The Tragically Hip – Interview [2002]

Step into the light for an in depth interview with lead guitarist Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip discussing the release of the band’s ninth studio album entitled In Violet Light.

Good morning! How was your Canada Day?

It was pretty quiet. We had to travel from Halifax to St. John’s, Newfoundland. We just went out for a late dinner and a few drinks.

Sounds like a nice and relaxing Canada Day. First of all, great work on In Violet Light and for continuing to release great records. Why did the band decide to break away from the traditional recording process at the Bath Studios and decide to go to the Bahamas?

We certainly made the first few records by going away some place as a band and to just be intensive about what we did. You wake up in the morning and you are together with the guys in the band and you are instantly at work on songs and what is required. The Bath Studios is the best studio I have ever worked in. There is certainly nothing at the Bahamas that had what the Bath Studio did not have as in terms of technical gear. It was more a matter for us that Bath is so close to home, for me it’s a twenty-five minute commute, you work all day in the studio and then at two o’clock in the morning you have to drive home blurred eye. Then in the morning you have to wake up and make breakfast and get your son to school; I know it sounds incredibly selfish but all that outside stuff becomes a distraction. We just find that if we go away some place where you just live and breathe the music it just helps the band that we get a lot more quality work done in a short period of time.

What did the surroundings of the Bahamas do for the band?

I heard some musicians say that they’ll go away, or the studio they are in really inspires a lot or affects the sound; I really did not think that we ever found that going to Memphis to make a record because the music that came out of Memphis inspired us so much, but that was before we went to Memphis. Actually being in Memphis I’m not sure what that did and similarly the Bahamas. It was a nice, relaxing environment but we were in the studio about twelve hours a day from eleven in the morning till eleven at night six days a week. It was not like we spent lot time swimming. I got into the ocean once.

Is there any song from the Bahamas sessions that help set the vibe on the record?

I would say “Dire Wolf” because it was a song that came together really late in the song writing just before we left for the Bahamas. The song really came together down there.

That’s one of my favorite songs on the record.

Almost every song on the record is already better live.

I was going to ask you how live the album was working out because some of the arrangements on a few of the songs sounds like it would take some figuring out. A song that comes to mind is “Leave”.

That’s very observant and that’s exactly the case. “Leave” is one of the most difficult songs on the record so far to play live for a number of reasons. We worked hard to come to an ends on that one.

Past records seem to have a unique straight up rock and roll atmosphere but In Violet Light seems to be capturing a different vibe or mood. How did working with Hugh Padgham (produced Sting, David Bowie) help?

First of all, we chose Hugh because we were so impressed with his work, his track record, and the kind of albums he makes so we felt he was something we could put our career and complete faith in to make the right decisions. We like to find a producer who we can give them a task to do and you let them run with the ball, you do not constrain them.

Was Hugh familiar with the band’s sound and history?

Not a lot but he had certainly heard of the band on a number of occasions and I know he has never seen us live.

I think that’s cool for him to want to work with the band not really having any background of who and what the Hip are.

To walk into a blind situation and let us give the project to him and say “You’re in charge now”; I think it’s strange but a bit of a leap of faith. He was a great choice for the band. He was interested in the atmosphere of the tune and the quickest way to get to build nice, tight, and concise arrangements. He wants to feature certain elements in the song and bring it on home. He does not like a lot of guitar solos and that’s fine.

Yeah, I noticed that on In Violet Light compare to past works there were not too many featured solos.

As a guitar player it’s fun to wind out sometimes but it always does not have to be in the service of the song. We always try to make that our priority. I think the first couple of records had a lot more guitar soloing on them because those songs really sprang out what we were doing in the live show.

The band has been together for eighteen years and still are putting out solid rock albums, what do you think allows the band stay in top form?

We have expectations for ourselves and we do not want to repeat what we have done so there are continuing challenges to be met. I think if we were content to just keep reapplying the same formula over and over we would get tired of this quickly. We were friends before we were a band and we formed a band to have fun. There is no point in doing it if you’re not going to enjoy it. The first line in the operating manual for us is “Don’t do it if it’s no fun”.

The road has been a big part in growth of band musically and mentally, how has the road let the band grow over the years?

