Different strokes
Sylvie Hill
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Ryan: "In Ottawa, folk and roots music is more valued and treasured"
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Willis talkin' about the new, cut Grass
The members of East Coast band The Grass have more in common with their '60s role models than the inventive musical style and eclectic fashions. Add low- or no-paying jobs, commune living and recreational drug use, followed by friction and break-ups, reformation and a rumoured reunion tour, and it's clearly a reputation they come by easily. The story goes that the Grass's original sextet uprooted from Dartmouth in winter 2007 to a house in Ottawa South so they could plug their alt-country hippy rock into the Ottawa music scene.
"Ottawa was great - great crowds, attention and more press than in Halifax," says singer/guitarist Willis Ryan. "In Ottawa, folk and roots music is more valued and treasured."
So were the parties.
"It was sunny all the time!" laughs Ryan about the Ottawa days. "It was too nice and we had too much fun," he confesses, reminiscing about the potlucks and Wii bowling marathons that kept them distracted. "And, in the end, we had different geographical and musical directions," he says seriously of the split.
Cuts to the Grass include vocalist Pat McNally, violinist Lindsay Rogers and guitar/bassist Nicholas Wolfe, who remained in Ottawa to form the formidable Ship Shapes. Original Grass members Willis and Dylan Ryan (drums), and keyboard player Adam Burke, returned to Halifax, where they joined with Daniel Baldwin (bass) and Ryan Stanley (guitar).
Compared to early Grass albums (Mulgrave and Oranges), the new Rogue Waves is less country and more
up-tempo psychedelic rock with driving beats. "We've been listening to a lot more garage rock and Sly and The Family Stone," Ryan explains about the current direction. Helping create the sound was Charles Austin (former Super Friendz vocalist/bassist), whose Beatles-style sound-recording techniques are noticeable on tracks like Alcohol, Down at the Station, Skyline Daisy and Superserum #4.
But will the different strokes of genius work for folky fans of the former Grass?
"Some would still consider it old fogey music," Ryan says. "In Halifax, we're not considered cool because of it."
Despite lacking cachet on their own turf, the Grass discography keeps on growing. According to Ryan, the songwriting comes easy to the group, but the challenge, he says, is writing "something you want to play again."
Back at the Black Sheep for another Ottawa party, the new Grass is something you will want to hear again.
The Grass
w/ Watters Brothers Rebellion, Tyler Hall and the EZ3
@ The Black Sheep Inn
Oct. 10, 9 p.m.
Info: www.blacksheepinn.com
the first record was way too slacker for me; saw a show back then at the one world cafe and it was maximum slacker too. but the rogue waves record rectifies that in a big way. footstomping, hands-banging-on-the-table good.
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dan kershaw
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| Just want to say to some people out there... |
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Whether it's this band here or any other act around...it doesn't matter how old you are or what genre of music you play. If you are kick ass in what you do and you make people's jaw drop by your attention to entertaining people (and I feel this more so with original music)...you turn heads. This day and age turning heads is a big deal.
I'm not paying $100 for a mediocre show...I don't care if you're 12 or 120...a show is a show and affordability goes a long way in my books...
Don't get on stage if you can't deliver the goods...This includes Oasis...
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Ger Madden
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