The Trews - ECMA Interview - Apr 15/12

After Sunday’s free concert in the Market Square in Moncton during the ECMAs, I was completely blown away by The Trews and was very excited when I was able to talk with guitarist John Angus MacDonald and get some insight into The Trews and their incredibly successful career.

1. How has the response been so far with Hope and Ruin?

- Very good I think.  It’s a changing industry as you know, so it’s getting harder to gauge the success of a record but as far as resonating with our fans, it has been more profound than any other record we released.  We just did a great tour through Canada that was maybe one of our best headlining runs ever and it’s also helped to bust down some doors internationally.  We’ve done better tours in the UK, Australia, and America.  All around we’re pretty happy about what’s going on.

2. What is the best part about being a musician in today’s industry?

- Doing interviews, haha.  I would say the best part is probably playing because that’s basically what we do as a full-time job.  We make records every couple of years but really what we’re doing all the time is playing, so that’s the part of the job we get to hone in on and really focus on.  I feel like it’s developed so much over the years that we’re at a place where we’re just proud of how we play live.

3. How do you feel about getting Rock Recording of the Year this year?

- We’re happy about it, but as musicians I can’t say it’s ever actually swayed our band one way or the other to win or lose.  Ultimately we’ve lost more than we’ve ever won, so I’m glad it doesn’t sway us because at the end of the day it’s about the work.  It’s about making your songs, recording your records, and playing your shows.  The awards are like a nice little side show that comes and goes.

 4. How does it feel being a band from the East Coast and getting so much international exposure?

- It feels really, really good actually.  We’ve worked our whole lives for this.  I mean I’m only 30 but I’ve been playing since I was 15 so it’s like half of a lifetime towards the goal of being able to have fans everywhere and just having people turned on by what you’re coming up with.  It means a lot you know so when we sit in our bedrooms or our livingrooms coming up with these songs and work them up at rehearsal spaces and studios, it’s funny to think that it goes through cyberspace or through records or CDs, it’s goes into someone else’s livingroom and then they come and see it live.  It’s a pretty magical little process when you slow down and think about it, and it’s something we’re grateful to be a part of.

5. Final thoughts?

- I hope the ECMAs go strong for many more years because it’s a great way to shine a spotlight on a part of the country that is a little underexposed, so I’m proud to be a part of it.

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I was truly grateful to have been able to talk with John Angus, and I think that these guys will be around for many years to come.  Be sure to check out live performances whenever you can, as I can guarantee you from experience that the show continues to get better and better.  Don’t forget to pick up a copy of their latest album, Hope and Ruin while you’re at it!