Said The Whale
Jun 10, 2013
JUNO-winning, Vancouver-based Alternative band, Said the Whale, released their three song EP I Love You on June 4th via Hidden Pony/Caroline. Once again teaming with longtime studio collaborator Tom Dobrzanski (We Are The City, The Zolas) at his Monarch Studios, the musicians pushed their musical limits and honed their love of fast, punchy pop rock. This tireless five piece band, which includes dual songwriters Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester, drummer Spencer Schoening, keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown and bassist Nathan Shaw will continue to break down doors by releasing its most adventurous and hook filled batch of songs yet.
The band has been on a steady upward trajectory for the past six years, as relentless touring and a prolific string of releases have led to successes including a JUNO Award in 2011 for New Group of the Year and nationally charting singles. Said The Whale began to amass a grassroots following through frequent tours, and they scored a string of Canadian radio successes with the albums Islands Disappear in 2009 and Little Mountain
in 2012. These albums earned attention from media outlets like Spin, BBC 6 Music, and
Consequence of Sound, and the band was profiled in the nationally televised CBC
Documentary Winning America. Said The Whale has been nominated for two more JUNO Awards in 2013 for Alternative Album of the Year and Recording Package of the Year (alongside art director Andy Dixon) for Little Mountain.
"In the past I've felt pressure to write 'radio' songs, or 'cool' songs or whatever, but this time I went into the writing process with mindset of 'Fuck everything, I'm just going to
write what makes me happy,'" says Tyler Bancroft, explaining that the songs were
written with a clean slate and no expectations. Ironically, what resulted are some of Said The Whale's catchiest, most accessible songs yet. The singer observes, "It turns out I just like pop music."
This affection for melody shines on I Love You's title track and lead single, which is led by a surge of post punk guitars and careens between spiky choruses and a sunny, sock hop inspired bridge. Elsewhere, the Worcester sung "Barbara Ann" is a buoyant blend of heartfelt romance and '60s style vocal harmonies, while "Mother" is a synth heavy new wave banger. These upbeat songs were mixed by Canadian studio guru Gus Van Go and Werner F (Hollerado, the Stills).
"I spend so much time chipping away at my thoughts, trying to get to the core, and right
now I'm finding it easy," Worcester says. "I've never felt more creative." He adds that the
love struck mood of "Barbara Ann" was inspired by a couple who own a hammock store
in Vancouver. "It's a proposition to someone special, suggesting that we too can live
together like this beautiful pair of chilled out lifers," he reveals. The EP offers a taste of Said The Whale's fourth album, due out this fall. These latest sessions found Bancroft taking on the role of co-producer, and he guided each song in bold new directions without adherence to genre. "Rather than record in one big session, we used the 'hip hop meth
od' of doing two or three songs at a time," he reflects. "This let us focus all of our energy on each song without getting overwhelmed." The new material was penned in a surge of creativity that found Bancroft and Worcester letting their guard down and following their instincts. "My songs on this album are the most vulnerable songs I've ever written," notes Bancroft. "Lyrically it's the most honest I've ever been."
I Love You EP is the sound of a band already on the top of its game breaking free from all expectations and boldly reinventing its identity. And with a new full length close behind, expect to see more new sides to Said The Whale soon.