch comes our tomorrow. Our Lady
Peace is planning a winter tour of Canada to support it ("yeah, we're dumb").
If you meet Raine, don't ask him how he's doing unless you really want to
know.

 TORONTO -- Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida and Mike Turner figure there's
something to be said for a little control freakiness now and again.

 Whether or not that something is a good thing, the mega Toronto band's
singer and guitarist are not quite sure.

 "We bitch about everything -- artwork, videos," Maida says with a smile
during an interview at the uptown offices of Our Lady Peace's label, Sony
Music, earlier this week.

 "We don't let go of anything easily. We're far too obsessive."

 Maybe so. But there's also an air of relief in the room as Maida and Turner
discuss their third rock opus, Happiness... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch,
which they release Tuesday.

 Reflecting on the new album, arguably the group's most ambitious to date,
the pair talk about the drain of touring their second album, 1997's Clumsy,
for 18 months, and the sudden creative burst that inspired Happiness.

 What's missing is the usual second-guessing that would dog any Canadian band
that, like OLP, managed to sell 2 million copies of their last album --
including 800,000 in the U.S.

 Perhaps all that obsessing has paid off in peace of mind for the group --
which also includes bassist Duncan Coutts and drummer Jeremy Taggart.

 "At least we have an album we're responsible for," says Turner. "And that's
actually a big deal for us. People ask us why we're so concerned about
artwork, and things like press and promotion. We're not naive enough to say,
'The music's pure.' In the studio, when we're making it, then it's pure.
Beyond there, we want to guarantee it has the best opportunity to be heard
and understood."

 Adds Maida: "It's much easier to sleep knowing that even if it's s-----,
it's because it's our fault. It should be your own fault."

 The singer's not about to disclose anything he might lose sleep over,
either. Regarding rumours that he is to wed Winnipeg singer Chantal Kreviazuk
in December, Maida says flatly: "This is an Our Lady Peace interview? All we
have is this music thing and our private lives. You've got to keep one of
them precious." In other words: None of your business whether there's a
wedding or not.

 Also not up for discussion: Specifics on the Happiness tour, which will
likely keep OLP out on the road for two years.

 Maida and Turner allow that the shows should continue in a visual vein
similar to the band's last Toronto performance at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1998.

 "We've already started talking about it," says Turner, laughing. "We're not
going to tell you anything, in case we mess it up."

 The guitarist says that the recent addition of multi-instrumentalist Jamie
Edwards to the OLP fold also opened the group up to new possibilities for
Happiness. Edwards took the pressure off Turner, Coutts and Maida, who were
laden with an arsenal of keyboards and effects when they wrote the album. He
also has theatre experience working with performance troupe Blue Man Group.

 "We don't always pull off what we set out to do," Turner says. "This time we
got pretty damn close."

 Did OLP write differently with the knowledge that they've sold nearly 3
million of their previous records?

 "I wish it was that contrived," the singer says. "But I learned one thing: I
always keep a journal, and I'll probably do it again, but I threw it away
this time. All this stemmed from one conversation in a dusty studio and I'm
proud of that: We were going to move forward, to really become our own band
and make a mark and break out of this '90s rut that we're in. I know that
sounds really grandiose, but we're sick of being compared to other bands."

