Preview
FORD PIER
Thursday, September 16
Ironwood
Notorious for his international tours with such artists as Veda Hille, Martin Tielli (Rheostatics), and Carolyn Mark, and his many collaborations with Canadian idols D.O.A., Jr. Gone Wilde, Tankhog, Neko Case and, of course, his NoMeansNo-affiliated supergroup, The Show Business Giants, Ford Pier is in imminent danger of becoming the next Art Bergman. For despite all of these would-be hangers-on Pier is known first and foremost as a solo artist.
"I’ve had to recruit some members of The Weakerthans to help me out on this tour," reports the urban hermit, Ford. "I’m very fortunate to have people who feel challenged and invigorated by playing something they never would have otherwise. And I’m really looking forward to hawking my tawdry wares with Carolyn Mark. It’s so good to be touring Canada again. The smoking ban spoiled New York for me, because now when you play the bars there you can really smell the piss."
Holding his breath against the stench of corruption, Pier forged his lonely way with his 1995 debut Meconium. A poetically-inclined, post-punk, country-blues troubadour, Pier has moved audiences from coast to coast with his engaging performances and rocking acoustic folk sets. His latest effort Pieric Victory, out on the rootin’-tootin’ Six Shooter record label, was a musical fruit that Pier found so laborious to cultivate that it has truly become a diamond in the rough.
"I didn’t necessarily have all the songs together, but that album has been sloshing around inside me for a long time," he says. "It was a 12-year process that really got rolling about three years ago. Sure, that’s a long time to get an album done, but I kept running out of money, and going off on tour, so it was done in fits and spurts, and I am subtly disappointed in every track. I have such a backlog of music inside me, that if I had the funds and resources I could do three more albums right now."
According to Pier, commuting between cities, earning a living, and cramming in production time with Tielli contributed to the "sessional" sound of Pieric Victory. The result is a less-cluttered approach, leaving more room for Pier to explore his own thoughts and rhythms without a lot of adornment or augmentation. Working with producer Michael-Phillip Wojewoda since early 2002, Pier has learned to trust in others, reluctantly handing over his material for some serious professional buffing and polishing. The result is as sweet-sounding and authentic as any folk-festival workshop.
"As produced as it is, it sounds less produced than my earlier album, 12 Step Plan, 11 Step Pier," says Ford. "When you’re in the right recording environment you could conceivably have 14 people in the same room and still produce an organic sound. It was very important to me that each song be shown in the best possible light, and that it informs the next and last song. I do approach it as composition, which sounds pompous, but from a songwriting perspective it was very pleasing for me. For Michael, it was the most hands-off project that he’s ever done. But I feel like I’ve never been so produced. So, we were both disappointed and the record is better for it."
Don’t get the wrong impression, high-tech gadgets and blow-dried publicity photos are not part of Pier’s portfolio. With tracks such as "Diaphanous Hairshirt," "Charmed, I’m Sure," and "For a Laugh" to his credit, it’s obvious that the self-deprecating Pier has a sense of humour that’s as sharp as his ear for harmony. Delving to the heart of the musical matter, he skilfully tugs the scarlet threads of emotion and stirs up a passion for foot-stomping bass lines and reckless abandon.
"I think too many live acts today are over-arranged," says Ford. "Our sound is not about studio magic. It’s a template for rocking out in a power trio format – cathartic and pure. Images of desolation in a major key. I hate lyric sheets – I think they’re a rotten idea. And I hate those people who get a triple box-set out of every romantic breakup. It’s shallow and stupid, and it doesn’t interest me at all. I figure that the only reason to make a record is because it’s missing from your own collection. I like listening to my records and I hope that enough other people find entertainment value in them to make me rich and famous. And you can keep the famous." |
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