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.”
Tired Of Waiting
The Trews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking blind and blaming
Following and trailing
Words you might be saying
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
Altered expectations
Long anticipation
Everything is changing
I'm the same and aging
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
Of the long way down
The long way down
The long way down
The long way down, hey
So I stand to let you down
Here alone
I can't seem to dream of you
No more
No more
No more
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
I'm just tired of waiting
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired of waiting
I'm tired of waiting
I am tired
I'm so tired, I'm so tired (I am tired of waiting)
I'm so tired, I'm so tired
I'm tired (I am tired of waiting)
I'm so tired, I'm so tired (I am tired of waiting)
I'm so tired, I'm sick of waiting, yeah (I am tired of waiting)
I'm so tired
I am tired of waiting
I'm so tired, yeah yeah
I am tired of waiting
I am tired of waiting
The lyrics of The Trews's song "Tired Of Waiting" depict the feelings of someone who is exhausted from waiting for something to happen. The opening lines "I am wired and fading, looking blind and blaming" suggest that the singer is anxious and frustrated, possibly taking out their frustrations on others as they try to make sense of their situation. The following lines "following and trailing, words you might be saying" suggest that they are searching for signs or guidance, but they are left feeling more lost and exhausted than before.
The refrain "I'm tired of waiting" is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizing the central theme of exhaustion and impatience. The lines "altered expectations, long anticipation, everything is changing, I'm the same and aging" suggest that the singer's hopes and dreams have not been fulfilled and that they feel stuck in a state of limbo while time continues to pass them by. The final section of the song, "So I stand to let you down, here alone, I can't seem to dream of you, no more, no more, no more" suggests that the person they were waiting for has either let them down, or they have given up on waiting for them to appear altogether.
Overall, "Tired Of Waiting" is a melancholic, introspective song that captures the feeling of being stuck in a state of waiting that never seems to end. It is a powerful reminder of the toll that waiting can take on a person's emotional and mental health, and a call to action to find a way to move forward when things seem stagnant.
Line by Line Meaning
I am wired and fading
I am feeling restless and exhausted at the same time.
Looking blind and blaming
I am feeling lost and guilty, unable to see the way forward.
Following and trailing
I am trying to keep up with you while feeling left behind at the same time.
Words you might be saying
I am struggling to understand what you are saying or not saying.
I am tired of waiting
I am fed up with the constant delay or inaction of the situation.
I'm tired of waiting
I am feeling exhausted from waiting for so long.
Altered expectations
My hopes and plans have been changed or affected by external factors.
Long anticipation
I have been waiting for a long time for something to happen.
Everything is changing
The circumstances or environment around me are constantly shifting.
I'm the same and aging
I feel stuck and yet time is passing me by.
Of the long way down
I dread the possibility of things going downhill or falling apart.
So I stand to let you down
I am ready to face the possibility of disappointing you or failing to meet your expectations.
Here alone
I feel isolated and unsupported in this situation.
I can't seem to dream of you
I am unable to imagine a positive outcome or future with you in the current situation.
No more
I have reached my limit or decided to stop hoping or trying.
I'm so tired, I'm so tired
I am completely exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally.
I'm tired
I am feeling drained and weary.
I'm so tired, yeah yeah
I am extremely exhausted, beyond what words can describe.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Colin Kirk Macdonald, Eric Paul, Gordie Edmond Johnson, Jack Kakon Syperek, John Agnus Callaghan Macdonald, Sean Patrick Dalton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ontario Bitcoin
Saw these guys at my university campus pub many years ago. Great show! They not only rocked their hits which were big at the time but also did a few excellent Stones covers which they spliced into their own songs. And a really small venue too. Such a fun night!
Robert Brooks
Why is it that I am just hearing these guys for the first time? Man they are cool. I'm going to see them open for Our Lady Peace in Buffalo.
Scott Jackson
Just heard of this band on a Canadian radio station that I was listening to online. I really like this.
I would say they're "retro," except this song is old enough that maybe it was modern when it was recorded in 2003 it sounded modern. Retro or not, this is a great sound. Really like both the guitarist and bass player. Solid lead vocal.
Tim Beaux
Their first 3 albums are brilliant. The others are still good but not quite to that level. Also be sure to check out their live acoustic LP Friends and Total Strangers. Just amazing. They're still going strong.
Tj Klyne
This song is amazing lol always hear it on the radio
Sherry and Cohen ‘s gaming
Awe you guys are babies 😂I remember you guys like this!! Loved the album, cheering you on since!!! 🎉
Roose
pretty awesome. its an odd sound, but i cant stop listening
Ontario Bitcoin
It’s that EAST COAST SOUND! ✊🏽 - raw, classic yet fresh. Will be enjoyed w/ beers @ the pub for years to come
Doc Siddall
I've been coming back to this video for sooo many years with no comments til now. I went to see one of my favorite bands of all time The Screamin Cheetah Wheelies at something called Wheeliefest in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was a three day camp-out concert (These days they name the events and charge seven times the amount..) We met some Canadian campers the night before who told us they were there more for The Trews than they were the Wheelies and I didn't believe them. I saw their live set and I got it. Bought their record. Keep coming back to this video since it's easier than digging up the CD.
Terry Muise
I love the trews ❤