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.”
You're So Sober
The Trews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you love me, but
I'm as humble as a bumble bee
I'd walk away
If you come with me or
I may crumble
For all to see
On my side
Hey, by the way
Did you love me girl?
The words I mumble
As she leaves
I'll be okay
As long as you won't be burdened
You don't fumble
You don't grieve
You don't think whether
You don't think twice
You're so sober
You only broke me
You, only broke me
Yeah,you're so sober
You're so sober
You only broke me
You, only broke me
Yeah, you're so sober
Lay the blame
Make it worthy and
Sift through rubble
For debris
'Cause nothings day begins
I'm noticing lately that the
When things trouble
We'll end the breeze
I have the weather
On my side
You're so sober
You only broke me
You, only broke me
Yeah, you're so sober
You're so sober
You only broke me
You, only broke me
Yeah, you're so sober
Is this over?
Or am I just crazy?
I'm not crazy
Yeah, you're so sober
Sober, yeah
The Trews's song "You're So Sober" is a melancholic track about a relationship that has come to an end, leaving the singer heartbroken. The opening lyrics, "I'd love to say, do you love me, but I'm as humble as a bumble bee" suggest that the singer is hesitant to express their true feelings to their former lover because they fear rejection. They know that they can't force someone to love them but are still hopeful that they might come around.
The next line, "I'd walk away if you come with me or I may crumble for all to see" shows that the singer is torn between wanting to move on and wanting to hold on to their love. They know that if they keep holding on, they risk facing public ridicule if their love is not reciprocated.
The chorus, "You're so sober, you only broke me" is a reference to the emotional pain the singer is experiencing due to their heartbreak. They feel like they were the only one invested in the relationship and that their love was not reciprocated. The line, "I have the weather on my side" is a metaphor for the singer's emotional state. They are going through a tumultuous time, and the weather reflects their emotional turmoil.
Overall, the song is an emotional ballad that beautifully captures the pain and heartbreak that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd love to say
I want to express my feelings
Do you love me, but
Do you feel the same way about me?
I'm as humble as a bumble bee
I'm being modest
I'd walk away
I might leave
If you come with me or
If you follow me
I may crumble
I could collapse emotionally
For all to see
In front of everyone
I have the weather
I feel in control
On my side
Life is going my way
Hey, by the way
Just a question
Did you love me girl?
Did you ever care about me?
The words I mumble
I speak indistinctly
As she leaves
As you walk away
I'll be okay
I'll manage
As long as you won't be burdened
As long as I'm not causing you trouble
You don't fumble
You don't make mistakes
You don't grieve
You don't feel bad
You don't think whether
You don't wonder
You don't think twice
You're certain
You're so sober
You're calm and unfazed
You only broke me
You're the only one who can hurt me
Yeah, you're so sober
You're still unaffected
Lay the blame
Place responsibility
Make it worthy and
Make it justifiable
Sift through rubble
Look through the ruins
For debris
For the pieces left behind
Cause nothings day begins
Because everything is not good anymore
I'm noticing lately that the
I'm realizing that
When things trouble
When things get difficult
We'll end the breeze
The pleasantness will be gone
Is this over?
Has this ended?
Or am I just crazy?
Or am I losing it?
I'm not crazy
Maybe I'm not losing it
Sober, yeah
Clear-headed, yeah
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Colin Kirk Macdonald, Gordie Edmond Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind