PREVIEW
NORTH OF AMERICA
Saturday, April 19
The Night Gallery
Given the political unrest dominating TV screens, the latest record from Halifax post-punk vets North of America could be construed as a battle cry.
From the opening shouts of "Get up and get on" to the mid-album inquiry "Where will you go when no one leads you?" Brothers, Sisters could be easily read as a political announcement. But when asked if the stop-start jerk of "Wet To Dance" is a wartime allegory, guitarist Mike Mullane answers with a vehement "No."
"We have our own feelings, but we definitely never made any conscious decision for our band to be a political vehicle," Mullane says, adding that his original intention with the song was to describe a group of art students who play scrappy art rock just for the sake of creating something.
"It doesn't mean much at all," he says.
Mullane’s description of the band’s songwriting process clarifies their apolitical stance.
"We never address too many heavy topics in our songs," he says. "Usually they are just loose metaphors strung together. We have had so many people come up and ask us what our lyrics are about and it is so interesting to hear what they have to say. With the war coverage, ‘Wet To Dance’ could definitely be perceived as a political song, but that’s the good part – our lyrics are so loose that everyone can take little bits and make them their own."
Given the band’s approach to songwriting, the individual tracks may not have as much to say as the entire album. Drenched in cold, wet imagery, Brothers, Sisters chides inactivity.
"The major thing that I found after the album was done and I finally got to hear what the guys were screaming about, was that it was a rally call," says Mullane.
Given the band’s disappointment with their previous record, This is Dancefloor Numerology, Brothers, Sisters returns to the group’s previously established trajectory. Still, there are a few small changes. With the addition of a new bass player, North of America kick up their frenetic brand of off-kilter post-punk, also adding shout-along choruses and stunning female back up vocals.
"We definitely made a concerted effort to get away from the heavier stuff we did on Dancefloor, make it less screaming and make it more melodic, trying to get back to the stuff that we truly enjoy playing. There is definitely an effort to make our songs catchier on this record. Getting a female voice in there and harmonizing, that is stuff we have never done," Mullane says.
While North of America are blissfully content to revel in the music rather than the message, the band still subtly asserts its Canadian identity. Referencing "the cursed north" in their music and their name, North of America take their universal sound and layer in a nationalistic pride that makes them that much more appealing.
"When we named the band North of America, we wanted to have a strong Canadian identity – there weren't a lot of Canadian bands making the kind of music that we started out to make like there is now. Taking it back to the political thing, right now I couldn't think of a better name to have." |
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