After playing an extremely rare 'nooner' show at London's Fanshawe College (when's the last time you've seen a band while chomping on a bologna sandwich), Sarah Farmer of WEEPING TILE dropped into CHRW's studios for a brief interview before heading off for an evening show in town that same night. Sarah the beautiful and talkative leader of this Kingston-based band, has been receiving rave reviews for their first/ second release COLD SNAP.
Now the reason I call Cold Snap both an initial and subsequent release, is simply because Sarah herself is unsure whether its a first album! The band has undergone a complete overhaul since its first formation and release leaving Sarah to claim somewhat befuddled, "we think of it as kind of a first release because the first was just me and other players...but, I guess its the second Weeping Tile record". Oh, I see! Being the gossip-spreading type of media slime that I am, I asked about the disbanding of the group hoping to hear tales of deceit, sexual promiscuity, and drug abuse, but alas, "Oh no, nothing like that...no kind of bad vibes at all. No exciting gossip...I just wanted a different band and sound...more of a punk thing."
Punk!? That doesn't seem like Weeping Tile at all I thought. In numerous critics' citations for successes and best new bands of the year, Weeping Tile is one which was overwhelmingly present. Critics loved Sarah's distinct vocals, emotion-provoking lyrics and also, their 'Canadian sound'. Punk was never mentioned by any, and if you listened to their songs, you'd probably really have to stretch your ear drums to find hints of it as well. There is a real sense of rural Canada present in their music, this has gained them a lot more comparisons to Cowboy Junkies rather than Green Day or Bad Religion!
I decided to ignore the punk reference (too much mental strain for a simple mind), and ask her about the infamous Canadian sound. "Well I guess there's lyrical references...but its really less intentionally Canadian and just what my experiences are". Hmmm, wouldn't those be Canadian experiences I wondered? She continued, "I don't know what a Canadian sound is, there's maybe a bit of rural feel I suppose...expansive country, regional sounds". To this her road manager Erica added, "yea, I'd say images of being in the country, landscape, traveling across the land". Wow! I think the ever-elusive description of a Canadian sound has just been described! Well...maybe not completely. Can't blame a young journalist for trying!
Following the success of their first single "U.F.O. Rosie", the band has followed up with a video of the self- titled "Cold Snap". Sarah told me she really enjoys the video-making process which came extremely easy to them for Cold Snap. She says the song "is written all about a psycho old guy...an old man off his rocker"! The song itself pretty much presented images for the, "costume period piece, kinda turn of the century, Jane Eyre-thing", they were trying to pull off. Harmer added that they have done work on another video for "Pushover" which will become their first single and video release south of the border. With the release and I suppose back-up touring that will follow in the U.S., her surprise at my discussion of a next disc makes some sense. I asked if the critical acclaim Weeping Tile received was applying extra pressure on the band in regards for their next C.D. "Oh, we haven't really even thought about a next C.D. What with touring and all." "I guess it is the kiss of death when you receive praise...but I don't think I'm going to get too pressured by what people say".
The most interesting discussion in the interview took place when I mentioned her association with talented Canadian indie artist BOB WISEMAN. Wiseman's disc "Accidentally Acquired Beliefs", has gained the multi- talented musician much airplay at campus radio stations as well as some noteable reviews of his own. She discussed a "Kingston jam session" which included the likes of TRAGICALLY HIP's Gord Downie, members of 13 ENGINES, THE INBREDS and Wiseman too! Now that's some major Canadian name dropping and a jam session I'd love to hear or be at! She explains, "we did some stuff with Bob for the CBC 'Reel Time' show, and he got some people from Kingston together". "We did some real good 'stoner' jams with Grant (13 Engines) on drums, Mike (Inbreds) on bass, Gord (Hip) writing lyrics, doing some vocals and guitar, and Bob covering piano and bass too". Though this sounds like some kind of dream team supersession, Sarah seemed unsure whether it will ever get aired because the "free-form recording" was more of a fun time/ party/ 2 chord strumming event. Oh well.
Its interesting to note that with all the discussion about the so-called Halifax pop explosion, Kingston has been quietly and efficiently turning out some top notch and popular acts for quite a while. And hey, not one of them sounds similar or puts out anything that smells like that repugnant air of post-grunge wasteland spirit! Something to consider the next time writers try to pick this country's new hotbed for alternative sound. Due to her friendship with Gord Downie, I wondered whether there was any chance Weeping Tile might be popping up at the next annual "Another Road Side Attraction" bill, just as The Inbreds had last summer. "No plans, but we'd be honoured! Definitely", was the enthusiastic response.
After spending months traveling the country's expanses to the west with The BOURBON TABERNACLE CHOIR including a new years show at Toronto's Lee's Palace, and more months roaming the east with THE SKYDIGGERS, she said it was hard maintaining her health and voice. This of course becomes even more of a difficult task when, "most of us are vegetarians". Maintaining their vegetarian diet has made eating properly extremely difficult for Harmer and co., and the road manager discussed the importance of their "favourit, beat up, dirty old cooler where we keep our tofu hot dogs", as instrumental to the tour! Yumm...TOFU HOT DOGS! Harmer mentioned that being the opening band has made it become scarily, "too easy to kinda' drink all night". Hey, could this be the story of substance abuse I was hoping for? No, don't think so.
After interviewing and listening to Harmer and the rest of Weeping Tile on Cold Snap, there is no question that this is a talented band that should be bound for continued success and probably better things. My only worry is the choices they have made for releases of videos and singles. Clearly U.F.O. Rosie is single material, but Cold Snap is definitely questionable, as is Pushover which is slated for the U.S soon. Their best songs by far are not the rocking, screaming songs, but the more musical and small town rural sounding ones like "Good Fortune" and "In The Road". Perhaps her comment of Weeping Tile as a punk-type band was not a slip up after all? Maybe it has something to do with the popularity of punk music right now and the evils of large marketing companies and artists who listen to them? Probably not and for Weeping Tile's sake I hope not, because that, would be a real slip up.