<SonyMusicCanada> And now, chatting with us, Our Lady
Peace.
<ASKOLP> guest-congressman says: Where did the name of
the album come from?
<OLP> Duncan: It came from a lyric in a song called "Happiness and the fish"
and once you get a chance to live with the record, you'll understand its
meaning within the context of all the songs
<ASKOLP> says: What's the worst joke Jeremy's ever told?
<OLP> Duncan: He just told one...he's been living with the record for a
couple of weeks and it still hasn't cleaned up yet.
<ASKOLP> neeta says: How would you descibe your latest experience in the
studio, in comparison to the others
<OLP> Jer: This one, in terms of execution, it was the easiest to make and
in terms of song writing was the most mature
<ASKOLP> guest-fatima says: What was Woodstock '99 like?
<OLP> Duncan: Smelly
<OLP> Jer: Great and smelly
<OLP> Duncan: Our performance was very...there was a neat vibe about it cuz
it was in the middle of the afternoon, lots of Canadian flags, lots of
people trying to sing along with the new music, but the smell of the
portolets was pretty awful
<ASKOLP> guest-drummer99 says: Percussion wise, sounds like more than drums
were used. What else did you experament with?
<OLP> Jer: Sheet metal, pots and pans, fruit shakers, gasoline cans and
Elvin Jone's head
<ASKOLP> guest-luckybum says: Jeremy, what's up with the number 7?
<OLP> Jer: Micky Mantle was my hero because of my batting prowess
<OLP> Jer: The number seven means a lot of different things
<OLP> Jer: it's also open to interpretation just like everything else we do
<ASKOLP> guest-dude98 says: Aside from playing a blowout show in Ottawa,
what are your plans for the year 2000?
<OLP> Jer: starting a tour across Canada right after the blowout show
<ASKOLP> guest-peace_in says: What/who are you a fan of?
<OLP> Mike: Flaming Lips and Japanese food
<OLP> Raine: PJ Harvey
<OLP> Jer: Frank Lloyd Wright
<OLP> Duncan: Reunion tours
<ASKOLP> guest-Kelly680 says: Are you going to be doing a
Canadian tour?
<OLP> Mike: Of course!!
<ASKOLP> guest-CC-EdgyTheFish289 says: Did you guys see American Pie?? What
did ya think?
<OLP> Raine: Forget about American Pie, go see American Beauty
<OLP> Jer: It was a little bald on jokes but Eugene Levy took it to the tops
<ASKOLP> guest-OLP_1485 says: How was it to make the OMA video?  Was it
difficult to get the effect that Raine was Flying?
<OLP> Mike: We sat and played for a couple of hours and then Raine got
tortured for the next couple of days
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_Ams335 says: Are you aware of this fish
conspiracy taking over the Canadian music empire?! I Mother
Earth's Scenery and Fish, your Hapiness and the Fish, Moist's
Fish, just to name a few! (Yes us Congressors have actually
thought this through)
<OLP> Mike: You need to get out more.
<OLP> Jer: It has something to do with the salmon thing with
US and Canada
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_SmilinJoe207 says: Hi Guys! I think You Guys Rock Soo
much.  My Question is that I saw you guys at Summersault in Barrie and you
played a song I think is called "Yourself" and also, In windsor Ont, You
played a song called "Trapeze" Both were Awesome!! I was wondering if these
will be on any future albums FAr Far Far into the future
<OLP> Mike: Maybe on the reunion tour
<ASKOLP> guest-Raven says: Hey OLP,  I was wondering if the man on the cover
on all three albums is the same person.  If so, why do you use him all the
time??
<OLP> All: Yes
<OLP> Raine: He represents many things for the band
<ASKOLP> guest-cc_cq says: Where did the idea for the "Confused Little
Drummer Boy" postcard that was available on OLP.com around Christmastime
come from?
<OLP> Jer: That's Mike and his digital camera tricks...although I am quite a
festive person
<ASKOLP> guest-CCOskarLadyPeace says: What song did you work the
hardest/longest on for this album?
<OLP> Jer: Gotta be One Man Army
<OLP> Raine: Happiness took a long time
<OLP> Duncan: All of them got their day
<ASKOLP> guest-Sunny says: And I also want to know who had the idea for the
concept of the new video??? And how it was for Raine to be able to fly???
<OLP> Raine: Mark Kohr's idea for the video
<ASKOLP> guest-DarcyGallagher says: hey guys...i have a quick question for
you...What's the most touching story a fan has ever shared with you about
their personal connection to one of your songs?
<OLP> Raine: Another video director remaining nameless hasn't spoken to his
