SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE with QUIET HOOVES, PLANET CREATURE and BETA FRONTIERS at Double Double Land (209 Augusta), Sunday (April 8). $7. doubledoubleland.com. See listing.
Ever since Weird Canada won CBC Radio 3’s Searchlight competition as best Canadian music site last year and, more recently, Grimes became an overnight critical darling, a new market has opened up for artists with distinct, off-kilter approaches to pop music.
That bodes well for Montreal-via-Edmonton weird pop auteur/Grimes labelmate Sean Nicholas Savage, though he refuses to view the opportunity in commercial terms.
“Claire’s [Boucher, aka Grimes] doing well opens up plenty of doors for everyone in the community,” Savage drawls over the phone from his girlfriend’s apartment in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood. “But it’s not a business thing. When people are doing new things musically, that’s when I think, ‘Wow, I’ve got to step up.’ Artistically, that’s when I get driven and inspired.
“As far as business goes, that’s just one plus one equals two. I’m not worried about it.”
That’s familiar rhetoric from underground musicians, though it’s not hard to recognize the 25-year-old’s genuineness. Beyond the fact that he’s almost comically earnest, there’s also his track record: nine solo releases in just over three years (plus a few with his former band, the Silly Kissers), most of which are available physically on cassette and digitally through the pay-what-you-can price model.
Savage’s prolific output can overwhelm fans looking for an entry point. The versatile crooner’s albums have ranged from strummy acoustic folk-pop to Bee Gees disco to his latest, Flamingo (Arbutus), influenced by memories of marathon sessions watching retro 80s videos on MuchMoreMusic as a teenager in Edmonton.
Uniting the sprawling discography are Savage’s lilting, quavering voice, nostalgic lyrics, lo-fi production and undeniable knack for well-crafted pop melodies.
“I have a deep appreciation for classic verse-chorus-verse pop structure,” says Savage in a message later left on my voice mail. “You know how Einstein said any idiot can make something more complicated but it takes a genius to simplify? I really believe in that.”
Savage’s love of pop tradition is difficult to reconcile with his “weirdo” persona, which mixes a lanky, wispy-mustached look with Zen-like aloofness. First-time audiences often don’t know whether to take his performances with a grain of salt. But his wide-eyed sincerity – evident in conversation and in concert – would be difficult to fake.
With similarly off-kilter acts like Doldrums and Phèdre slowly rising to prominence, it seems just a matter of time before a generation of music lovers discovers him, too.
“Everyone’s dying for personal, really creative ideas,” says Savage. “It’s a great time to be making music.”
Interview Clips
Sean Nicholas Savage explains why he thinks pop conventions are important, even if they’re subverted.
Savage’s latest album, Flamingo, was compressed and warped by feeding it through a VHS machine during the mastering process. Here, the songwriter explains his rationale for the odd choice (complete with sound effects!)
Arbutus Records originally started at a shared Mile End loft/venue/recording space called Lab Synthèse. Though the spot has since closed, Savage says Montreal’s art loft scene is still thriving.
For his next “nine-song smash,” Savage says he’s been taking inspiration from classic movie soundtracks.
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