54-40

Part 1

0:00So near with Dave from 5440 first off I wanted to talk about the name of the band 5440 obviously You're new to the band so you weren't originally there when it came out But there's a dash in the middle of it. There's a star in the middle of there's a little dot on the internet sometimes How is it actually like what's the way to do it? I? Don't think it makes a difference. I mean 5440 comes from the political slogan from the 1800s 5440 or fight you know the history of this yeah, I've read on the bio This is this is sort of from your grade 10 Canadian history course Edward Polk who was the president of United States in the early 1800s Had his platform for a re-election of 5440 or fight which was a Longitude and latitude of where they wanted to put the Canadian American border somewhere around a lask of panhandle actually

0:50Yeah, as opposed to the 49th parallel where it is right now So it's a little bit of a it's a little bit of a political slogan Swogan earring from the early 1800s a lot of people don't aren't aware of it It's funny because when I first heard of the band I'd already had I'd already taken history 10 and so I knew what it was But it's surprising how many people ask History so you would probably skip that class Just want to talk quickly mention this before but Matt good you left Matt good band 5440 now what happened do you like his new record? Are you pleased with where he's going with what you're doing? And I pleased with what I'm doing absolutely are you pleased with the way he's gone? Have you heard the new record at all? It's still I've only heard the singles. Yeah, what do you think?

1:38Typical Matt good stuff. I think it looks good on me. I Think so too. Oh, thank you very much. I appreciate that You know the thing with the thing with Matt is that I did six years with him and Creative relationships burn, you know creative relationship within a band is is a business relationship. It's a musical relationship Hopefully it's a friendship and you're tied together at the hip you know your roommates and your womb mates and your van mates and you're just around each other all the time and Creative people musicians artists tend to be very intense individuals so relationships burn after a while I wish him all the luck and you know he's got a good solo career going for him and I'm on to other things. Yeah, you know so I know that I'm a lot happier person now and

2:26From what I hear he is as well Let's play a tune right now. Give a listen or something. I mean your choice something off a Mac good I'm something off 54 40. What do you want to hear something off the new 54 40 record? Which we're really proud of the first singles called easy to love so why don't you play easy to love? Getting those songs sounds a bit like AC DC. Yes. Thank you very much. I'll take that as a compliment

6:30After they call me in any other way, you know if you're going to borrow from a band I think it should be AC DC don't you because everybody loves AC DC and I certainly do Yeah, that band that song sort of came about from Wanting to write a real rock and roll song You know a real simple rock song that was simple and direct people could wrap their heads around it You know when you when they first heard it a song where people could sing the chorus this by the second chorus You know that was immediate and I think we achieved that it's been doing really well in radio and I think the second single Golden Sun is a little bit more challenging, but I think we'll have a little bit more staying power You know when that's gonna be released to radio or TV or anything. I know the video for easy to love just came out So it's gonna be a little while

7:15Yeah, I think they're talking about late August maybe okay late August We just the video for easy to love has just gone to much more music and has been added into medium rotation And it's so it's we're really happy with it. It's really cool video. So for all you listeners out there if you get a chance Email and phone much music can request it and hopefully they'll play it a little more and we'll be able to get back to your fine city Sooner rather than later do you guys keep up on all that stuff like how much music's playing it how the radio's playing it? Oh, yeah, we get sort of emails from the label every week I sort of send us the chart numbers and and where things are charting and where things are getting played So we have a rough idea of what's going on, but I think it's a little poisonous to pay too much attention to that stuff You know essentially you're making music primarily for yourself

8:02And then after that for your real diehard fans and and a lot of the time You know your real diehard fans don't need to listen to radio to hear your stuff the radio is sort of vehicle to Get your music out to people who maybe aren't aware of you or maybe have Been distracted over the last few years or maybe didn't know that I was with the band or whatever Whereas the diehard fans have all run out and bought the record in the first couple of weeks. So You know we pay some attention to it, but not too much Cool they let you write on the sound yeah, they let me write Kind of says in the bio. I mean they they allowed you to influence them musically this time. Yeah, I think well as Neil says Bringing me into the band was like now He knows how Keith Richards gets how Keith Richards feels when he gets a blood transfusion if I were to be

