>>PREVIEW
Friday, February 3
Broken City
Sitting across from Hot Little Rocket(HLR) front man Andrew Wedderburn on a chilly Thursday night, it’s clear he’s brimming with sonic energy whilst sipping on a large mug of Planet espresso. After nine years as one of Calgary’s best regarded bands, Wedderburn says they’re finally settling into themselves.
"With each subsequent recording that we’ve done, it has gotten closer to how I’ve always wanted it. I’ve never been so happy with the music we’re making," he says.
That, coupled with the fact they’ll be creating the tracks for their next record with rock ’n’ roll engineering icon Steve Albini, is cause for celebration.
"The reason we’re doing it is he’s our favourite and he makes the records that we love sound the way that they do," he says. "I’m excited to go to Chicago because it will feel like we’re really doing it for real. Not to say that we haven’t been doing it for real already. But, it’s the studio. All these bands that I love made all these records that I love there," Wedderburn says, referring to the likes of Nirvana, PJ Harvey and the Pixies.
Growing up in a band within the confines of a mid-sized Canadian city has presented its share of angst for Wedderburn and bandmates Aaron Smelski, Joel Raye and Patrick May (who replaced bassist Mark McCarthur last year). Yet, Wedderburn maintains a progressive attitude.
"You get a sense growing up in a band in Calgary that there’s kind of two different worlds. There’s the real band world where they tour around and they get attention and they make music," he notes. "You can get trapped in your own psychological defeat."
He’s quick to point to Vailhalen and The Pants Situation as examples of Calgary musicians who are creating their own rock ’n’ roll reality, without waiting for direction or complaining about lack of support.
Tossing back a few on a Wednesday at the Ship, or the Drum and Monkey, or any given weekend at Broken City, proves his point. Calgarians are embracing live music in droves.
Indeed, these are heady times for Hot Little Rocket – they played in front of 10,000 people as part of the MIDI festival in Beijing this year. Wedderburn says watching soldiers march in formation, mixed in with teenagers in Nirvana T-shirts buying pirated CDs from booths, was a bit freaky but stimulating. He also self-effacingly notes he broke a guitar string during the first song.
In order to cover the cost of studio time and travel expenses, HLR are staging a "blatant money grab" at Broken City on February 3. Having sponsors is taking a big load off the financial burden of travelling to Chicago and Wedderburn is understandably gushy as he lists off the businesses that have contributed.
Preparing to mix music with one of rock’s most prolific and enduring sound engineers may sound a bit daunting, but Wedderburn says they’ve already spent two days with Al Irving in his northeast studio, putting together five songs. They plan to have eight or nine by the time they hit the Windy City in February.
Giving all his energies to his craft comes naturally for Wedderburn and his passion for music resonates naturally in conversation.
"I wouldn’t have it any other way. Rock ’n’ roll can have all the best years of my life."
Despite recent successes, or perhaps because of them, Wedderburn is more determined than ever to push himself and his band to the limit.
"I want to be scared again. I want to see more people, and I want to be alarmed at the prospect of not entertaining them and to have to overcome that challenge."
Will having Steve Albini as the sound engineer equal the big time for Hot Little Rocket? Wedderburn is cautiously optimistic.
"There’s no guarantees, but you hope that people notice."
Attending a Hot Little Rocket show feels a lot like going home. Familiar faces from across Calgary’s independent scene mingle with up-and-comers and thrill seekers. When the band plays, crowds respond warmly to Wedderburn’s unsettling, impassioned voice and Hot Little Rocket’s intellectualized and emotive rabid rock sound.
He laughs and shifts nervously on his stool when asked to sum up their music.
"We’re a rock ’n’ roll band," he says with a shrug. "If our sound is difficult to nail down, then we’re doing something right." |
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