It’s not a riddle it’s a stepping stone

I first heard Half Moon Run’s 21 Gun Salute and the intensely dramatic beginning to that song with lead vocals by Devon Portielje on the CBC at a live show, just a couple of months ago. It was meditative even ambient – and I was entranced –instantly inspired – including other songs like Full Circle.

Although I had not heard of them before, I felt it was a new mission of mine to share the gift of music with my family (including my preschool age children on some certain tracks (Call me in the afternoon even by one by one [x2 ]is sung around the hosue like a Christmas Carol substituting some words in for the obvious) and all my friends and social network so they too could enjoy this gift. That being said there was something sacred in hearing them for the first time. It was so different yet modern but there was a comfort in it that seemed to be missing in most modern music, and not felt by me personally, since artists like Bob Dylan, and Ballads from Simon & Garfunkel, I was introduced to in my youth.

That same day after discovering and enjoying the first album on iTunes (Dark Eyes Released June 2013) My musical journey with HMR led me to discover the second album which coincidentally was released that same day!

Sun Leads Me, Released Oct 23, 2015

It was a groovier sound and a more uplifting album than the first. It assisted in my creativity and put me in a greater mindset, having just emerged from the writing depths, after 10 years and creating again myself personally.

In researching the journey of the band, from recording in the desert (Texas) to California (For some seaside inspiration, leading up to the Second Album, and living in a dome shaped Oceanside house fit just right for a inspirational surf all day and late night magic sessions ) To experimenting in Europe in what appears to be a bit of a Rave Scene – road testing songs like Trust - it all lines up triumphantly.

I was lucky enough to experience this live set of troubadours on Dec 7th, 2015 at Sugar Nightclub in Victoria BC to a sold out show where some fans paid 9 x the door price just to get in. After staying late and meeting the eclectic mix of supporters, including a High School French Teacher and his wife who also thought their sound was as transcendent and made the journey to support them from up Island (Where most of the band hails from in Comox), to the sprawl of young woman who clearly were there for the "act" to the Lead Vocalist Devon Portielje who you could say in my excitement of après show and with my slight nerves "When a sip of gin saved an hour of speech - Nerve " I didn’t quite get the interview I thought I would - instead Briefly – you could say I found speaking with Devon clearly exhaustive from his end.

This band tours and plays almost nightly I would have asked him who "stole his Sunny Day" – but I could tell he was wiped. I asked him if the band would emerge on the Island again soon (Returning to play Rifflandia in 2016 like in 2014 but he didn’t commit to that.)

I spoke to his interests and would he get a chance to Surf the Jordan River on his visit to the Island but he said they only had 8 hours in the city and then off to Vancouver for the next nights sold out show at the Imperial.

This Band works hard – you forget sometimes when you haven’t seen an emerging act for awhile ( My last show was UB40 in the summer at the Commodore in Vancouver ) that to really put yourself forward you have to put in the hours (years ) on Tour (They actually toured Dark Eyes for three years !)

Just the fact that the Lead from the opening act for that nights show (Nick
Vallee from Folly & The Hunter) was assisting behind the counter at the merchandise booth after a long night and travel… well that’s a team of working mans bands.

More on the Music, there is huge variety in sounds on the current album, Sun Leads me – with the gritty Narrow Margins - There is a hint of Flamingo music that quickly folds into a somewhat Hip Hop beat – the sound not found anywhere else on the album, speaks like a story its very cool and soulful. It wasn’t played in the show, as I had anticipated – it’s a story of sorts that sounds very introspective.

Highlighting the further talents of Connor Molander (Harmonica being my favorite) one can find a cover done of the modern, Chvrches –The Mother we Share on the BBC Radio 1 (01/2014) then found again in the finale to the current live show touring with the Cover to Bob Dylan’s , Shall be released – seeing it live is spectacular - it was clever and mirrored the original art but with a tang of HMR.

There are confessional tones and a little sadness on both albums – and stories of what appears to be glimpse into the world of addiction – Music is a challenging business for anyone who has had this in their lives – this band however appears to live clean and is into a very healthy lifestyle from surfing to organic gardening mentioned to me by a family friend at the show about Issac’s Symonds (Mandolin extraordinaire and haunting vocalist) wishes for at organic landscaping book for Christmas.

I have heard Dylan Philips (Drummer – who has a great timing and a soulful sound as a professionally trained pianist – and always rocks the keyboard) said in other interviews that in terms of personal struggles that they have had the music guide them as a group – I noticed words formed around the struggle with being saved and loss of faith - perhaps even a loss of hope there – I hope they will continue to explore some further element of faith and that this translates to even more extraordinary music from this talented group, I am proud to call Canadian and will continue to share as their talents that will be sure to surprise us with further gifts in the future.

I clicked the you tube link on HMR’s website and watched some videos they had favored and found: TORA : and now I feel like the gifts just keep giving.

In the next feature story coming in January 2016:

　

Artist Profile: Half Moon Run

Singer Devon Portielje on vocals, guitar and percussion;

Conner Molander on vocals, guitar and keyboard;

Dylan Phillips on vocals, drums and keyboard;

Isaac Symonds on vocals, percussions, mandolin, keyboard and guitar.