8:51Compared to somebody's blood. I wouldn't want it to be Keith Richards. That's for sure, but I think it was very Exciting for them to after you know having the same lineup for 23 years or whatever it's been To have somebody new to come in. I really wanted to sort of just fit into the template of the band I said I said to them You know I'll just try and fit into the modus operandi that you guys already have and Neil just said no Don't do that bring your own thing in and we'll make it work and it was surprising to all of us how How quickly and effectively Everything came together in the writing process. It was just a really pleasurable experience from the from the very beginning of the writing Process to the to the mixing stage of the album and we're very proud of the record I think it stands as some of the band's best work and some of my best work as well Is that what you're saying check in just now? It's the new stuff. Yeah, we're saying we played

9:38Yeah, we're still working some of the new stuff into the set but we're we get requests for uh, we get requests for asaholic at just about Every show somebody else that's a whole like so we're we're practicing that one a little bit as well We haven't played that in about a year and a half or so Mostly because it's very high and hard to sing it's hard to sing it every night, right? You can't blow your voice out on it, but so many people are requesting it that we're gonna try it tonight Oh nice little surprise with fans. Yeah, hopefully I know there's a guy that falls around southern ontario yelling asaholic at every show And I talked to him last week in bala and I said you know what we'll pick it up for you next week if you come to the cambridge So show so he'll be standing up front yelling asaholic and then we'll play it and hopefully he'll You know away from the screen uh, he'll probably start screaming right from the beginning and that's not till halfway this through the set

10:23So he'll uh, he'll be in heaven and he'll start yelling the same name of some other song after that I'm sure what's it like to have diehard fans like that Like is that cool for a band when a band when someone like I think it's a bit creepy if someone followed me around every show But I mean for you guys it's probably great. You know what it means it means something to them You know, um, that's the thing about 5440 and that's what the appeal was to me when they asked me to play with them and and to join the band was that you know Neil has written so many great songs that uh really resonate with people and um That you can't you can't buy that kind of creativity, you know He's a real smart lyric writer and he writes about what he feels and and what he lives and uh People latch onto it. So when people fall you around to from show to show you just take it as a compliment, you know?

11:10And for the most part and people aren't too creepy, you know, um, you know, most musicians are creepier than your average fan anyway Anybody in the band? No, actually not in this band I wasn't referring to this band when I say creepy, but uh, this band's all everybody has done You know, they worked out their differences years ago um, they're very happy to still be doing this 25 years down the line and um Generally everybody just backs, you know Bends over backwards in order to make it a pleasurable experience for everybody else involved and that's so that's a real luxury Cool. I assume you were a fan of the band before you started in them. Absolutely. Yeah, uh the green record uh the first Warner Brothers record with baby ran and uh I go blind on it came out when I was in grade 12 It was very much the soundtrack to my grade 12 year and I'm a Vancouver boy and they're a Vancouver band

11:58so they were they really sort of showed me that it was possible to live in vancouver and play in a band and uh Put out records and tour and enjoy all the success that comes along with putting out good quality creative work And you have to understand that when the bands were started out they were they were an alternative band before alternative meant from seattle, you know And uh they were doing something that was innovative and different than what was that you know What they were doing was very much a reaction to the sort of pap that was on the radio at the time um It's funny that they sort of they they started out by uh being sort of fighting against classic rock and then over a 25 year period They sort of became classic Canadian rock classic Canadian alternative rock is what they call it But uh or modern rock whatever that means

12:46Yeah labels you like labels for music? Well, I understand that they uh I understand that they have a purpose so that people can sort of know what it is before they go to the store and get it But uh Uh, I don't choose to label What I do no matter what band I'm playing in or what format i'm working under it's just it's all music to me You know, it's all rock and roll definitely. Have you ever played with them before? I should let's play tune right now What do you want to hear off the new record? Uh golden sun is our second single and it came basically out of a jam and uh It goes over it's the one that seems to be going over best live. It's the crowd real crowd favorite I think we mostly play it in the on core now so uh It's got kind of a scoff feel and it's it's so it's a weird little tune, but I really like it cool

18:00So near a day from 54 40 Do you ever play with them before when you were in a young band? Maybe with matthew good band or maybe before that in another band? Uh matthew good band played a couple of times with 54 40 Once we played at the plazave nations in uh vancouver And once we played just outside of winnipeg in a big summer festival outside both big outside shows And uh, you know the thing you the thing you realize when you go see 54 40 is that they just got so many songs you recognize Right, they just call out hit after hit after hit after hit Um, so yeah, but I mean I'd seen them 10 15 times before that I mean i'd always been a fan right through the 80s and 90s. So it's just uh It's like when i'm when i'm on from stage playing some of those old songs. It's like my high school dream come true It's like i'm jumping out around in front of the mirror playing in tennis racket or something but there's actual people there watching me

18:51When did you start playing guitar? I was eight. I started playing guitar. I played piano before that. Cool. I was gonna say um All you're holding a tar pick. That's right. Do you always carry a guitar pick around it? Yeah, I just you know I I just did get off sound check But I do have a tar pick in my hand a lot of times. I don't I don't like to have uh, I don't like to be without a A guitar pick on my person somewhere, but I don't wear a watch Okay, that's my that's my trade off I don't like to know what time it is but I like to know that I can play guitar at any time Oh, well, that's pretty good. We do this thing. I'll show every week all five questions five quick questions one word answer Okay, I pod or cd I pod alcohol and marijuana Both landon and mccourtney landon song you've written the year most proud of that's really hard Song i've written that i'm most proud of

19:41Um Easy to love cool one word 54 40 Legitimacy cool Dave. Thanks so much appreciate it. Thank you matt. Thank you for doing this. Let's uh, let's play another song your choice Uh off the new record the this is here. This is now very personal song from niel and I think extremely beautiful Thank you so much. Thank you

Part 2

0:00Burmese stocks and Willie socks though. You got to have Willie socks. It's a good song for Socks well let's start there. So I heard you went to the studio not too long ago in January to record some new tunes that correct Yes, yeah, we well we're still in and out of the studio. Oh, when we ever get time I was Doing that Monday and Tuesday. Oh, right? So it was what are the themes of the new record? What are you writing about? What's how far along are you a question a whole bunch of questions? Yeah, I don't know it's got a good energy though It's really up as the last one was maybe too introspective. It was a little darker than last one. Yeah This one is is not that and that's kind of what we do we we react against the last thing we did well last one was put out End of which regime long before sentiments on it. Yeah, so is this a new hopeful kind of thing? I don't know that it's hopeful. It's just more fun, you know

0:47More fun as a band together and more fun sounding for a listener more fun sounding more energy more just yeah Live in instead of analyzing. Mm-hmm. So what are you writing about? I? Love the usual stuff. Yeah, I'm loving and many colors just like a rainbow just like your rainbow. All right What about production work? Who's producing it for you? Well, what Dave and I are doing it with Dave Ogleby who did our very first record. Oh, wow, okay? So it's a lot of fun sort of going back to the old memories, you know Well going back you've been doing the green album tour. Yeah, that's still going on. He did the green record Oh, okay, so we're sort of back to Where we started it's kind of fun. How come that seems to be the new concert thing of playing your records in entire?

1:33That seems to be the new yeah, yeah kind of thing. Yeah, I don't know how come I mean in our case You know we were talking about that it was 30 years since we started as a band. Does it feel like there? not really no and 25 years since We've started we recorded this record the first record the green right yeah 25 year anniversary that and then yeah I mean it's been done a lot of people have been doing this kind of stuff, you know, redoing their albums or whatever That's okay. I enjoy it from my perspective. I you know, I haven't seen one of those acts But from playing it it's just fun. It's fun to sort of reinterpret though, you know step in those old shoes, right? Get out the old cape and mask

2:19Be a superhero from When I was 20,000 right so is that still gonna be going on throughout the summer or was that just a spring thing? That's just the shows it'll be going on for the rest of the year It'll it'll be just shows that seem to be suited to that environment So theater or you know someplace that we can you know, we do a lot of summer festivals So it's not really like right over the whole rodeo and it'll just you ha let's hear some I play the heads and all that stuff. Yeah on that topic those setlists for a show. I mean 14 records that's on right I think at this point it's 12 original albums And a couple other compilations I guess what whatever it is a lot of tunes to skim through for a set. Yeah Yeah, well, we we we play that whole first record, which is only nine songs and then we try to touch on at least

3:07Well almost one song of every record sometimes we don't even get to do that Are there songs that'll always no matter what day and day out you got to throw in the set Kinda. Yeah. Yeah, we don't have a problem with that. You know, we got a play ocean pearl Why I go blind, but that is also part of the green record, right? I remember when When we first released that record You know a few months in and we had a fairly big photo and we played the Commodore and we didn't play I go blind Just feel like it right a lot of fans got upset never since then we've always played it Yeah, you gotta appease him. Yeah, I guess Dylan's the only one who just doesn't care and displays what a really wants I guess so well even if he plays the hits you don't recognize him. No, not anymore. Yeah, but Neil young