father for 5 years and 4AM made him him call him
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_JerosTeletubby says: Jeremy, who do you think will win the
world series?
<OLP> Jer: The Yankees...and Duncan's gonna pay me $300
<ASKOLP> guest-JimFish says: I like the addition of a keyboard player - who
is he?
<OLP> Jamie: That's me, Jamie Edwards...I'm from Boston, a friend of a
friend of the band.  I was a musician in the Blue Man Group
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_OLPmaypole says: Were any fish harmed in the making of
"Happiness..."?
<OLP> Mike: That fish was gonna be someone's dinner before we took his
picture
<ASKOLP> guest-ccdenied says: you guys have always been known for your
dedication to your fans. What inspires you to show such kindness and
openness? It is much appreciated by us all!!
<OLP> Raine and Mike: Comments like that one
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_BruisePristine says: You guys have said you sing about
"dark optimism", is the new album a continuation of this?
<OLP> Mike: Yep
<OLP> Raine: Pretty much
<ASKOLP> guest-Geojello says: How does working with Arnold Lanni affect your
sound?
<OLP> Mike: It determines it
<OLP> Raine: Arnold Lanni is the one person that we trust for honest
feedback... Always on the same page as us it seems
<ASKOLP> guest-CC-EdGEfest says: Hey guys - first of all, the album sounds
awesome!  Lately, there seems to be more and more info coming out regarding
your personal lives.  Obviously, the fans in the CC are trying to stop this,
but as you become more and more popular, there is going to be those people
who have to know EVERYTHING, how do you feel about losing your privacy?
BTW, Congrats Raine on your 'trip to Rome' ;) - Jen
(EdGEfest
<OLP> Mike: That's why they call it private lives
<OLP> Raine: We refuse to lose out privacy
<ASKOLP> guest-CCjadedOLP says: To Raine (Sorry guys...don't worry I love
you all :) Are you lyrics based on your own life experiences, imagination,
or a little bit of both?  And if life experiences, how did you deal with it?
<OLP> Raine: Definitely life experiences and I deal with it by writing about
it
<ASKOLP> guest-starseed says: Mike, I heard you read the
Fountainheadfeelings on Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism?
<OLP> Mike: More than one sentence can portray, nothing can be taken
wholesale but a lot of the elements of it are very appealing
<ASKOLP> neeta says: When you guys spend a late night in the studio, what
kind of pizza do you order?
<OLP> Raine: Thai food
<OLP> Jer: No cheese and sauce, tastes like soup
<ASKOLP> guest-Tigger says: what's the weirdest thing a fan has ever done to
get near you?
<OLP> Jer: There was some guy sleeping outside the studio for a while, in a
bush even
<ASKOLP> guest-CCRaineyDayz548 says: With all the success you've had, and
the success that is surely to come (what I've heard of 'Happiness..' is
simply amazing), how do you manage to keep your feet on the ground and not
let the fame get to your head?
<OLP> Mike: Watch your toes
<ASKOLP> guest-Naveed says: Did the fact that there are a lot of people
(both critics and fans) counting on a great follow-up to an amazing album
hinder your performance and/or creativity in the studio, or did you not let
it get to you?
<OLP> Raine: The only pressure we put on ourselves comes
from ourlseves
<ASKOLP> guest-CCTomcat says: Hey guys i have listened to u since naveed.
Jeremy how did u become so good,
<OLP> Jer: My dad and Elvin Jones
<ASKOLP> guest-cc_DW says: about how long does it take you guys to record
one song?
<OLP> Raine: It takes about a week a song
<ASKOLP> guest-Evilcastle says: What was it like working with Elvin Jones?
<OLP> Jer: I had it planned in my head as a total whim and the fact that it
happened is totally inspiring and I'll never forget it
<OLP> Raine: I think it was one of the highlights for this band <ASKOLP>
guest-CCR2unit says: CCR2unit: I wanted to let you guys know that you are an
inspiration to canadian artists and that I have started an Our Lady Peace
Tribute Band.. What are your views on Tribute bands? like them or hate them?
<OLP> Mike: We're flattered
<OLP> Jer: It's nice to know that if we get fired we might be
able to work for someone else
<ASKOLP> guest-cc_Chaos says: I've heard you guys perform a great song
called "Trapeze" at a concert.  How come it hasn't been released on any
records?
<OLP> Mike: It didn't fit
<ASKOLP> guest-CCparty1864 says: Why did you choose the name 'BELLYFLOP