P.Tinham 9.1.2017

HALF MOON RUN

P.Tinham  01.26.2018

Legendary Canadian pop/rock icons, 54-40, adored by millions at home and all over the world are celebrating their 38th year together and latest release, Keep On Walking (El Mocambo Records), an electric and multifarious album with beautiful song-writing that continues to engage generations of supporters.  On release day I chatted with Neil Osbourne   ( vocals, guitar ) about the bands longevity, new collaborations in production, keeping the music fresh and diving in deep to the new album together.

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"Nothing can be defined without an opposite."

 

Current 54-40 members : Brad Merrit (bass), Neil Osbourne ( vocals, guitar ) Matt Johnson ( drums ) , Dave Genn (guitar)

 

NEIL: Thank you. It feels good. I mean, I think that's what we'll always do. We'll always make music. Making new music keeps us interested in what we're doing rather just making it a job and it’s always fun to be creative. It's another expansion of being on the planet.

SLM:  Absolutely. Just a look back for a minute, La Difference - A History Unplugged | 54•40. so much fun to listen to.

Did you guys have a lot of fun recording that album and then what inspired you guys to put the stripped-down versions out there?

Neil:  Well, a few things. One of them was the song "Crossing a Canyon (Trusted By Millions - 1996)."Dave sort of asked me what the lyrics meant and I said it was about my dad passing away, but we turned it into a pop song. So, he decided, well, why don't we just make it more in that vein and then that sort of inspired doing more acoustic/ elegant interpretations of some of our hits.. Then from that we have a whole new show. So, we basically have two shows. We have a winter show, which is what this is going to be at the MCPHERSON PLAYHOUSE in Victoria (2.22.2018). Which is all these acoustic interpretations of our songs and then we have the rock show, which is usually what we do in the summer.

SLM: Is the McPherson show going to be more of the stripped down like you said or are you also going to play some of your new music too?

NEIL: We're going to play new songs but it's all going be in the acoustic setting. Stripped down is not the word because it's actually stripped up! In the sense that there's more instruments on stage then there is in the rock. There are mandolins and banjos and acoustic guitars and grand pianos. There's way more instruments to keep track of, even though they're all acoustic, there's more of them than just two guitars, bass, and drums banging it out.

SLM:   Michael Wekerle (Dragons’ Den personality) who is revitalizing the old El Mocambo , in Toronto and whom you guys have signed with the off shoot  label El Mocambo Records How did that collaboration come about and have you ever played there?

NEIL: No, we haven't played there. I'm pretty sure I dropped in there sometime in the 80's though (both laugh). We met Michael a number of years ago, and originally he was going to buy the sign for El Mocambo and then he ended up buying the whole building! He's been working on converting it into a state-of-the-art media/nightclub.  Then he wanted to do a label component so, he offered to put out our record and I think we're the first release on that label so that was awesome.

SLM:  Keep on Walking is such a positive and progressive album featuring eleven original songs, and four brilliant producers. Can you talk to us a little about each one?

NEIL: We decided just to sort of venture and work with different people just to give the songs slightly different flavors from one to the next.

We started with Dave "The Rave" Ogilvie as we call him. He's been in and out of our camp since the early 80's, even our first Indie LP in 1983 (Set the Fire ) and five or six 54-40 records since then so, he's been around.

 Then we did some songs with Stephen Drake who did the Trusted by Millions (1996) record and he's also from The Odds band (Performing at 2018 Westward Music Festival with SLM Featured ARTists  Close Talker )  

Garth Richardson who did our “Since When” record (1998) and has worked with Rage Against the Machine and many more.

So all these guys are friends of ours.

 Gavin Brown (Billy Talent, the Tragically Hip) was a guy we hadn't worked with but we've known him and he does good work, so he did a couple songs out in Toronto. So, when we were out there touring we just stayed a few extra days and just hung out with him and rattled off a couple more. So, it was kind of fun for us keeping things fresh. Times have changed in one way, people just have short attention spans and that includes producers and the musicians that work with producers.

 SLM: Blue Frogs studio in White Rock, it sounds like an amazing theatre  production arena. Does that type of studio help you refine the theatre shows, like the ones you have coming on tour and what's it like to record there?

NEIL: Well, that used to be a full-fledged recording studio and they couldn't make money at it because the music industry is all about laptops and streaming but they did a smart thing and they turned it into a “venue” out there in White Rock. So, they asked us to play. Now it only holds about 100 people but there's a big platform stage at the recording studio, which was okay but we took advantage of that situation. We said, we'll do two or three nights there but then we want the whole week. We woodshedded in there and that's where we recorded the La Difference record there and then recordings for Keep on Walking song, a lot of it anyway, as well. So, that was just fun because we would rehearse for the show at night and off for the day, for the whole week and a half really, we were recording the record. So, on the last three nights of our stay ten days stay there we performed the record we just recorded.

That's the show that we're bringing to the MCPHERSON, is that acoustic show. It's kind of cool and it reminds me of what I envisioned, Buffalo Springfield or some of these 60's bands would work. They would play the Whiskey at night and then record in the day. I wanted that experience and that's what we were doing, we were trying new stuff out at night in front of an audience and recording it in the day and vice versa. It was a lot of fun.