3:54You know I saw him sure he played all his hits which was great. He both right he'll go off and do weird stuff Mm-hmm for a tour and then he'll play everything you want to hear I know so you just gotta try and catch that one. Is that what you grew up on Neil young that kind of stuff one of the things Yeah, well, what did you grow up on what were some of the records that that made you decide? This is what I want to do with my life. Oh Well, that would have the group decision. Oh, yeah, that would have been you know the punk new wave thing that happened in late 70s early early 80s, you know bands like the clash Or big influence on me And then stuff that sort of came after that like the cue and the bunny man and that kind of thing That makes more sense for the older because you seem to have branched out a lot from that in recent years

4:43But you know I had older brothers and sisters I mean I remember when my brother brought home the first two lights up on records first doors record You know beetle let it be you know all these records I remember I remember when they announced the Beatles broke up, you know on the radio Dating myself that's all right and me and my friend were going wow This is like one of the saddest days, you know and looking back It really was other than when John Lennon got shot sadder, but you know on the topic of those bands Mick Jagger I was reading an interview with them. He said it's funny cuz bands don't really make money anymore off record sale It's changed the beer leave but he said 70 to 97. That's when bands made money on record sale Yeah, well in general, that's when bands yeah, that's when you could make money off music. Yes Well, they they still do yeah sure they well well they I'm sure they're doing fine

5:30But for most bands especially Canadian acts yeah, I was reading about them and and because they're reassuring exile on Main Street Yeah in those days they made money from records What's your take on the industry now and for younger bands coming up because I know you're working with you What are you other bands we're gonna do is we're gonna we're gonna We're gonna be way ahead of the game. Oh are you okay? Release a CD before they stop releasing CDs We'll be vintage we'll be boot boutique before they deliminate them It's funny because you know back in the day when we signed with Warner Brothers You know our second album we did with them which was called show me They said we're gonna do a limited run of CDs right and then Years later with Sony. It's like we might do a limited run of vinyl

6:17You know really going back. Yeah, so what else sounds better? It's warm. I love vinyl, but are you very good record collector? I have two record players and I have Well, I'm down to you know, maybe a hundred albums 100 albums I heard you want to do a hundred songs for was that still a goal to put a hundred song record? Yeah, yeah, well we've got We got ten more in the works and they're still quite a wordy Something in a can in the can and then we did 12 so you know, we're about halfway there is that the next record is gonna be this 100 song record that I keep hearing about This is all the one it's the 100 song project. It's not also it's over. Yeah over time. Yeah, okay Well, you got to be close to a hundred now over the course of career. No, no, no not since the last record was the start of the

7:04Oh, really? Yeah, okay So we're about halfway there You know, we'll probably do one more album and then I think techno like you say how does what's the business? I think technology is gonna Make it so the albums don't make sense Artistically, it seems like artists still want to do albums even though there's no real album I'm saying right you go on iTunes and buy a song or a group of songs Maybe a little bit cheaper to get the whole collection of the new stuff It's it's sort of an old concept. It doesn't make sense in a way Mm-hmm. If that makes any sense. No, it did well it did for a long time And now it seems to be going back to what the 50s were right just a couple singles here and there Yeah, maybe put out a compilation after a couple months, right? Well, I'm just trying to say that the medium doesn't justify

7:51the An album. Mm-hmm. Do you want to make an album though? Is that something like when you want? Oh, yeah That's that's how we think right because you know for us You know, we still view ourselves as Artists in the sense that what we create is an expression of our experience of the last couple records or years or whatever, right? Mm-hmm like I said earlier that This is the end to the system of the last record, which was the end to the system of the one before, you know, it's always trying to you know When you swim in the water you want to come out and dry off in the Sun and then you go back in the water, you know So this record will be in the Sun last one in the water. Well, that's the dark light thing, too You go what about production what what are you working on with other bands? Well, I'm doing the blue violet second record because my daughter's bands two daughters band right and Louise from x-lilix

8:48What am I doing look at this guy named Mike Edel I think it's okay might work with him Been doing some writing did it roarsawing yesterday with Jesse Farrell country. Oh, okay. Nice. It's good song You know kicking around trying different genres trying different things. I'm kind of open for business, but without really, you know Lying's I'm close to my cappuccino machine Well, thank you. Yeah