JENS LEKMAN with LISA/LIZA at the Great Hall (1087 Queen West), Monday (March 13), doors 8 pm. $22.50. Sold out.
Of all the cities he will be visiting on tour over the next two months, Swedish troubadour Jens Lekman might have the biggest affinity for Toronto. And judging by how quickly his show at the Great Hall sold out, the feeling is mutual.
“I think it’s because Toronto is the Gothenburg of Canada, with the trends and the music and everything,” Lekman says from a spare phone on his tour bus. (His regular phone was stuck in an unreachable spot underneath his bunk.) “I feel very at home when I’m there. Everyone has always been so kind to me.”
Part of Toronto’s appeal, Lekman points out, is its strong and nurturing musical community. Lekman is an avid collaborator who over the years has found like-minded artists in our fair city.
“I’ve spent a lot of time there and known a lot of musicians from Toronto, like the Hidden Cameras gang and Owen [Pallett] from Final Fantasy,” he says. “I played there in 2008 with Final Fantasy and Katie Stelmanis.”
After that gig, which also happened at the Great Hall, Lekman and Pallett provided fans with an unforgettable experience. They refused to say good night and strolled down Queen Street to deliver an encore in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
“Yes, I remember that place,” Lekman says. “After that show at the Great Hall, Owen and I went down to the park and played a show underneath a tree. I think I played four shows that day in Toronto.”
Lekman is returning in support of his fourth studio album, Life Will See You Now. He never intended to wait five years to put out his follow-up to 2012’s I Know What Love Isn’t, but after a case of writer’s block, he found some inspiration in rhythms. Life rediscovers the peppy spark of his beloved 2007 album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, but integrates disco, Caribbean and club influences. And it’s all thanks to his drummer.
“I had a drummer in my band who started teaching me tricks to come up with interesting rhythms,” he explains. “Because I don’t come from a musical background, I’ve never studied music and I don’t know music theory at all, so a lot of stuff I discover on my own are things students would learn in the first grade of music.
“He taught me the Tommy-Annika method, which is when you take the names Tommy and Annika, characters from Pippi Longstocking, and put them in different rhythmic combinations,” he adds with a laugh. “When I started doing that, I really liked how it could be used to make rhythms that brought life and space to the songs to make them more energized.”
Lekman’s newfound sense of rhythm has bolstered his live performances and given fans more opportunity to dance. However, don’t expect to him move all that much.
“We’ve put a lot more emphasis on the dancier parts of the set, and the crowd really enjoys it,” he says. “I’m not much of a dancer, but I do a few moves. I catch myself dancing but then I get embarrassed and put my guitar back on. I’m slowly getting into it.”
music@nowtoronto.com | @yasdnilmac
