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.”
In The Morning
The Trews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's gonna be okay
'Cause if we don't we're lost
Maybe we're lost anyway
I want to lift you up
I want to make it great
I want to be the boat
That carries you across the lake
You push everyone away
But you don't want to be alone
You still don't know what you want
But you have to let that go
And trust that the sun will rise
In the morning
I wanna get too close
I wanna be right there
It might all mean nothing
But I think that we're getting somewhere
You push everyone away
But you don't want to be alone
You still don't know what you want
But you have to let that go
And trust that the sun will rise
In the morning
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
We have to keep believing
It's gonna be okay
'Cause if we don't we're lost
Maybe we're lost anyway
At the end of the day
You don't want to be alone
You still don't know what you want
But you have to let that go
And trust that the sun will rise
In the morning
In the morning
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
The Trews's song "In the Morning" is a powerful ballad that speaks to the idea of taking risks to connect with others, even when we don't know what we want or where we're going. The singer encourages someone who is struggling with loneliness and confusion to push through the fear of vulnerability and trust that things will get better. The chorus repeats the phrase "trust that the sun will rise in the morning," which serves as a metaphor for the hope that we can find if we just keep moving forward.
The lyrics suggest that our need for connection with others can often be at odds with our fear of being hurt. The line "you push everyone away but you don't want to be alone" speaks to this internal conflict. The singer is trying to convince the person to take a chance on them, to let them offer support and be a source of stability in their lives. The boat metaphor in the second verse is a powerful image of the singer's desire to be the one who can help the other person navigate the choppy waters of their emotions.
Ultimately, the song is a message of hope and perseverance in the face of doubt and fear. The repeated line "we have to keep believing it's gonna be okay" is a reminder that we can't give up when things get tough. The chorus serves as a powerful anchor for the song's message, with the image of the rising sun representing the idea that no matter what darkness we may face, there is always a new day on the horizon.
Line by Line Meaning
We have to keep believing
It is important to maintain faith and positivity
It's gonna be okay
Things will work out in the end
'Cause if we don't we're lost
Without belief, we become directionless
Maybe we're lost anyway
Even if we believe, we may still face uncertainty
I want to lift you up
I desire to provide support and encouragement to you
I want to make it great
I aim to help make things better
I want to be the boat
I aspire to be the means by which you overcome challenges
That carries you across the lake
That takes you safely to the other side of difficulties
You push everyone away
You distance yourself from others
But you don't want to be alone
But you seek connection and companionship
You still don't know what you want
You remain uncertain about your desires or goals
But you have to let that go
But you must release that uncertainty in order to move forward
And trust that the sun will rise
And believe that a new day will bring new opportunities and hope
In the morning
When a new day begins
I wanna get too close
I seek greater intimacy and closeness
I wanna be right there
I desire to be present and supportive
It might all mean nothing
Our efforts may seem insignificant or unimportant
But I think that we're getting somewhere
But I believe that our actions are making progress
At the end of the day
When all is said and done
Ooh, ooh
Vocalization to add emotion to the song
Ooh, ooh
Vocalization to add emotion to the song
Ooh
Vocalization to add emotion to the song
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Simon Wilcox, Sean Dalton, Colin Matthew Macdonald, John Angus Macdonald, Jack Syperek
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TeamRenzo011
These guys deserve more love, such an under rated band.
@bonnieparent6301
Just share
@bonnieparent6301
Share
@InTentZManIpulSation
Right? So amazing.
@errintara2338
I sang this to my father on his deathbed. He squeezed my hand, my aching heart held him..... in song.
@user-gv5yz9mg1v
This was beautifully done❤️its one of my favourites❤️
@nikkibrown8107
You guys are Trewly Amazing! Keep healing the planet , and our souls with your music guys! Thank you for last night it was my favorite check mark off the old bucket list! Xoxix I'm a better person just for hearing you.... I mean really hearing you! Barrie Ontario Canada loves you guys!
@derekbalder1739
As does Courtice
@caraliiina8453
This song makes me emotional and I love it
@TrueAscension
Love these guys! Have seen them a few times in Cleveland. They put on an amazing show. Saw them at a small venue just outside of Cleveland. While buying some of their merchandise after the show, they asked if we wanted to meet them? Got to hang out and have a few beers with them. Very down-to-earth bunch.