SLM: First track on the album, “The Waiting”. I love that line, “I need you to want something more." There's that yearning you can actually feel it in so many of your tracks now and in past albums. What do you yearn for as a band these days?

NEIL: (Laughs) “Survival”. It's always been one of our credos or manifestos - whatever it takes to keep surviving as a band and staying in the game!

SLM: “Sublime Like Me”, I think maybe my favorite next to “Hold My Kiss” on this album. You're collaborating for the first time with Gavin. I read this is becoming more of a staple in your live show. Can you talk a little about writing this one?

NEIL: Well, it's funny because I had sort of written it as a folksier song and then Dave kind of put it into the rock and roll thing, added that cool beat, and then Gavin took over from there. There are opposites in there, right. There's a lot of Daoist Philosophy in this record - black is white, red is blue; 'Nothing can be defined without an opposite'. You can't be happy without knowing what sad is. That's sort of the theme, and once you except that, then you can be sublime.

SLM  Oh, I like that.  "Keep On Walking," this is also some advice you gave to a crew member in the past, is that right?

Neil:  Yeah. That's how it started, a few years old now. Sort of in the back of my mind I thought maybe I can turn this quote into a song but the opportunity never really happened until this record. But yeah it was a guy that was on the road with us in the 90's and he had some trouble with alcohol and drugs and was in rehab and when he came out of rehab, his wife and kid left him, and he was having a tough time and that quote just sprung in my head.So, I spilled  out that quote ( linked to Winston Churchill ) out to him because I didn't know what else to say and then a couple years later he said, "You know, that really helped me out, just that quote."

SLM  “The Dream We Spoke Of”, great track. "You've got life , why don't you use it?" Great advice.  What advice do you have for Canadian artists starting out now for longevity?

NEIL: Well, you’ve got to have a sense of humor, w ithout that you're not going to make it, you're not going to make it anywhere.

SLM  The beautiful song, “Hold My Kiss”, and then "How's Your Day Going", I love that line " If we're all going to die, now's the time to be alive." . I was just in Hawaii during the 12.2017 missile scare.  I was kind of holding onto that a little bit listening to it this track last night because it's still pretty fresh. I felt exactly that hopeful way too . How does this translate for you - What are you most hopeful for, what keeps you guys all positive?

NEIL: I don't know. I mean, believe it or not, that's a choice. Sometimes it doesn't feel like that you have that choice, I mean, that's that Daoist philosophy again, nothings defined without its opposite.  I asked Brad, our bass player in our band. He's probably the most optimistic person and I might ask him, "How do you do that," and he goes, "I just think good thoughts all the time." Of course, that's exactly what you do.

SLM:  “Can't Hide my Love”, love that horn playing in there and that line, "Love all the people." Then there is “Sucker for Your Love”, a scorching single, “I've read it coined, I love the electric guitar lead.

NEIL: Actually, we did that song a couple of different ways including some of our other songs as well. First with Stephen on the track then Garth, and I got to be honest, I went into it a little skeptical and when he finished it I was like holy smokes you nailed it, its right in our wheel house . Stephen did it more as kind of a jam band/disco song  and it was kind of all right but then Garth got a hold of it and he goes, "I Know what to do!" We sort of went with him and he has a studio North of Gibson’s there where you live, a recording camp. It's great to hang with Garth, I'm lucky to say he's a really good friend of ours. So, we just let him have at it and it became our big single.

SLM: You've got that proverbial “She” “She Calls us One” and "She-La" (Dear Dear , 1991 one of my favorite classic 54-40 albums). Who's your bands muse?

NEIL: Well, my wife's a big part of that.  She Calls Us One, that's an older song that I've been waiting to record forever. This seemed like the time to do it and that's a Stephen Drake produced one and he does the guitar solo in that, one take too !

He just grabbed a guitar and did it. I looked at him like, "What did you just do?"

SLM: That’s the magic.

NEIL: Yeah, exactly.

SLM: “Sometimes It's Not Okay” and “Life Goes On”, sort of the book ends to the album. Can you talk to us a little bit about those two?

NEIL:  Well, I think there's a Rumi ( 13th century Persian poet and mystic), quote in there that I use, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” I grabbed out of that the same theme kind of throughout, which is nothing is defined without its opposite. So, you have to just be aware of that. Then “Life Goes On”, is kind of the story of everybody but mostly of us and our music making. We’ll keep going on. We'll keep doing it.

 We are very excited to see this very unique show over the next few weeks in Victoria and will keep you posted on more with the these legends of Canadian music ! 54-40

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I really have enjoyed seeing you guys several times over the past 25 years from growing up on the North Shore (Vancouver, B.C) to Whistler and in Victoria as well, really looking forward to your upcoming 54-40 tour as well. Congrats on your recent inductions this past ( 5540 was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and The Indies during Canadian Music Week in 2017). and now the Keep On Walking release. How does it feel to deliver fresh music in your 38th year together? What an accomplishment.

 

Album: LA DIFFERENCE