THE RAVEONETTES at Yonge-Dundas Square, Saturday (June 19), 8 pm. Free. nxne.com.
I catch Raveonettes guitarist/singer Sune Rose Wagner at the album cycle equivalent of low tide.
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Now that tours in support of the Danish garage pop duo’s last album, In And Out Of Control (Vice), are over, he’s sneaking in some downtime, vacationing in London, England, with friends from Brooklyn band the Drums.
But Wagner and fellow Raveonette Sharin Foo aren’t resting for long. The hardworking pair are already writing album number five (due in 2011) and prepping a B-side and rarities compilation for later this year.
“That’s how it works,” says Wagner over the line. “We do an album, then we tour, then we immediately get into a studio and work on a new album.
“There is very little free time. We try always to be occupied with creative stuff.”
These moments between touring and recording are crucial they’re when songs get written and decisions get made about sound, artistic direction and whom to include in the creative process.
On In And Out Of Control, Sune and Foo brought in Danish pop whiz kid Thomas Troelsen to co-write and co-produce. Will they do that again?
“No,” says Wagner forcefully. “Absolutely not.”
A jab at Troelsen? Maybe not. Wagner has a thing for changing up the process.
“We like to do albums that are very independent from one another, so after the last one, which has tons of production on it, we want to cut back and do something raw, noisy and darker-sounding.”
This love of contrast is also hard-wired into their music.
“I like to write songs that musically sound really happy but have lyrics that are actually quite far from happy,” laughs Wagner. “I like to lure people into what they think is paradise, but it turns out to be hell.
“It just messes with their minds. They think they’re dancing to a cute little song, but it’s really all about evilness.”
As for the B-sides and rarities collection, Wagner says they’re still wading through piles of old recordings to decide what makes the cut.
“[There will be] a healthy dose of between 20 and 30 songs,” he promises, “mainly for our hardcore fans, who deserve to hear them.”
