Andrew Barr interview on Land of Talk, 04.10.10

This interview was conducted on the busy steps of the Church of the Redeemer at a corner where secular, religious and anthropological interests intersect. Having sadly missed the triumphant return of Lizzie Powell's Land of Talk (after a harrowing throat injury that forced a period of rest and repositioning) despite being ticketed (it's a long story) I wanted to piece together the setlist at least.

In the end our conversation ranged from the night's specific repertoire, Lizzie's ordeal, their meeting and relationsip, the band's recorded output, lineup changes and direction for the future.

LB: Do you remember what the setlist was the other night (Lee's Palace, 04.08.10)?

AB: Land of Talk? I could probably recall the whole setlist.

LB:Yeah, dish it out.

AB: It was bits and pieces of scattered records, we played Cornerphone which I think it’s the last song off of Some Are Lakes, which is one that we just started playing it’s been around for about 3 years and we never really played it. It’s kind of the fiercest, it’s probably the fiercest song in the repertoire, we opened with that. Then some older tunes, Magnetic Hill and Summer Special off of Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss. Then Some Are Lakes off Some Are Lakes. Lots of songs off all the records May You Never off of the EP (Fun and Laughter).

LB: What about Breaxxbaxx, No Breaxbaxx?

AB: We didn’t play Breaxxbaxx, we played uhm, Speak To Me Bones.

LB: I would expect the fans really want to hear Magnetic Hill, Breaxxbaxx, Some Are Lakes, Speak To Me Bones.

AB: Yeah those are the anthems. Speak To Me Bones was nice because we took a break from that one for about a year because that was the one that kind of – we kind of pinpointed that was the one that pushed Lizzie over the top.

LB: Really.

AB: Yeah there’s like a, she really screams at the end of that one she really found a new place in her voice, she healed her throat, they told her maybe she needed surgery but she just really did her own form of therapy and really healed herself which is great.

LB: So did we get through the set there?

AB: There was also Trouble.

LB: Newer or older?

AB: Older it’s off of Some Are Lakes, and It’s Okay off of Some Are Lakes which there’s a killer video for right now it’s up for a Juno- it’s really nice. For the encore, we did also the uhm, there’s a few more in there, one of the nice ones was Thirteen by Big Star.

LB: Because of Chilton passing.

AB: Because Chilton passed away and that was real nice, we just played it acoustically around a mic, it was nice because the crowd was raging but when we played that they were all silent and Lizzie really sang that one great.

LB: And when did you meet Lizzie?

AB: I met Lizzie when I moved to Montreal, I moved in with my girlfriend...

LB: ...which you still say like Mon-tree-all

AB: Montreal

LB: Yeah, it’ll never leave don’t worry...

AB: I moved in with my girlfriend and uh...

LB: What was the circumstance of your meeting her?

AB: My girlfriend?

LB: No Lizzie.

AB: It was through Michael Felber as all great connections in Montreal.

LB: Who is he to you?

AB: Michael is a magical lad, he did the last tour that Land of Talk did he was playing bass.

LB: Oh, he’s your merch guy who’s playing some supplemental playing.

AB: Exactly. We formed a little band me and Brad and Felber and Lizzie called Sister Brother.

LB: Yeah I remember you were playing the covers and shit.

AB: And so that’s how I met Lizzie. So Bucky decided to leave the band and he was a good friend of mine and we were all friends so they asked me if I’d make the record Some Are Lakes and then I joined the band.

LB: This is kind of an embarrassing thing to ask you personally, given everything that Lizzie went through and knowing you personally I was less concerned than some because I knew if I were to have to go through something like that I would be happy to have someone like you in my corner. I don’t know how that...

AB: You mean the vocal thing?

LB: Yeah I mean the vocal thing, yeah but I mean, you know as well as I do that the best bands are like fellow sojourners- you happen to be in a couple of bands with your own brother (Barr Bros.) and an honorary brother in the form of Friedman (The Slip).

AB: Yeah

LB: I would think you have a kind of voyaging together mentality with Lizzie and that you helped her navigate those waters, which was probably tricky.

AB: It was great man it was a great time, because when her voice went you know we finished doing some touring and then we just took time to write, like she wrote alot of stuff we worked out alot of songs together we ended up basically making two records we made the EP and we just finished a new full length which will come out in the fall. So really it was downtime but we were all seeing each other alot and she was writing alot, she didn’t let it stop her from being a super-creative musician and there, nobody lost any faith.

LB: I didn’t mean loss of faith, I just mean you’re a human first and a musician second and I could just see you being a good person to have in her corner, again.

AB: That’s nice to hear, yeah everybody was really supportive. It was a good break actually, sometimes you go so strong and every time you kinda wanna take a break there’s a new opportunity that comes up...

LB: ...And you feel like you can’t turn any of those opportunities down...

AB: ...Yeah you feel like you can’t turn it down, you can’t say no, you know. But it was a nice thing where we had to turn it down we had to say no. We had to take time to reflect on where we were at and where we wanted to be, it was a good six months really of reflecting and writing some new direction and kind of taking some new direction.

LB: Okay so let me not take more than 30 seconds of your time, just tell me a bit about Yarmush and where that partnership, the trio, the trinity falls into place.

AB: Well, you know Chris McCarron he left to go play guitar in The Dears and I think it was a pretty quick decision to have Joe on board, we all knew him he was a great photographer we knew him from that but he also plays in Kill The Lights. He’s a really supportive musician, he’s pure support up there and he really was an obvious choice has a good energy to have on stage and it worked out just like we thought.

LB: And now you’re pushing a little bit past the classic trio and getting Felber to play occasionally to fill out some of the sound that’s gonna be on the newer record?

AB: Yeah on the newer record and even some of the stuff of the EP and even some of the stuff that maybe it had two guitar parts.

LB: But she was a little weary at first about breaking the power trinity but now you feel like it’s a good thing.

AB: Yeah it’s a good thing that trinity is strong enough that it’s nice to have those extra pads and extra sounds.

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