Sisters. You can't live without 'em, but they sure are heck to tour with. At least that's part of Weeping Tile's recent past.
The band was originally led by singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer and included sibling Mary on bass. Now Weeping Tile has a new album, valentino, and amongst a few changes, there's no more Sister Mary.
The change was due more to the mental strain of having a sibling around day and night than with anything musical, according to Sarah Harmer. And as tough as it was, the change was beneficial to both; Mary has gone on to work on a new project with former members of 13 Engines and Weeping Tile has added someone named Sticky to the band.
Sticky, last seen in the Toronto band Shit, heard through inter-band connections that Weeping Tile needed a bass player. She liked the band, knew the band members, and she fit.
Weeping Tile first gained attention with a 1994 EP. The full-length release Cold Snap followed shortly there after, as did a deal with Warner Music and the inclusion of drummer Cam Giroux.
Despite obvious lineup changes to the band, not much has changed musically. Harmer explains that things like the massive amount of travelling they've done - touring North America and Europe, living out of suitcases - has influenced some of her writing, but what comes out in the end is still just what happens when the band gets together to jam. Such was the creative process that led to valentino.
That being said, a couple of songs present a little surprise - Judy G. and Old Perfume. Both are unique in their presentation. Harmer says she wanted to write a country song and out came Judy G. Though she was reluctant at first to bring it to the band, they supported the result. With a Neil Young-ish feel, it doesn't seem out of place.
Old Perfume, on the other hand, is a song that came out of nowhere or at least from somewhere Harmer would rather keep a mystery. Let's just say the intoxicating and relaxing sound of just Sarah and her guitar strumming through the smoky number is as much a result of the song's origin as of anything else.
Coming out of Kingston, I guess you could refer to Weeping Tile as the Doug Gilmour of the music industry. But they, like Don Cherry, have nice things to say of their former home - camaraderie among the bands, the up-and-comers as well as the established and touring acts, and how supportive the scene has been. So close, in fact, that connections can be found in the most unexpected places. The band's guitar player, Luther Wright, says his mom once baby-sat the star of Hockey Night in Canada's Coaches Corner.
Almost makes one wonder if we might one day hear Cherry do a play-by-play analysis of Weeping Tile - yet another tough-playing act from Kingston.