COMMUNIST' for your test gig??
<OLP> Mike: It was Jamie's idea
<OLP> Jamie: Actually it was Roger, a friend of the house engineer....  He
said something that sounded like that and I misunderstood him
<ASKOLP> guest-CCBreanna says: If you could meet just one person, alive or
dead, who would it be and why?
<OLP> Raine: Mussolini
<OLP> Jer: Moe Howard
<OLP> Jamie: Betty Rubble
<OLP> Mike: Justin Sullivan
<OLP> Duncan: Alan Hale
<ASKOLP> guest-you says: Our lady peace will you guys play small gigs agian
at like shcools and stuff like you did at the beggining of your career?
<OLP> Mike: On the reunion tour
<ASKOLP> guest-naveed718 says: Are you planning on doing a Summersault tour
next summer, and if so, are you planning on extended it to the us ( at least
ny state)?
<OLP> Raine: Yes
<ASKOLP> guest-out_of_here says: so far the albulm sounds great,,,,what
better than great awesome....fantastic.......iwas wondering how long did it
take to make it???
<OLP> Jer: four munts
<OLP> Jer: that's not a spelling mistake
<ASKOLP> guest-SEXYOLP says: hey guys i just wanted to let you know i'm
listening to Is Anybody Home and it's making me cry this is so wonderful
thank you
<OLP> All: thank you
<ASKOLP> guest-Twitch says: Where do you get your inspiration for new songs?
What's your "muse"?
<OLP> Mike: Life
<ASKOLP> guest-naveed718 says: How was your experience at woodstock?  Did
you get to see any other bands?
<OLP> Mike: Yes, Rage were great
<OLP> Duncan and Jer: Willie Nelson was great
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_BruisePristine says: Okay emtee... What do you REALLY
think about us CCer's?
<OLP> Mike: You're interesting
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_olpgrrrl says: Hi I just wanted to know if the rumours are
true that you'll be releasing a B sides album to your fanclub?
<OLP> Mike: not that we're aware of
<ASKOLP> guest-CClumsyIsis says: I've had the oppurtunity to see you guys
three different times, and each time the set list was dramatically
different.  Is it hard for you to decide what songs you want to play for a
show like Summersault or Woodstock?
<OLP> Raine: it is now
<OLP> Mike: It's getting harder
<OLP> Raine: with the new record it's becoming very difficult
<ASKOLP> guest-CC-lightning30 says: Are you still going to do cover songs
(i.e. Eternal Life) on the Creed tour? (SEE YA IN SYRACUSE!!!)
<OLP> Raine and Mike: Probably not, we want to focus on the new record more
<ASKOLP> guest-starseed says: I know that you got your name from the poem
Our Lady Peace, I wanted to know what this poem means to you.
<OLP> Raine: It's meant to stay interprative and I want to keep
it that way.  I don't want to instill my view on anyone else
<ASKOLP> guest-CCOneManNavy says: Is there any specific reason you guys have
11 songs on each album?
<OLP> All: Yes, we can't tell you
<ASKOLP> guest-ccadidas_80 says: I was just wondering... what's it like
living on a tour bus? Don't you ever get home sick? Or do you consider that
your home?
<OLP> Raine: I love it
<OLP> Jer: You're home and home sick at the same time
<ASKOLP> guest-2OLPFREAKS says: WHY did Jeremy ditch those stylin glasses?
<OLP> Jer: They're in the shop
<ASKOLP> guest-CCOLPRaine20 says: Mike, I was wondering if you could tell me
what kind of guitar you used in the video for One Man Army
<OLP> Mike: An Ampeg Dan Armstrong
<ASKOLP> guest-CCDaenu says: How many songs didn't make the "Happiness..."
album?
<OLP> Raine: one
<ASKOLP> guest-Leaf says: What is the most important thing that you have
learned about yourselves, each other and the being in the music industry
since becoming a band?
<OLP> Raine: You need to stick together
<OLP> Jer: Being a band is important and not a solo Gavin
<ASKOLP> guest-CCBDStarsky says: Do you guys feel that there is a drastic
change musically on this record than your previous two albums or is it just
a natural progression?
<OLP> Mike: the latter
<OLP> Raine: I thought it felt like more of a drastic change
<ASKOLP> guest-CCStArSeEdMRM says: what kind of music did you listen to when
you were growing up?
<OLP> Mike: The Beatles
<OLP> Raine: U2
<OLP> Duncan: Kiss
<OLP> Jer: John Coltrane
<OLP> Jamie: Early B-52s
<OLP> duncan: The Police
<ASKOLP> guest-ccadidas_80 says: What's the best prank you've pulled on
another band?
<OLP> Raine: Stink Bombs
<OLP> Duncan: We almost made Black Lab breakup from stink bombs and electric
shock pens
<ASKOLP> guest-OneWomanArmy says: How did it feel to be asked to play in
