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Only a few more days until the Polaris Music Prize hootenanny goes down on September 21! If you didn’t know already (*shakes fist*), we’ll be streaming the festivities online here at Much, and will serve you up a hot plate of on-site goodies (pics and interviews). And don’t let your pretty brain forget that you can listen to full records from all nominees HERE!

Until the big day, we’ve got some Q&A with all nominees, courtesy of the good people at Polaris. Today, some fun banter with Jimmy from Metric and Joel Plaskett! Check em out after le jump.

METRIC (Jimmy)

Where was the nominated album recorded? How long were you in the studio?
All over the place, mostly at the Metric homestead studio, Giant. The album took a while. Every time we did something better than the last time we had to go back and make the prior stuff better! Book another studio somewhere else and go all meet there. All in all a few years ain’t so bad.

What’s your best memory about recording this album?
Four hands on a tape echo machine not listening to the song we were recording over. I think its “Help I’m Alive” but I’ll never really know.

Which is the album’s stand-out song and why?
For me its “Help” because at some point it ran out of the back of the studio and left the door open. The next thing we know it was playing on radio stations round the world and off partying by itself without its parents permission. Way to go.

When did music become you ‘life’?
When my life became mine.

Who named the band and why?
I did. The name made sense to me and I was really sick of listing other names like “Fortress Of Emotion”.

When was the current line-up created?
A few years later in Brooklyn, NY. We call it the double duo. Two Canadians, two Americans.

What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Passing out from sunstroke at a Rock The Vote event in Florida. Damn white boy! Remember the sunscreen!

Who’s the funny one?
I’m not gonna say me?

Who’s the serious one?
I’m not gonna say Emily?

Who’s the tyrant?
I’m not gonna say me?

Favourite song of all time?
Metric’s current single.

Favourite band of all time?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones.

Favourite singer of all time?
All my favorite singers coudn’t sing.

What band would you love to share a bill with?
Simon and Garfunkel.

What career other than music would be ‘you’?
Celebrity chef.

What is your most treasured piece of your memorabilia – and why?
A pair of boxers that have so many holes they don’t cover anything you’re supposed to cover.

What is something fans don’t know about you?
I am not a drug addict.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Luxury.

What was your first concert? What was your favourite concert?
Duran Duran at the Maple Leaf Gardens. Best is yet to come.

How old were you when you started playing music?
1

Who was your first music teacher? At what school did she/he teach?
He was a pervert and went to jail.

What instrument did you play in the school band?
Trumpet

Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
Quincy Jones. Just the sheer quality of his name and the length of his…um… discography.

What five bands are you listening to now?
The Band
Jimi Hendrix
The Dead Weather
Flash Lightnin
Neil Young

Do you think you can dance?
So I think I can dance? No. I do the thing that OTHER people dance to.

JOEL PLASKETT

Where was the nominated album recorded? How long were you in the studio?
Three was recorded in my studio (Scotland Yard) in Dartmouth, NS and mixed in Texas with Gordie Johnson at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Studio. I worked on the recording on and off from February through September 2008 and then we mixed it in 10 days in November 2008.

What’s your best memory about recording this album?
I tracked the record myself on a 16 track analog tape machine and I enjoy the sound and limitations of analog tracking. My father, Bill, played on a bunch of the songs and it was nice to spend some time in the studio with him. I really like the challenge of recording and sequencing 27 songs. It was the most ambitious record I’ve ever worked on.

Which is the album’s stand-out song and why?
I seems like everybody likes different tracks but one of my favorites is a song called “Lazy Bones”. A sleepy song in defence of taking your time.

When did music become you ‘life’?
When I was in high school music started to really mean the world to me. I was in a band called Thrush Hermit, and when we all graduated, we hit the road and started making records.

Who named the band and why?
When I’m playing with my band we’re called the Joel Plaskett Emergency. I named it that after my first record In Need Of Medical Attention was released and I thought it would be a fitting name. Three, however, is not an Emergency record. The band played on the last track “On & On & On” but for the rest of the record I laid down the main instruments.


When was the current line-up created?
On the Three record I’ve be touring a variety of lineups. Sometimes with the Emergency, sometimes with my father, Bill, and Rose Cousins and Ana Egge (who both sing on the record). Sometimes all of us, like when we played at Massey Hall. Every show feels a little different.

What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?
In Kamloops I accidently addressed them as Kelowna. Was a slip of the tongue but I got hilariously booed. Like when Spinal Tap was on the Simpsons and they called Springfield “Springdom”. The show must go on.

Who’s the funny one?
Me

Who’s the serious one?
Me

Who’s the tyrant?
Me

Who’s the egomaniac?
Me!

Favourite song of all time?
“The Twelfth of Never” - Nina Simone’s version from the Colpix Years.

Favourite band of all time?
Led Zeppelin

Favourite singer of all time?
Without a doubt, Irma Thomas

What band would you love to share a bill with you?
Nick Lowe

What career other than music would be ‘you’?
Tough one, as music has been my life but I think I might opt to be a teacher.


What is your most treasured piece of your memorabilia – and why?
The neon sign that says “Rock and Roll” that my previous band Thrush Hermit used to have on stage every night. It was awesome. Ian McGettigan still has it in his apartment.

What is something fans don’t know about you?
I can’t drive a standard.

What is your guilty pleasure?
I love R. Kelly and I feel no guilt whatsoever.

What was your first concert? What was your favourite concert?
My first concert was The Cult at the Mertro Centre with Bonham opening. Must have been 1988 or ‘89. Was pretty awesome although I’m not sure how I’d feel about it now. My favorite concert was in recent years was Femi Kuti at the Great Escape Festival in Australia. Blew my mind.

How old were you when you started playing music?
I was about 13 or 14 years old when I picked up the guitar. Previous to that I tried a short stint with a drum kit at age 10 and a saxophone at age 12.

Who was your first music teacher? At what school did she/he teach?
Can’t remember who taught saxophone in Lunenburg. My drum teacher was Robin Frick. My dad taught me the basics of guitar and my first high school music teacher was Mrs Harmer at Halifax West High School. She was great and very memorable.

What instrument did you play in the school band?
Saxophone in Elementary. I sang in the choir in High school.

Who is your biggest inspiration? Why?
My wife, Rebecca. She’s an amazing visual artist who makes art for all the right reasons. She’s inspiring to be around.

What five bands are you listening to now?
Steve Poltz, Said the Whale, Ana Egge, Nick Lowe, K’naan

Do you think you can dance?
I love dancing but it’s more of a goofball shimmy when I’m wearing guitar.

Tags: interviews, joel plaskett, metric, Polaris, q&a

Posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 3:45 pm by Wendy and is filed under Concerts & Events, Music & Videos.

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