by Lynn Saxberg
Canadian rockers Sloan are on the road this year celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album, One Chord To Another. To gear up for the band’s gig in Ottawa at the Arboretum Festival next week, Postmedia’s Lynn Saxberg caught up with band member Jay Ferguson to reminisce about those heady times.
Q: What was going on around you when you made One Chord To Another?
A: One Chord to Another was a bit of a different album for us because we made our first two records for Geffen in the United States. Concurrent to while we were on Geffen, we had our own label on the East Coast called Murderrecords. We were releasing bands from the East Coast like Eric’s Trip, Jale, the Hardship Post, and eventually Super Friendz. When we left Geffen after our second album, we weren’t sure if we were going to continue, but we thought, ‘Let’s make one more record just so we have a Sloan record on Murderrecords.’ And it went on to become our most successful record.
Q: The Geffen deal was a huge thing for a Canadian band back then. What happened with that?
A: It was the end of ’94. We had released Twice Removed, our second record on Geffen Records. That record was a bit of a departure from the first record. Our first record, Smeared, was more of a noisy guitar, pop record. On the second record, the distorted guitars were gone and it was a little more melancholy. I think it had good variety. But it wasn’t the record Geffen thought they were going to get the second time around to build on what they had established with the first record. When they took it to the marketing department, they sort of shrugged and went, ‘We don’t know how to market this in the era of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins.’ They wanted us to change the record but we said ‘No, put it out as it is.’ They said okay, but we can’t guarantee this is going to do very well. And that’s exactly what happened. It didn’t do very well in the States.
Q: Then what?
A: It was a little bit frustrating by the end of that year. It did okay in Canada, but touring was difficult. We thought about stopping, and we told Geffen. They said they would let us out of the contract. When we decided we were going to continue, and make a record for our label, Murderrecords, we did offer it to Geffen, and they were going to put it out in the U.S. We kinda realized that it might just be the same kind of thing: Put it out as a favour and not do much work behind it. We decided let’s not go there again.
Q: Sounds like the band almost broke up. Did One Chord end up acting as a unifying factor?
A: I think a little bit. I think Patrick (Pentland) sometimes thought of Chris (Murphy) and I as the alt-gestapo, basically the gatekeepers of cool or something like that. I don’t know that I’d agree, but maybe he didn’t feel that he was writing the kind of songs he wanted to for our band. And on One Chord, he really came into his own. The first two singles, our most successful singles of the time, were from Patrick: The Good in Everyone and Everything You’ve Done Wrong. It felt like a boost and I think it brought our band together. And, meanwhile, Andrew (Scott) was still living in Toronto and recorded his two songs there. We didn’t know what to expect, but the two songs fit exactly with what we were doing in Halifax. So that was a nice unifying factor. And the fact that we released it on our own with more control was a unifying thing as well.
Q: And then it was the only Sloan music to win a Juno (so far).
A: (Laughs). It’s true. I think we’ve been nominated 11 or 12 times and we won one. I’m kinda glad we won back then because it’s a long, three dimensional isosceles triangle that looks really cool. The one they have now looks like an Oscar in a sarong or something. The vintage Juno is way cooler.
Q: The last Sloan studio album was 2014’s Commonwealth. Will you make another?
A: I don’t know what we’re going to do next. I would be interested in making another Sloan record. I have a lot of new songs on the go that I would contribute to a Sloan record. Or we could always do another reissue. I like the idea of hopscotching. A new album, a reissue tour, and then a new album. (We’re) stretching out our careers as far as we could go. Chris and I are also recording a couple of new, original Christmas songs this week. Maybe we’ll put them out for Christmas.
Q: The four of you have been together for almost 25 years. What keeps you on the same page?
A: I think there’s a lot of different reasons. Over the years, we split the money four ways and I think that helps keep your band together. And I think it’s because we’ve never been this million-dollar success. We’ve always had this even-keel, moderate success throughout our career. It’s never been so bad that it’s like ‘Omigosh I have to quit’ and it’s never been so massive that we can take a few years off. I think just not being extremely successful nor being an extreme failure has kept us working. You just sort of keep doing what you do and hopefully it catches on. And if not, you move on and you do a reissue or a new album or something like that. It’s just about pedalling the bike and keeping your small business running. Modest success will keep your band together.
Q: What it’s like on stage for you? Is the magic still there?
A: For me, yes. We sorta know what’s going to happen. We have the songs chosen, and we’re not really a jam band. But being on stage is the best part of the day when you’re on tour. Especially on this tour, with a lot of sold out shows. I love that moment of walking out on stage. When we start into The Good In Everyone, the total showbiz roar of the crowd is still the most addictive feeling that you could possibly have. Just feeling that warmth from your fan base. It sounds corny but it’s overwhelming at times. It really is a great feeling for people to come out to enjoy something that you created on your own and put out there, and it’s exciting that they still want to hear it 20 years later.
--taken from: Ottawa Citizen
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