Woodstock, considering that there were only 4 Canadian bands?
<OLP> Jer: It was lovely
<ASKOLP> guest-CCstarshine says: I heard you guys say in an interview last
year that you don't really like music videos because they lay the song out
and don't really allow the listener to interpret the song on their own. How
do you feel your music videos are different from other bands'?
<OLP> Jer: We pick and choose very carefully
<ASKOLP> guest-CCfuelgurl says: have u guys ever thought of retiring or
quitting at a certain age or something?
<OLP> Mike: I'm already too old
<OLP> Raine: This is probably the last record
<ASKOLP> guest-missuluv says: do u like bigger crowds or smaller clubs for
your concerts
<OLP> Mike: We like good concerts
<ASKOLP> guest-CCpeacechild7 says: What kind, type of books do you like
reading?
<OLP> Mike: I'm reading Whale Music right now
<OLP> Jer: The Last Days of Summer is a great book
<OLP> Duncan: I'm reading Salman Rushdie's new book and it's great if you
like wordy
<OLP> Raine: The Utne Reader
<ASKOLP> guest-Happyfishgirl says: Most bands that reach the stage you have
in your musical lives usually think about putting out some kind of
live/acoustic/b-side album. Do you guys have any future plans of putting out
an album compiling such material?
<OLP> Raine: No more records
<ASKOLP> guest-CCbananafish says: if there was one thing that OLP tried to
capture in Happiness... what was it?
<OLP> Raine: Added dimension
<ASKOLP> guest-clumsy says: Are your songs another way of speaking whats
really on your mind?
<OLP> Raine: yes
<ASKOLP> guest-CClumsyIsis says: The first two albums were tremendous, and I
was wondering if you were a bit nervous about how the fans/critics might
receive it?
<OLP> Mike: No, we don't care
<ASKOLP> guest-nethead says: ClumsyCongress.com is a great idea, why do you
put so much faith in your fans?
<OLP> Raine: You're worth it
<ASKOLP> guest-starseed says: I've heard that you (Raine) meditate. Is that
a good way to escape the pressures of fame?
<OLP> Raine: It's a good way to escape
<ASKOLP> guest-britishfan says: Do you plan on touring in Europe for this
album?
<OLP> Raine: yes in December
<OLP> Mike: The first leg of the reunion tour
<ASKOLP> guest-clumsy says: What can we expect on New Year's?
<OLP> Mike: The lights are gonna go off and we're all gonna plummet into
chaos
<ASKOLP> guest-CCDaenu says: Jeremy- How do you feel about always being in
the back of the stage; do you feel left out of the action at all?
<OLP> Jer: That's where it all goes on
<OLP> Mike: Jeremy is the action
<OLP> Jer: I get to see everything
<ASKOLP> guest-blindannivrsry says: which comes first? Lyrics or music?
<OLP> Raine and Mike: Simultaneous
<ASKOLP> guest-CCdustball says: what was the common food staple while you
guys were recording?
<OLP> Raine: Greek
<OLP> Jer: Skewers
<OLP> Duncan: Cookies
<ASKOLP> guest-CCsplendor_solis says: Why do you guys like the Persian
Writing?
<OLP> Mike: We did, that was the first record
<ASKOLP> guest-ccHOPE14 says: what do you like to do in your spare time,
other than writing music??
<OLP> Duncan: We don't really get a lot of spare time
<OLP> Jer: I'm priming up for Ultimate Fight 2000
<ASKOLP> guest-CCDaenu says: Jeremy, how did you feel about being on the
cover of Drums etc?
<OLP> Jer: I woke up and then they took a picture of me and then I saw it on
the street the other day
<ASKOLP> guest-Argen says: Are you guys into video games at all? If so, what
are your favorite games?
<OLP> All: Heavy Duty Playstation fans
<OLP> Jer: Game Day 2000
<OLP> Duncan: Twisted Metal 3 with analogue controllers only
<ASKOLP> guest-CCsplendor_solis says: Did you guys ever use weird
instruments to perform your music??
<OLP> Jer: No, not to perform it
<OLP> Duncan: We did some wierd stuff recording it
<ASKOLP> guest-CC-EdgyTheFish975 says: What are your thoughts on Y2k
kraziness?
<OLP> Jer: Store rations and salt
<OLP> Raine: And grenades
<OLP> Duncan: Maybe a generator and gasoline
<ASKOLP> guest-olpGRANDEfan says: What is your all-time favorite song not
including yours?
<OLP> Raine: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
<OLP> Mike: Song to the Siren by This Mortal Coil
<OLP> Jer: India by John Coltrane
<OLP> Duncan: Dominoe by Gene Simmons
<OLP> Last Question......
<ASKOLP> guest-CC_SmilinJoe207 says: What made you
guys make "Happiness is not a fish that you can catch" a Album
about HUman obsession, is it something you guys feel is an
issue these days?
<OLP> Raine: It's THE issue

