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.”
When You Leave
The Trews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When no reason took a love from me
So I'll ask you my friend
If the stories were pretend
You say, "I love you and I always will"
You invented a brand new plan for the seasons
How to turn those leaves of fall green
Ain't a friend or a foe as long as you know
I love you and I always will
But when you leave, I lose control
And I hate to have to even lose control
When you leave, I lose control
And I'd hate to have to leave and lose control
It's alright, ma
Christmas eve in the back
Of a church with a demon
She turns and says to me
All is well, you never fell
Don't kiss and tell I swear to hell
I love you and I always will
But when you leave, I lose control
And I hate to have to even lose control
When you leave, I lose control
And I'd hate to have to leave and lose control
It's alright, Ma
In a thousand years from now
When they find Jesus
In a monument of Elvis Presley
I'll ask you in the end
If the stories were pretend
I love you, I always will
But when you leave, I lose control
And I hate to have to even lose control
When you leave, I lose control
And I'd hate to have to leave and lose control
It's alright, ma
But when you leave, I lose control
And I hate to have to even lose control
When you leave, I lose control
And I'd hate to have to leave and lose control
It's alright, Ma
The Trews's song "When You Leave" appears to be about loss and the overwhelming feeling of losing control when someone you love leaves. The lyrics paint the picture of someone who has lost faith in reason and has had their heart broken by someone they loved. Despite this, they are still holding on to the hope that maybe the love they shared was not all pretend. The singer is asking their friend whether the stories of love they shared were genuine or just a figment of their imagination.
The second verse is about the fleeting nature of life and how we all know that death is an inevitable part of the process. The lyrics allude to the fact that we have to embrace life while we can and love as deeply as we can, even with the knowledge that it may all be temporary. The chorus is repeated throughout the song and speaks to the overarching theme of losing control when someone leaves. The final verse speaks to the idea of time passing and how in the end, all that really matters is the love we have shared with others.
Overall, the lyrics are emotive and deeply personal, evoking a range of emotions from despair to hope and everything in between.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost all faith in reason
I no longer believe that logic or rationality can explain why I lost my love.
When no reason took a love from me
I didn't do anything wrong, but my love still left me for no apparent reason.
So I'll ask you my friend
I will turn to you for support and advice.
If the stories were pretend
I wonder if the promises and declarations of love were insincere or false.
You say, "I love you and I always will"
You assure me that you love me and will always continue to love me.
You invented a brand new plan for the seasons
You tried to change nature's course by finding a way to make leaves stay green during the fall.
How to turn those leaves of fall green
You figured out a solution to a problem that nature usually takes care of.
But death you know it comes and goes
You are aware that death is a natural part of life.
Ain't a friend or a foe as long as you know
As long as you accept that death is inevitable, it doesn't have to be viewed as something negative.
I love you and I always will
You emphasize the unwavering nature of your love.
But when you leave, I lose control
The thought of losing you makes me feel powerless and overwhelmed.
And I hate to have to even lose control
I don't want to be in a situation where I am unable to keep my emotions in check.
It's alright, ma
Despite the uncertainty and fear that comes with losing a loved one, I am trying to reassure myself that things will be okay.
Christmas eve in the back
On a holiday known for spending time with family, I found myself alone.
Of a church with a demon
Even in a place known for peace and love, I encountered something that seemed to represent darkness and despair.
She turns and says to me
A disturbing figure I encountered somehow turned its attention towards me.
All is well, you never fell
Despite everything that has happened, you are still standing and haven't lost your footing.
Don't kiss and tell I swear to hell
I promise to keep private certain intimate details that we have shared.
I love you and I always will
I share my feelings of deep love and devotion.
In a thousand years from now
Looking far into the future, when the world may be very different.
When they find Jesus
If or when a historical religious figure is rediscovered or re-evaluated.
In a monument of Elvis Presley
In a strange and unexpected place or context, far removed from its original meaning.
I'll ask you in the end
Despite everything that comes to pass, I will rely on you to make sense of it.
If the stories were pretend
I will still wonder if our love was genuine, even in the distant future.
I love you, I always will
My declaration of love remains constant, even when everything else changes.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Colin Kirk MacDonald, Edmond Gordie Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind