And yet, evidence of a stubborn refusal to play it safe abounds, most notably in the East Coast-bred, Toronto-based rock squad’s eponymous, electrifying new disc, The Trews. It tallies so many firsts that even band members Colin MacDonald, John-Angus MacDonald, Sean Dalton and Jack Syperek cop to being a smidge flabbergasted by their own achievements, 14 Top 10 Canadian radio singles (including two #1s) notwithstanding.
There is, first and foremost, the assured manner in which it was written (through the lens of real life), underwritten (by fan support) and recorded (super-fast alongside marquee producer Gavin Brown). Guests bring flourish – witness Serena Ryder’s smoky vocals on ‘In the Morning,’ a contemplative almost-ballad with lyrics co-written by singer/guitarist Colin MacDonald and his pal, songwriting dynamo Simon Wilcox and buoyed by cellist Anne Bourne’s melancholic accompaniment.
Add in the fact that of late the Trews have been piling up the accolades touring acoustically despite being certified rock brawlers and the net result is something you just don’t see every day: proverbial old dogs issuing some seriously new tricks.
“I think with every record, you are kind of re-applying for the job,” chuckles guitarist John-Angus MacDonald. “There are so many bands out there, so many good ones, the fact that we get to keep going is a privilege. And as much as you get better and wiser with your craft, you still have to be ear-to-the-ground competitive. There is pressure in that.”
There are also wicked-cool rewards in that, none greater than the Trews’ daring and wildly successful PledgeMusic campaign which offered their loyal fans coveted and highly unique access to the band and its recording process in exchange for financial backing.
Everything from Skype chats to drum lessons, lifetime guest list privileges to adding vocals and hand-claps in-studio to songs like ‘New King,’ ‘The Sentimentalist,’ ‘Age of Miracles,’ and ‘Under The Sun’ was snatched up by supporters during the roughly year-long PledgeMusic drive.
“It was so much fun bringing fans into the studio, putting 20 people around a microphone,” Colin MacDonald enthuses. “This whole campaign was a great way to have an even deeper connection with the people who have been supporting us all these years.”
Adds John-Angus MacDonald, “I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have some trepidation at the onset. But it was all about the fan experience. We got to tailor those pledges to what we thought our fans might like, and at the end of it, we got to make a record for fans while giving them access they couldn’t possibly have had otherwise.”
Of course, the whole PledgeMusic exercise would be academic if the Trews weren’t making freaking phenomenal rock and roll full of the hairpin stylistic turns you’d expect from four guys who’ve been playing together daily pretty much all their adult lives.
Take the new album’s blazing first single, ‘What's Fair Is Fair’ which Colin MacDonald describes as “A song I wrote about a relationship falling apart. Sometimes when you cross a line you can't come back.”
And then there is the quaking, spit-drenched ‘New King,’ a biting indictment of bullies on digital pulpits. “We were pissed off and we wrote a song about it. I mean, if you can’t use your rock and roll to tell somebody to go shove it,” John-Angus MacDonald howls, “what the hell good is it?”
At the other end of the sonic spectrum is ‘65 Roses,’ a song inspired by former Trews booking agent Paul Gourlie, who succumbed to Cystic Fibrosis last May at age 37. It is, says John-Angus MacDonald, an illustration of the band feeling comfortable turning the volume down thanks to their acoustic touring, and an example of the impact producer Gavin Brown (see Metric, the Tragically Hip, Billy Talent) had on the new disc.
“The song ‘65 Roses’ was originally presented as an upbeat and rollicking song but the subject matter is quite sad,” the guitarist confirms. “Gavin was really insistent on that song being played as an acoustic number without drums. He saw us performing at Paul’s memorial and I don’t think he would even consider it being anything else.”
Indeed, Brown brought a whole new way of working to bear when he gathered with the Trews – including long-time keyboardist Jeff Heisholt - last fall in their rehearsal space for pre-production before moving the show to Toronto’s Noble Street Studios for “a concentrated two-and-half week session with some additional recording in November, mixing in December and mastering in January,” Colin MacDonald recalls.
“Gavin takes awesome bands and makes them awesome-r,” the singer cracks playfully. “And I think with our band, self-production would be a one-way ticket to divorce. We all respect each other but it’s always good to have that sounding board. Gavin is a giant personality who works quickly with such precision. So we entered that orbit and it made for a really interesting time. I’d do it again tomorrow.”
“For us, working quickly is a function of having our material together,” John-Angus adds, noting that the group amassed some 30 songs between January and May 2013 despite all members “doing a lot of other things. Life was being lived, we were traveling, but I think that fed the writing.
“From there we went about arranging it and making it sound great in the studio which, in my opinion, is much easier than songwriting. With Hope & Ruin” – the Trews’ chart-topping 2011 release cut with Hip bassist Gord Sinclair – “we were writing and recording at the same time and that record took seven months. Taking a kind of church and state approach to writing and recording this time worked really well.”