The sandwich board on the sidewalk outside Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern over the weekend read "Tonight: Our Lady Peace". The surprise shows were billed in the club listings as "Belly Flop Communist", a silly name the multi-platinum Canadian rock band made up and even had emblazoned on T-shirts to sell off the stage.

Our Lady Peace - which has just completed its third album, 'Happiness...Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch' (due Sept. 21) with producer and ex-Frozen Ghost member Arnold Lanni - is scheduled to appear at Woodstock '99 this weekend (July 25) and wanted to work the kinks out of its live show with some warm-up dates, since the band had been sequestered in the studio all year.

On Friday evening, lead vocalist/guitarist Raine Maida, guitarist Mike Turner, drummer Jeremy Taggart, bassist Duncan Coutts and new touring member Jamie Edwards on keyboards and guitar played Key To Bala in cottage country and Barrie, Ont. radio station Y95 divulged the true identity of Belly Flop Communist. Naturally, it sold-out.

Saturday and Sunday, back at home in Toronto, OLP, which headlined Maple Leaf Gardens behind its last album, Clumsy, intended to secretly masquerade as Belly Flop Communist at the Horseshoe but the secrecy wasn't to be. At the last-minute, just for fun, to provoke double-takes, and perhaps ensure a packed house, Our Lady Peace's name was written on the board and club owner JC phoned about 100 regulars to come down.

The 70-minute set previewed new material until the final 20 minutes. It kicked off with "One Man Army", likely the first single from the new album, and continued with "Happiness & The Fish"; the menacing "Potato Girl" about a guardian angel; "Blister"; the catchy stand-out "Is Anybody Home?"; "Waited"; "Lying Awake" about Benny Hinn; "Annie" about a messed up girl in high school who everybody teases and kills everyone; and "Stealing Babies", the intense rock song Taggart's jazz hero Elvin Jones played drums on in the studio which spirals into a jammy adventure and dissonant end.

  Our Lady Peace then capped off the night with a handful of hits -- "Superman's Dead", "Carnival", "Naveed", "Clumsy" and "Starseed", providing an opportunity for the audience to participate, singing back the chorus to "Clumsy" for instance and waving their hands in the air.

"We're going to be touring this summer," Maida told the crowd. "If you see the name Belly Flop Communist, come and see us."

Our Lady Peace will perform at Wodstock '99.

Happiness ... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch is the unforgettably-titled third album from the Toronto quartet Our Lady Peace, (Raine Maida, vocals; Mike Turner, guitar; Jeremy Taggart, drums; Duncan Coutts, bass) whose last album, Clumsy, went on to sell more than two million copies worldwide and is rapidly approaching the RIAA platinum mark in the U.S.

