>>PREVIEW
JOEL PLASKETT EMERGENCY
Saturday, May 13
Hifi Club
When Halifax native and former Thrush Hermit lead man Joel Plaskett ventured into the Arizona desert to record his latest work, a DVD/EP combo entitled Make a Little Noise, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve as an artist. Coming down off a low-fi high that saw him produce four indie-rock-solid albums in a row – two with his band The Joel Plaskett Emergency, (Down to the Khyber and Truthfully, Truthfully) and two solo albums (In Need of Medical Attention and most recently La De Da), the intrepid singer-songwriter (he hates being called that, by the way) was more than ready to generate some fresh ideas and bring them to life.
"It’s good to be working with the band again," says Joel Plaskett of his current arrangement. "We’ve been working on some new material, so we decided to release it with a DVD of a lot of live performances and all our videos, including footage of last year’s La De Da tour, which had full band arrangements. The CD is all new material – Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar even came in to perform on one of the tracks for us. It was all part of the ever-changing plan, it all depends how and when a song presents itself to us."
Looking back at a still developing career studded with both rampant success and relative obscurity, Plaskett is eager to take on new challenges armed with his musical weapons of choice – unapologetic honesty and old fashioned rock ’n’ roll.
"The way this tour is coming together, it’s not entirely a greatest hits show, but it is a retrospective of sorts. It’s fun to play certain songs in a certain context. We’ll review all five of the records – supporting our new CD is key, but I also like to throw in a few solo numbers to give the rest of the band a respite. I like to roll with the momentum of the crowd."
According to Plaskett his flexibility as an artist was put to the test as he was faced with the realization that he couldn’t do it all himself. For him, it was a personal boundary that he had jealously guarded as the distinguishing mark of an independent artist. Gradually, Plaskett learned to relinquish and delegate various responsibilities surrounding his music and found that it actually facilitated his creativity in unanticipated ways.
"It was a slow curve of letting go for me," Plaskett explains. "Over the past few years I’ve discovered that a lot of these things just take up too much of my time. Foresight makes things easier. For example, I spent years going from project to project, never planning for time off. Now I can do that. I’m excited about my music and I care about my players. But I can also appreciate my life, and just write."
Ever-conscious of the ebb and flow of creative energies between band members and their audiences, a stage-savvy Plaskett knows when to hold back or turn up the juice at just the right moment. His penchant for writing deep introspective lyrics combined with his explosive vocal talents make him a dynamic yet engaging front man who appeals to a wide range of listeners.
"I really love singing and I have a lot to draw on from our body of work when we’re putting together a set list. Sometimes I come out swinging, you know. Other times the setting is a more quiet room, so I’ll launch into a placid epic tune that reflects upon the two years I spent working alone in a vault in the public archives in Nova Scotia." |
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.