The road time is absolutely essential for us. There is a cycle that happens from writing a song, going in (the studio) and recording the song and then to consummate the whole thing you have to get out and perform the song live. Then when you are out performing the songs live you are getting new ideas for the new songs. The cycle is just feeding into itself that way. There are many cool moments out on the road. We played a cool show in Halifax (Nova Scotia) the other night at Citadel Hill, which is an old fort, centered in the middle of Halifax with thirty thousand people. It was quite a sight!

I heard that you got to play Bob Marley’s Martin acoustic during the recording?

Well, it was there (laughs). I did get to play it but the guitar was badly intonated and warped. Terry Manning, the engineer, has a fabulous guitar collection that includes Robert Johnson, Bob Marley, Dwayne Eddie, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page 56 telly and a 59 Strat that I played all over the record..

Interesting choice for the first single, “It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken It”, it’s not your typical Hip tune?

I stay out of the single choices. I cannot even begin to second-guess radio and what they are going to do. I think the idea was as the record got played for management and the record company people, they all instantly gravitated to that one particular song and seem to be a group consensus. I was pretty surprised by the first single as I thought that most Hip fans would want to hear something rocking. I think that we have built a career in part to not meet those (public) expectations but meeting enough of them to keep people happy but foiling enough of them to keep people guessing. As for the first release for the record I think it is a song that initially the first time you hear it’s not going to put its hooks in you but I think after you have heard it a few times the song starts to insinuate itself in. I have not seen the video yet.

Did you end up working with John Landis (Animal House and of Michael Jackson “Thriller” fame) for the shoot of “Good Life”?

No, actually we did not have a chance to work with him. John Landis called us and wanted to move the shoot up about two weeks and for us that was almost impossible so we ended working with a guy in Toronto.

What is his name?

Ante Kovac is a director out of Toronto.

I saw the video, what’s up with the white suits?

(Laughs) He had this idea of making this Fellini looking video that looks like something is going to happen all the time but nothing really is happening.

Do you look for a director/producer who is trying to capture what the song is about?

Kind of the latter. Gord Downie (lead singer) has directed a few of our videos but I think it was ultimately overwhelming for him. He did a real good job with the “Poets” video and “Something On”; him and his brother Mike did those two videos. I think when you’re on the road you got enough things going on already to have deal with the production.

Once again you did the cover art for the record, what inspired the look of the cover?

It’s a watercolor painting and we talked about what we were going to do for the cover and when we finally decided on the title of the record Gord Downie and I had a conversation about what the title could mean and different ways one could take it. He was really keen that I try something and we are always in favor of doing these things in-house. I literally lifted a line from “Silver Jet”, “ there’s a heron outside inviolate light” and that’s all I needed and I can go on that. I tried to make a nice rich color and as simple as possible but graphic. I love those nights were the water completely blends into the sky.

Tell us about the Hip Club and how the band came up the idea? Great idea by the way!

Well, we have been doing www.thehip.com for a long time now and it just seemed like a really good way to a have more direct contact with the people. As you know, we got burned on the last record (Music @ Work) by it leaking five weeks early and that really hurt the band and any plan the record company had for launching the record. So the record company does next to nothing and reviewers do not write on the record because it has already been out for five weeks. You got the sail up but there’s no wind. We thought that there has to be incentive for the people to go out and buy records these days instead of downloading it for free, you have to give them something more. Well, what do you do?

I like the idea of being rewarded for buying the record and able to get downloadable live and bonus tracks later. I think more bands will develop a similar reward system for fans. What fans want to know about the Hip Club will there be full shows to download or just random live tunes?

I think there will be things like full shows and maybe even some tech clinics where Paul (Langlois, guitar) and I will be on for a day or two to talk guitars and gear with anyone who wants to get on (laughs).

This May the band was inducted and placed into the Canadian Walk of Fame, what’s it like to see the band’s name engraved into the Canadian Walk of Fame?

It is an honor. I think we felt pretty awkward about the whole thing to be included in that group of people. It’s different when you get up and play your songs and people applaud because they like your songs, and that’s great! But when you standing up there and people are applauding and you do not have your guitar that’s is really awkward. (laughs).

+Larry Sarzyniak