"When you get to your third record, you're starting to develop a body of work," says guitarist Mike Turner. "For us, with Naveed, we were a band and a record that came out of absolutely nowhere. Then, Clumsy broadened the palette. Now that we're at Happiness ..., I think you finally start to get a complete picture of this band."

"Lyrically, this album came together as a collection of songs dealing with human obsession," says Our Lady Peace lead singer and lyricist Raine Maida. The lyrics that Raine brought to this new record confront some dark corners of the psyche: the obsession with mortality, the challenge of human relationships, and a search for answers to life's complex questions.

For Happiness ... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch, Our Lady Peace chose once again to record in Toronto's Arnyard Studios, with producer Arnold Lanni, who is unanimously described as the unofficial fifth member of the group. "There's a passion and a respect for music that is a bond between us," says Raine.

"There has to be meaning in every layer of the song for us," admits bassist Duncan Coutts. "When you stop having the passion to make each track, each layer, each part meaningful ... well, then I think you should stop being a musician and go do something else."

For Raine Maida, meaning is central to the band's musical mission. "'One Man Army' is about the struggle for individuality," he says of the first single from the new album. "It's about finding the courage to strip naked and set fire to all your inhibitions. It's about cleansing yourself of all the people and things that suffocate your individuality." Another key track, "Is Anybody Home," is, according to Raine, "a distress signal, really. It's a call to everyone who's found themselves stuck in their rooms having their souls sucked out of them by TV and having television or the Internet mold their values and interests. It's a call for help from one isolated person to another."

Bringing guests into the studio was a natural extension of the commitment this band has had since its inception in 1993;  in Mike's words, "the only immutable aspect of Our Lady Peace is that it's an evolving project. We are constantly looking to increase the dimensions of what there is to hear in one of our albums."

73-year-old jazz legend Elvin Jones brought stories of life on the road with John Coltrane. Drummer Jeremy Taggart was the catalyst for his inclusion. "I'd been hearing this guy's playing from the cradle," Jeremy recalls. "My dad would play all these great records of his while I was growing up. I never thought I'd be able to call this guy my friend. Having him appear on our album was a dream come true for me." Jones' genius can be heard on the track, "Stealing Babies."

Boston-based multi-instrumentalist Jamie Edwards found the Our Lady Peace collective through a mutual friend and a fortunate coincidence. Skilled in keyboards, guitar, zither, and the Chapman Stick, Jamie is a collaborator with the performance ensemble Blue Man Group and Josh Clayton (School of Fish), a church organist, and a solo artist at home with a repertoire in both classical music and contemporary electronica. "Bringing in a guy like Jamie was really just the product of a realization we came to as a group," states Raine emphatically. "He allowed us to paint with more colors, to give ourselves more freedom to experiment."

"We hope that this third album earns the trust of our fans to be with us for the long haul," says Mike. "In that sense, it's pivotal for us. There are certain bands that I trust, that I have a history with as a fan, and that relationship of trust is so important to us and to our life as a group."

The history of Our Lady Peace begins in 1993 when, shortly after formation, the band cut three demos (including their smash hit "Starseed") with producer Arnold Lanni in his Toronto studio. Those demos quickly led to a deal with Sony Music. Released in 1995, the group's first album, Naveed (released on Relativity in the States), generated the Top 10 Modern Rock and Active Rock hit, "Starseed." Following the album's release, Our Lady Peace embarked on a marathon round of touring, playing more than 400 shows to over half-a-million people as the band shared bills with Alanis Morissette, Bush, Elastica, Sponge, and Better Than Ezra.

The group's success accelerated with the release of Clumsy in 1997. The complex, sophisticated rock songs on the album -- including the U.S. Top 5 Modern Rock Tracks "Superman's Dead" and "Clumsy" -- earned critical accolades for the group, who, in their native Canada, collected two 1998 Juno Awards and two MuchMusic Video Awards.

