"Go ahead, I'm weaker than you can possibly imagine."
From the movie The Lovers, this gut wrenching statement spawned a decade of music from one of the most soulful quartets around. A reconstruction to a reunion, The Weakerthans have waited four years since the release of their last LP and are now going full steam ahead after finishing their latest album Reunion Tour. Famous for their lyrical brilliance and vivid harmonic accompaniment, The Weakerthans are a rarity among an industry of imitation.
Guitarist Stephen Carroll and I had a chat amongst the chaos of his preparation for hitting the road. A member of the band since just after their first album, Carroll serves as resident face melter as well as the band's business manager. A buzz of excitement about supporting their latest effort comes from every word, making it impossible not to share in the enthusiasm.
Advocate: It's been four years since Reconstruction Site, and I've read that [singer/songwriter] John K. Samson feels it takes him longer to write than the average songwriter. During that lapse, did you ever get anxious or impatient to get the new album moving?
Carroll: We as a band typically wait until John's ready for himself. He needs [the songs] to be in a certain place because he's got really high standards for his lyrics. For instance, we'll have played some music at a practice say, two years ago, and then the song will disappear, then resurface and he goes, "Oh yeah, remember that song? It's finished." Then the game is: What did I play? It can be frustrating but there are all these little surprises that end up being quite satisfying. When the songs are done they are of a quality that's worth waiting for.
How were you able to bide your time during that four year break?
We were working, touring and playing. Only in the last year have we not played as many concerts. We actually began to work on the record in January so it's been fairly busy although the record's four years in the making. It never really feels like we got that much downtime.
It sounds like you guys have got kind of an erratic song writing process. What is typically the order of operations for creating the songs?
Our songs are created through various processes. Sometimes John will have chords and a melody and then we jam out an arrangement. Sometimes we'll have have some weird noises and he'll go, "I've got a poem that would sound good over that." And then sometimes he's got an entire song finished and just brings it to us. It's really unpredictable.
For the past three albums you guys have worked with producer Ian Blurton; what does he contribute to the final recordings?
A couple of really valuable things. One, he's a great person, really easy going and full of good ideas. Two, he's also got a really good understanding of recording equipment, all the gear and the more technical aspects of the studio. He also [knows] how important John's words are in the songs-he often bridges the gap between preserving the meaning and making a great rock 'n' roll song.
You serve as the business manager for The Weakerthans. What do you do for that part of the job?
Really mundane stuff. I organize flights, interviews, make sure we've got T-shirts-that sort of thing. It's my job to make sure everything's going the way it's supposed to.
Lately I've been working on my solo record; I just played my first live show two weeks ago. I've got a two-pedal steel player, keyboards, and female backing vocals-it's a lot quieter [than The Weakerthans] and still in its incubator.
What's the biggest stylistic change between Reconstruction Site and Reunion Tour?
I had a lot of trouble seeing a difference between the records. I don't think we are ever doing things on purpose. I never really know what the style is-what kind of music we're making. I've got such a bad perspective. I just see the songs as jumbled parts and idiosyncratic moments where I'm fixated on one part. It makes it difficult to see them as stylistic. If anything was different, it was the process: a lot of the arrangements we made up on the spot through the microphones and the headphones whereas Reconstruction Site was a little more planned out.
The album comes out next week and your tour starts the same day. What types of things are you doing to prepare to get back in the swing of things?
It's been awhile since we've been touring this intensively. We're in Toronto right now, and we've been practicing with Greg and Jason. We've got a fifth member helping us out on this tour: Jim Bryson is playing keyboards, backing vocals, and extra guitar bits. This last week we've spent doing interviews, playing radio and trying to fit in practice. I need to buy guitar picks-that's what I do to prepare for the tour.
Touring can be gruesome and taxing on the body; what are you dreading and what are you looking forward to?
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing old friends that we only get to see when we're touring. I really enjoy being in different cities. [As a musician] you get into a rhythm of playing live-it becomes the work of your day. When you finish a set all of that tension of the day just dissolves. It's a neat moment that only happens when you're a touring band, getting into the rhythm of performance. We're doing six nights a week, so there'll be a lot of that. On the downside, I'll really miss home, loved ones, and friends. But I have to try and put that out of my mind. Especially 'cause at this point, the tour hasn't even started.
The Reunion Tour tour kicks off the same day the album hits stands and brings them right to our doorstep this Friday night. The Marquis will host The Weakerthans and all of their melodic masterpieces along with guests The Last Town Chorus and Jeremy Fisher.
The Canadian quartet have a way of disarming with devastatingly simple turns of phrase, harmonies that dig deep into the eardrum, and four undeniably devoted musicians who are stronger than you can possibly imagine.
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