New Year’s Eve marks the end of one year and the beginning of another, and what better way to celebrate the start of a new year than with live music from great Canadian musicians?
The annual Downtown Countdown, hosted at Barrie City Hall, features skating, family activities, fireworks and, of course, live music. This year, attendees can ring in the new year with nationally recognized band Sloan and Grant Boyer.
Before they hit the stage this weekend, I had the opportunity to ask Jay Ferguson, of Sloan, and Grant Boyer a few questions.
RV: Jay, with over 30 years of experience as a band, how do you keep the creative process fresh?
JF: For me, the creative process of songwriting remains fresh by still having an interest in not only music, but also in the process of songwriting and producing records. I’m still discovering new music (or, more often, old music) that gives me ideas or inspires a new way to approach lyric writing or music in general. Everybody in our band mostly writes on their own. We’re not exactly a band that jams together to bring about new ideas, so the creative process for me is kept alight by listening to other artists that spark inspiration.
RV: And Grant, the Grant Boyer Band is a relatively new formation. What are you hoping to accomplish and create with the band?
GB: We all play together in different cover bands. So, although this is a newer project, it doesn’t feel like starting from scratch.
As a band, we want to continue putting out good songs, play them live to growing crowds, and hit streaming goals.
RV: Sloan’s latest album, Steady, is your 13th as a band and another exceptional addition to the Sloan legacy. What is it about your music that has kept people coming back for more?
JF: I don’t think that’s a question for me to answer. What’s the famous John Lennon quote when asked why he thought the Beatles were so popular? “I don’t know. If I knew, we’d form another group and become their managers.” It’s hard to say, really. I’m sure people enjoy the songwriting style of all or particular members, or perhaps they just enjoy coming to see us play live and hear their favourite songs. I think we offer quality music, so I’m just grateful that folks still remain interested after all this time.
RV: Grant, your latest releases are described as “edgy alt-rock with a dash of humour.” How do you create that balance? And is this what fans can expect from a future full-length?
GB: Laughter is sometimes the only thing we have. It feels great to laugh when we’re happy, and it helps us feel better to laugh when we’re not happy.
As a kid, I started out writing angry punk songs. I still almost always feel a pull in that direction when I sit down to write lyrics, but most times, all I can do is laugh at the things that frustrate me. If I’m going to vent, the least I can do is stretch out the crazy, ridiculous parts to give the listener something to laugh about along the way.
Yes, for the most part, I think that my 2022 singles have a nice mixture of sad and funny.
RV: As artists who have toured Canada coast to coast, how do you connect with and invigorate audiences from such an eclectic range of communities?
JF: I think we just do the same wherever we go and play the best show we can.
GB: Music is a universal language. Like math, but fun. When you’re all in one space, experiencing the same sounds, at the same tempo, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, what you did. Oops.
When it comes to making unique connections from place to place, I think, for the most part, our songs do some heavy lifting by reaching across multiple genres. That’s really helped us.
RV: What makes for a memorable concert, in your opinion? Which shows have stuck with you?
JF: I think a memorable concert is usually helped by having a great and enthusiastic audience (hello, Barrie) or an unusual locale or venue. Certainly, the early-’90s chaotic, jam-packed smaller venue shows remain etched in my mind. The first time we played in Tokyo on the Navy Blues tour in 1998 and having the sold-out audience singing our songs back to us is surely a top-five concert experience. True, some bad shows are also very memorable, like the time we were beer-canned off the stage by a volatile audience. Yet, for the most part, the most memorable shows are the ones where the audience bring their enthusiasm and we respond reciprocally.
GB: A tight band, with strong vocals. That’s it.
Everything else is nice — stage show, lights, screens, video — but it’s gravy. It definitely enhances the overall experience, but it’s nothing without the first two.
Usually when asked my favourite concert, I say Rage Against the Machine (1999) at Maple Leaf Gardens. There are many others that come to mind, but Rage takes the cake if I can only pick one.
RV: It was announced that you’ll be sharing the bill at Barrie’s New Year’s Eve Downtown Countdown. What can audiences expect and what does it mean to you?
JF: When we play outdoor festival-type shows, or this type of New Year’s Eve concert, we typically play our most well-known songs. These events bring a broader audience than the one that might go see us play a regular concert (where we’d likely play a more eclectic mix of songs from our catalogue), so we generally try to stick to songs that people might likely recognize. Hopefully, that’s what folks will want to see and expect.
GB: We love Sloan. Sharing their stage means the world to us.
Our NYE set moves quickly between songs, so we’ll be squeezing in a bunch of stuff from the upcoming album, a brand-new tune that has yet to be recorded and, of course, some 2022-released material.
We’re very excited to say hello again, Barrie, happy holidays and happy new year.
RV: What does 2023 have in store for you?
JF: During the pandemic, we mostly only played outdoor summer shows and very few indoor concerts. With things opening up more and more, we’ll be spending 2023 playing shows in Canada and the U.S.A. promoting our new album, Steady. We’ve spent lots of time reissuing older Sloan albums over the past 10 years, so there will also be more archival work on the horizon.
GB: Our first ’23 show is a solo acoustic set at Wintersong Music Festival in Stouffville, Ont., Jan. 20. Jan 21, I’ll be hosting a singer-songwriters night in Barrie. (Socials for details.) Summer festivals and touring in the works. Announcements coming early 2023. New EP release by mid-2023. My very best work to date.
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Barrie’s Downtown Countdown is free and more information about the event can be found here.
To visit Sloan’s official website, click here.
To visit Grant Boyer’s official website, click here.
