>>PREVIEW
DAVE LANG
Friday, December 23
Broken City
Dave Lang’s songs capture the complexity of relationships with catchiness and wit while delving into the lesser-known elements of small town life. The Regina-based singer-songwriter seems to be most comfortable trolling around in the murk of the human heart.
"I like the middle, the grey middle. There’s more to a small town than savant mechanics and date-raping truck drivers," he says during a telephone interview from Victoria.
"I hate clichés. Sometimes it’s fine to pick something and rail against it. But, the grey areas, they tend to be more interesting stories."
The CD Live from Quonset has something from a broad range of genres, from upbeat punk riffs to the comfortable twangs of the country tracks. There are witty observations on everything from creamsicles to breakups and the mood shifts from rowdy to poignant. Lyrically, the songs are sharp observations of the ruddy simplicity of prairie life.
Lang’s sensitivity is tempered with a ready humour that is disarming, even on the phone. He notes that it’s a blessing and a curse to see the world with a bit of a smirk.
"I don’t think you should have your foot on the monitor unless you’re laughing," he says, but points out his humour isn’t always appreciated.
"Someone once said, as they were breaking up with me, that everything always had to be fun with me. I’m pretty sure it was meant as an insult."
His intellect comes across both in his music and in conversation and he expresses some frustration at what he calls the "dumbing down" of the media.
"It’s not good because it’s boring and boring is no fun at all."
He adds that mainstream radio is in a state of blandness and fear of controversy.
"I’ve run into a lot of censorship. We’re going through a really conservative period, which is fine because it’s challenging," he says.
In keeping with his humour, Lang says being a musician is much like being a farmer and tells a joke to illustrate his point:
"A Saskatchewan farmer wins a million dollars and when the reporter asks him how he’s going to spend all that money, he says, ‘I’m gonna keep on farming until the money runs out.’"
Moving inland to Regina from Victoria raised a few eyebrows among his friends and colleagues, but Lang says his creative juices flow freely in the prairie city. He likens the lifestyle to that of a holiday residence.
"It’s not very hip," he says. "It’s kind of like having a cabin. You don’t complain about the quality of the restaurant in town. Instead, you celebrate the fact there is a restaurant in town."
Touring with Matt Masters and Casey Ryder has created an opportunity for Lang to wear several hats onstage. In addition to singing his own songs, he provides backup guitar for the other two, creating a touring dream team of sorts.
"It’s four guys doing three bands," he says.
Despite the long hours in tour buses and late nights at greasy diners, Lang is most in his element on the road.
"I love touring," he says. "It’s my favourite thing to do."
Rather than pining for home over the holidays, Lang plans on spending an orphan Christmas in Victoria with his close friends.
His latest disc, Big Mountain Indian Plains, on Bush Party Records, is due out early in 2006 and Lang says it is more focused and has a slower pace than his previous work.
"It’s the first record I’ve ever made that doesn’t have the word ‘fuck’ in it," he says. |
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