BLUE HAWAII (DJ SET) with COMET CONTROL, MEXICAN SLANG, HIAWATHA, DELTA WILL and many more as part of WAVELENGTH’S ENDLESS SUMMER at Vintage & Flea Outdoor Market (1251 Dundas West), Saturday (August 16), 3 pm. $10. RT, SS, TF. wavelengthtoronto.com. See listing.
Blue Hawaii’s Alex Cowan isn’t really sure where home is. He’s been living in London, UK, for the past five months, but he won’t be seeing that apartment again until December due to his touring schedule. Nevertheless, the nomadic life suits him just fine.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about that myself,” says the artist from Montreal. “There’s not really a regular place I return to any more. I lived in Montreal for a long time, but as I got into music, I realized that I really enjoyed travelling and not being based anywhere.”
It’s been quite some time since Cowan lived in the same city as Blue Hawaii vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston, which has slowed progress on writing the sequel to the electronic pop duo’s 2013 debut album, Untogether (Arbutus). And since Standell-Preston has also been wrapped up in working on her next album with her other band, BRAIDS, Cowan’s been taking more and more solo gigs as a DJ.
“It’s made me think a lot about how I use my time and what I see myself doing,” says Cowan. “I’ve always DJed, but I just did it for fun, and I’ve never had to do it to make a living. But for the past few months, it’s actually been paying my rent, and I’ve been getting more and more into it.”
He doesn’t think their next proper album will be ready until fall 2015, but fans should keep an eye out for a free mixtape toward the end of the summer, featuring dance-floor-friendly reworkings of older Blue Hawaii mixed with some of his favourite current club tracks.
Despite the distance and distractions, Cowan isn’t worried about rehearsal time for Blue Hawaii’s upcoming tour across Asia.
“Some of our best shows are when we haven’t seen each other for three months and we land in a city together, give each other a big hug and just play. Generally, we don’t need much practice, which is something that has allowed us to be a band. Otherwise, we couldn’t take a lot of the opportunities that come our way.”
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com | @benjaminboles
