Preview
Saturday, February 26
Broken City
People love telling their dirty little secrets to hairdressers. There’s just something about sitting in a stylist’s chair that puts a person in a confessional mood (perhaps it’s the head massages and close personal contact). It’s a phenomenon familiar to priests and bartenders as well– vocations that encourage people to bare their souls.
So, it’s not surprising to find out that alt-country singer Leeroy Stagger works as a hairstylist at Victoria’s Hive Hair Lounge. His day job gives him the unique opportunity to make some money while observing and listening to people – two invaluable skills for any up-and-coming songwriter.
"Lately, I’ve noticed I get inspiration by people and the things going on around me," says Stagger. "I love people-watching and noticing all the weird stuff they do. I’m lucky enough to have a wicked clientele."
Stagger grew up in a tiny, blue-collar town on Vancouver Island where he lived with his father and grandparents. He learned never to take anything for granted and developed a strong work ethic. After writing and playing music in several local punk bands, he soon discovered a love for country music. Stagger started playing solo three years ago and his second full-length album, Beautiful House, is a comfortable balance between punk and country music.
"I started really digging musicians like Steve Earle and Ryan Adams and could relate more to their songs than to the stuff I was writing with punk rock," he explains. "It was all made up and wasn’t from the heart and I just wanted to start writing music that was honest and earnest and more me. It just seemed natural."
The 21-year-old explains that the main reason he decided to quit playing punk rock was because he began to tire of the emphasis placed on image.
"The thing is with a lot of bands these days – which is weird because I was (the same) – they are so concerned about their image. Looking like The Strokes and sounding like Franz Ferdinand and shit. Everyone kind of forgets where they came from," he says.
Working in two genres that pride themselves on having humble roots and an independent spirit, the similarities between punk and country aren’t lost on Stagger. He says the most punk rock thing he has seen in the last 10 years is Steve Earle winning a Grammy for an album that quite literally tells the Federal Communications Commission to go fuck themselves. "I think that’s punk rock right there," he says.
Stagger remembers the first time he ever played solo. It was at a weekly hootenanny, hosted by crooner Carolyn Mark, who literally threw him up onstage.
"Carolyn Mark hosts (the hootenanny) every Sunday in Victoria," he says. "She basically said ‘I heard you’re writing songs,’ and she just threw a guitar in my hand and was like ‘You are going to play!’ It was horrible," he says. "I was out of key and my voice was cracking, but you know what? I did it."
The city has a very supportive music community, but Stagger adds that sometimes it can get a little claustrophobic.
"Victoria is a very small city and the (music) scene is very close-knit," he says. "So like my song ‘Just In Case,’ where I sing ‘Everyone in this town needs to just shut up,’ sometimes you get really frustrated and feel very closed in – like everyone’s talking about you."
Stagger is taking a breather from all that togetherness and heading down to Austin, Texas to take part in the annual South By Southwest music conference. He’s a bit overwhelmed by the invitation and admits that it’s always been one of his goals to play there. This past year has seemed like a dream for the young performer and he’s optimistic about where all this attention will lead.
"It feels cool because it’s still very indie and I’m still struggling to pay the rent. When I don’t have to worry about that, I’ll be able to relax and enjoy things a little more," he says. "But as it stands, everything just keeps moving along."
LEEROY STAGGER
Beautiful House
Boompa
· Give Leeroy some leeway.
Maybe you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you sure can pick a Ryan Adams fan out of a lineup. Victoria songwriter Leeroy Stagger bears an uncanny resemblance to Adams, right down to the fitted jean-jacket, tattoos and spiky black hair. The only things Stagger is missing are an indie-film queen girlfriend and an out-of-control drug problem. But don’t hold that against him. Who hasn’t dressed up like their favourite rock star at one time or another? I once wore a K-way windbreaker for an entire year so I would look like a member of Pavement.
Beautiful House may not be anything new in terms of style, but it is an honest and youthful take on an often redundant genre. The album sits squarely in alt-country territory and makes use of all the usual suspects – banjo, pedal steel and piano. And while I would normally cringe at song titles like "House of Sin" and "Sweet Liza Jane," Stagger never comes across as being corny.
Twenty-one-year old Stagger’s raspy vocals suit the record, and he proves to be a capable songwriter – switching from desperation to indignation with a well-chosen word or phrase. Produced and recorded by Ottawa musician Danny Michel (who also plays on the album), Beautiful House is carefully fussed over. However, Stagger picks away at the surface with a voice that sounds like it has smoked one too many cigarettes, and pumps some fresh blood into songs about heartfelt angst.
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