>>PREVIEW
APOSTLE OF HUSTLE
Saturday, May 12
Hifi Club
There’s something familiar about the music of Apostle of Hustle. The not-so-side project of Broken Social Scene (BSS) guitarist Andrew Whiteman is much like the man himself – understated, poetic, friendly but just a little elusive. Like any musician answering stock questions from gushing music journalists, Whiteman has little to say. Ask him how his latest offering National Anthem of Nowhere compares to his critically acclaimed Folkloric Feel and Whiteman answers,
"The vocals are a bit louder."
Ask him about his time in Cuba and he says,
"That was awhile ago."
Much has been made of Whiteman’s time spent in Havana prior to the creation of Apostle of Hustle. Although there’s certainly Cuban-esque percussion and a horn section, and an appearance by Federico Garcia Lorca, the Cuban influence is more felt than really heard. Whiteman admits that Cuba is really just one of the many things that helped shape the album.
It seems to be more the musicians that make appearances on the album. Though at its core Apostle of Hustle is a trio featuring drummer Dean Stone and bassist Julian Brown, the group still shares the collaborative aspect that worked so well for BSS. Whiteman goes so far as to liken the process of finding the right musicians to just tapping a family member on the shoulder.
"It’s family choices really," admits Whiteman. "If we wanted horns it’s going to Evan Cranley. Liam from the Stills is family and an unbelievable musician. Lisa, who is a fantastic singer and collaborator is a team player, too. I can’t say enough good stuff about Lisa."
National Anthem of Nowhere does read like a who’s who of the Canadian indie scene – Liam O’ Neil from the Stills, Evan Cranley and Chris Seligman from Stars, Martin Davis Kinack of Sam Roberts, Sarah Harmer and Calgarian chanteuse (also of BSS fame), Lisa Lobsinger. But certainly it is the presence of percussionist Daniel Stone on almost all the tracks playing conga, bongo and the caja (a box drum prevalent in Cuban musical traditions) that colours the album throughout.
"We were just in a position where we could grab a week of his time," says Whiteman. "Daniel lives down the street from me. We’re neighbours. He plays in a couple bands here in Toronto in the Latin scene, and I’m a fan. Toronto’s lucky that way. There’s a lot of different music happening all the time, and you can usually find something good." |
Copyright ©2007 FFWD. All rights reserved.