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 :: INTERVIEW :: WADE MACNEIL
Posted byBomber on Friday, July 04 @ 12:22:59 CDT
Contributed by Bomber
Canada has produced some of the finest things out of North America. Ice Hockey, Poutine, Barenaked Ladies, and Alexisonfire. In no particular order of course. Dexter Ramone caught up with Alexisonfire axeman Wade MacNeil to talk about life with and without his AOF brethren and his most recent project, the solo effort that is Black Lungs whom has just released the awesome debut album 'Send Flowers'. Read More to check it out.
"I'm
on my way to Toronto, but its taking a lot longer than I figured, so
I'm sitting in a parking lot drinking Tim Horton's coffee."
MacNeil says, taking a sip of coffee. Travelling to Toronto to play
live in his new project Black Lungs which until recently
had taken a backseat to Alexisonfire.
"I just wanted to do something different. I had a whole bunch
of extra songs that wouldn't really fit with the sound of Alexis that
I didn't want to waste. No its not even just that, a lot of the songs
are a lot more personal than what I usually write about, and I don't
know how comfortable I would be playing the onstage if it wasn't me
singing them. It just wouldn't feel right."
The original line-up saw predominately Alexisonfire
members a few years ago when the project first got off the ground, with
Ratbeard Hastings and George Petit both being included.
"George was too busy getting stoned and Ratbeard likes to drink
Molson Canadian too much, so I needed to recruit people a little more
dedicated to the cause"
Since then, Liam from Cancer Bats and various musicians from Moneen
and Bedouin Soundclash have all played live in the project. One notable
name in the liner notes is the mysterious Sammi Bogdanski who recorded
the piano parts to the album.
"Sammi is my ex-girlfriends sister, so she was just involved
in the recording. Since then shit hit the fan and we aren't on the best
terms anymore!"
With the core sound being a mishmash of everything from punk to soul
to folk, it is a much more honest record than anything Alexis has released,
perhaps due to the clean vocals.
"I thought that the stripped down Billy Bragg approach would
be best for it. I am bearing a lot of things on the record that I wouldn't'
usually talk about, singing it clear respects these topics a lot more.
I heard someone use the term 'retrogurgitation' the other day to describe
punk music today, and I really liked the way it summed it up. There
are very few bands that are doing new things with the genre keeping
it fresh, preferring to rip off shit that has already been done for
a quick buck."
"Chemo doesn't work, radiation was a sin" is just
a small section of the very full on 'In Memory'.
"It's about my grandparents, and my grandfather moving in with
us in the last stages of his life. It's a memory that has always stuck
with me." explains Wade.
With this 'bare your heart for the world to see' approach to song writing,
it's hard not to compare the record to Dallas Greens - City And Colour,
even if the sound does differ greatly.
"He wasn't motivation for me to start the record or anything;
he is off doing his thing and I am doing mine. We don't really talk
when we aren't on tour with Alexis."
When asked about any Australian plans for Black Lungs, Wade said:
"I'm hoping to tour Australia after the England leg with Black
Lungs. It all depends on timing really. I'm definitely keen to get out
there though, Australian crowds have been really good to Alexis, and
I hope they enjoy this album too."
The more I talked with Wade, the more I felt that there was something
afoot with Alexisonfire that I didn't know about. With an album apparently
planned for next year according to other members of the band, Wade seemed
abrupt and uncooperative when the topics of Alexis came up.
"We'll see what happens..."
With that sort of mentality and the full on approach MacNeil is taking
with Black Lungs, the possibility of it becoming more than a side project
is more than a real one...
"We'll see what happens... Alexis hasn't broken up, but we'll
see what happens. We are at a crossroads now."
MacNeill is reputed to sensationalise in interviews, so I take that
with a grain of salt.
Interview by Dexter Ramone.
'Send Flowers' the debut album from Black Lungs
is instores now on Dine Alone through Shock
Records.
Buy Online from Play4me.com.au [Here]
|| Take a listen to tracks from the album [Here]
Watch the brand new video clip for 'Hold
Fast (Sink Or Swim) [Here]
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