Since the release of Clumsy, Our Lady Peace has played more than 350 concerts  -- including dates with the Rolling Stones, Everclear, Third Eye Blind and others as well as a sold-out arena tour in Canada and SRO headlining dates in Europe. In August 1998, prior to beginning preliminary work for Happiness ... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch, OLP wrapped up 18 months of touring with "Summersault," a multi-band festival -- featuring Our Lady Peace, Garbage, the Crystal Method, Sloan, and Harvey Danger -- conceived and organized by the band's four members. In the summer of 1998, a remixed version of OLP's germinal hit "Starseed" was included in the Armageddon soundtrack, which has gone on to sell nearly four million copies.

On Happiness ... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch Our Lady Peace continues to deepen the band's sound and sensibility while developing new avenues of musical exploration. Our Lady Peace is taking the group's ever-widening worldwide fan-base another step further on the journey from Naveed to Clumsy to Happiness.

Canadian alt-rockers OLP to release follow-up to "Clumsy" in September

 If you thought Naveed was an odd album title, you ain't heard nothing yet. After defying the sophomore jinx in a big way with their gold-selling Clumsy, Canadian alt-rock's pride-and-joy Our Lady Peace are back with the quizzically titled Happiness...Is Not a Fish You Can Catch. No, the album title isn't an homage to REO Speedwagon's 1978 album You Can't Tuna Piano, But You Can Tuna Fish, but rather a lyric from the new song "Happiness and the Fish."

According to OLP manager Eric Lawrence, the album will hit stores in September with a yet-undermined first single going to radio in late July. The band will preview new material from Happiness at Woodstock '99, likely their only show before the album is released. Lawrence says he "[doesn't] know if [Happiness]" is a great departure from the band's signature power-pop sound found on its debut Naveed or Clumsy, but it's simply a "great Our Lady Peace record."

The album was recorded over a four month period beginning in mid-January in a Toronto studio with producer Arnold David Lanni (Naveed, Clumsy). The album will begin the mixing stage on June 7.

The Corel Centre, in conjunction with Sony Recording Artists and Pop 2000 Inc., are pleased to announce they will host Canada's number one Millennium celebration at the year's end.

The Millennium House Party with Our Lady Peace, promising to be the rock event for Millennium celebrations in Canada, is a partial benefit for the "Millennium Life Skills Centre" for the homeless.

Our Lady Peace, 1998's Juno Awards winners for Group of the Year and Blockbuster Rock Album of the Year, has sold over 1.9 million records worldwide. The band was recently awarded "Canada's Favourite Group" and "People's Choice Favourite Video" for Clumsy at the MuchMusic Video Awards.

Clumsy, their sophomore album, debuted at #1 in January 1997 achieving Platinum status within three weeks (and is now at over 8 times platinum). Our Lady Peace is currently recording a follow-up album to Clumsy coming this summer/fall.

The band will post audio clips on their website, www.ourladypeace.com, with their thoughts on the show during the week of February 15.

"The Millennium House Party with Our Lady Peace. You'll want to be there ... we'll only do it once."

Press Release - Concert Announcement

EVENT: THE MILLENNIUM HOUSE PARTY WITH OUR LADY PEACE
EVENT DATE: Friday, December 31, 1999
TIME: 8:00 PM
DOORS: 6:30 PM
ON SALE DATE: Early-Bird ... Tuesday, February 16, 1999
                              Regular ... Friday, March 5, 1999
TICKETS:      Silver (Partial Party access, Midnight - 3:00 AM) - $64, $79
                      Gold (Full Party access, All Night) - $89, $99
                      Platinum (Full Party access, All Night) - $119
                      Early-Bird Discount Tickets from $49 (while quantities last)
                      Reserved Seating * All Ages (Except Licensees) * Taxes & Surcharges Extra
AVAILABILITY: Tuesday, February 16, 1999 on-line only through Ticketmaster On-Line
                      Friday, March 5, 1999 at 10:00 AM at all Ticketmaster outlets or charge
                      by phone (613) 755-1111 or visit Ticketmaster On-Line and at the COREL
                      Centre Ticket Office (Gate 1).
                      (No first day sales at the Corel Centre)
TICKET LIMIT: TBA
GROUP SALES: None.
DISCOUNTS: Early-Bird Discount Tickets from $49 (while quantities last)
PARKING: $9.00 regular parking
                      $13.00 VIP
                      $20.00 buses, limos & valet parking
FLOOR SET