“I think we are getting better at pinpointing when a song is good and when it’s not,” Colin MacDonald says. “That’s what happens when you make five albums and tour all the time – you can tell a timeless idea from one that rocks hard but gets old fast. If I have to sing these songs 200 nights a year,” he smiles, doubtless envisioning the Trews’ itinerary for the foreseeable, “I want them to be good.”
Ana & Mia
The Trews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's never the same again
They show you all, they show you all
The secrets to keeping thin
How Ana and Mia stay beautiful all day
The pressure's on, girl you're gone
No one knows the sickness grows
Following deadly trends
How Ana and Mia stay beautiful all day
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
She's gone
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
It sucks you in so it begins
Turning your insides out
Skin and bones, you're all alone
It's killing you slowly now
How Ana and Mia stay beautiful all day
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
She's gone
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
Mother you should watch your girl
She's beautiful and it's misleading
Saw her on the sidewalk bleeding
Sickened but the sight of eating
This pressure on perfection's got to end
You're burning out, you're burning down
You're never the same again
They showed you all, they showed you all
The secrets to keeping thin
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
She's gone
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
She's gone
Mother you should watch your girl
Mother you should watch her world
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
She's gone
The Trews's song Ana & Mia sheds light on the dangerous and deadly world of eating disorders. The lyrics speak to the societal pressure placed on individuals, and specifically women, to maintain a thin and "beautiful" physique. The song is a call to action for mothers, and by extension caregivers, to be vigilant in watching over their loved ones as they succumb to the pressure of deadly trends. The lyrics depict the progression of the illness, from learning how to pretend to be okay, to being consumed by it and slowly killing oneself. The line "Sickened but the sight of eating" paints a vivid picture of the aversion to food that individuals with eating disorders experience.
The use of the names Ana and Mia in the title and lyrics of the song are nods to the pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia communities, respectively. These names are used as euphemisms for the illnesses, and the song speaks to the peer pressure and normalization of these harmful lifestyles.
The Trews wrote this song as a message to young women struggling with eating disorders, but also as a cautionary tale to those who might be tempted to try these "tricks" for stay thin. In an interview with the Toronto Star, lead singer Colin MacDonald said "It's supposed to be thought-provoking and put some thought into girls' heads, into anybody's head, who has friends like this or who may feel a little inferior."
Overall, The Trews have written a poignant and powerful song that addresses a very real problem in our society. Ana & Mia is a much-needed conversation starter about the dangers of eating disorders and the importance of mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
You're burning out, you're burning out
Feeling exhausted and wasting away due to starvation
It's never the same again
Life will never be normal again once you enter the destructive cycle of anorexia and bulimia
They show you all, they show you all
Advertising and social media promote unhealthy weight loss and glorify eating disorders
The secrets to keeping thin
The tricks and tips to maintaining a dangerously low body weight
The pressure's on, girl you're gone
Feeling pressured to maintain unrealistic standards and losing oneself in the process
You learning how to pretend
Faking a healthy relationship with food and hiding the true extent of the disorder
No one knows the sickness grows
The disease only worsens and becomes more addictive over time
Following deadly trends
Copying the dangerous habits and behaviors of others with eating disorders
How Ana and Mia stay beautiful all day
The dangerous and destructive behaviors of anorexia (Ana) and bulimia (Mia) are portrayed as ways to stay physically attractive
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
A warning to parents to be vigilant and pay attention to signs of eating disorders
She's gone
The girl has disappeared metaphorically, becoming consumed by the disease
It sucks you in so it begins
Eating disorders can quickly consume and trap someone in their grip
Turning your insides out
The harmful physical effects of vomiting, purging, and starvation
Skin and bones, you're all alone
Becoming dangerously underweight and feeling isolated due to the disease
It's killing you slowly now
The disease will lead to severe physical and mental damage, and can even be life-threatening
She's beautiful and it's misleading
The portrayal of unhealthy and dangerous behaviors as a path to beauty and attractiveness is a damaging lie
Saw her on the sidewalk bleeding
Seeing the visible consequences of the disease on someone's body
Sickened but the sight of eating
Developing a warped and unhealthy view of food
This pressure on perfection's got to end
Rejecting the impossible standards of beauty and perfection that can lead to eating disorders
You're burning down, you're never the same again
The all-consuming nature of eating disorders can lead to permanent harm and changes in personality and behavior
Mother you should watch your girl
A plea to parents to pay attention to and support their daughters in avoiding the dangers of unhealthy beauty standards
Mother you should watch her world
Encouraging parents to be aware of the destructive messaging and behaviors prevalent in society
She's gone
The girl has been swallowed up by the disease, leaving behind her former self
Mother you should watch your girl tonight
A final warning to parents to be vigilant and take action to address concerns about their daughter's eating habits and behaviors
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Colin MacDonald, Jack Syperek, John MacDonald, Sean Dalton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind