MOUNTIES with THE GAY NINETIES at Lees Palace (529 Bloor West), Saturday (November 1), 9 pm. Advance $20. HS, RT, SS, TF.
Hawksley Workman is stretched out in the grass backstage at last month’s Riot Fest. He’s just finished an early afternoon set drumming with his three-piece indie rock hook-slingers Mounties, yet Workman sounds like he already misses his fellow songwriters, Ryan Dahle of Limblifter and Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat, who all share lead vocal duties.
“We were instantly buddies when we met,” he says, recalling their initial meeting at the 2009 Junos. “We have such an incredible fondness for each other.”
The three accomplished musicians built on that chemistry by starting to write together in 2012. Workman is still in awe of those original sessions, saying they had a very old-school approach.
“We’d drink a mountain of wine, jam for 45 minutes and comb through what we did,” he recalls.
What emerged was 2014’s Polaris Prize long-listed Thrash Rock Legacy (Light Organ) – 14 tracks packed tight with key- and guitar-driven melodies and Workman showing off his high-energy approach to the skins.
Workman says the tunes came about organically.
“It’s not like they are written at a round table with a pen and paper out,” he says, adding that the approach felt like “jazz fusion more than pop music.”
Riot Fest was proof of the bonds forged during those studio sessions: Mounties were all smiles, and their mutual trust manifested itself in a jam-friendly set that didn’t ignore the band’s strong suit.
“When we’re jamming, we’re like starving wolves,” says Workman, “looking for the hook.”
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