>>PREVIEW
JULIE DOIRON
Monday, April 24
Broken City
You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.
Julie Doiron is a talented solo artist, but she won her Juno for the album she recorded with The Wooden Stars. She teamed with members of The Dinner is Ruined to back The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downey on his solo tour. And Doiron made a name for herself with whisper-soft laments that went head-to-head with ear-smashing lo-fi indie rock in Eric’s Trip.
That band broke up in 1996, but the four members – Doiron, Chris Thompson, Rick White and Marc Gaudet – aren’t done making music together. Doiron’s fans are already drooling over the fact that all the members of Eric’s Trip play on her latest solo album, which has been completed and will be released in October.
"Rick and I had been talking about recording together for quite awhile," says Doiron. "At the time, I just wanted to make music with them and not make it into a big deal."
But Doiron is quick to point out that this isn’t a reunion album. Gaudet and Thompson recorded their parts in Moncton, New Brunswick, then Doiron travelled from Sackville, Nova Scotia to finish up with White in his Ontario studio.
"I think we are afraid to do an Eric’s Trip record because it would be like giving in to something, even though we like playing together."
This isn’t Eric’s Trip 2.0, but Doiron says White’s love of psychedelia does colour some of the tracks, and Gaudet’s trademark drum fills flesh out the rhythm section.
The bad news is that when she hits the road this spring to tour, those guys won’t be backing her. The good news? She will be joined by Shotgun & Jaybird. Also hailing from Sackville, the band boasts Doiron on bass and songs that were so good that Doiron resurrected her Sappy Records label to reissue their album There Are Days and Then There Are Days.
"They are fun to play with because I can make no mistakes, it seems," she says, laughing. "Plus they like playing music, so it is nice to be with people like that."
But Doiron wasn’t content to simply put out their record. With her own release six months off, they were the main reason she decided to hit the road this spring.
"I wanted to bring Shotgun & Jaybird on tour because they have a new record out," she says.
But despite all the joy that she gets out of jamming with them, she does have another motive for heading cross-Canada.
"Well, it’s a good time to tour. And even though I don’t have an album out, I still need to pay the rent. I can’t do that just playing benefit shows in Sackville." |
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