CSA’s concert series brings Saskatchewan band to Guelph
Library Voices stopped in at the University of Guelph while on tour to perform at a CSA Noon-Hour Concert Series and took some time to chat after the show.
Hailing from Regina, the peppy, surf-pop indie band Library Voices is changing physically and musically.
In the late 2000’s Library Voices had 10 plus members, as was the trend, but the group count is now down to six or seven depending on the show.
Throughout the set, the audience was gifted with upbeat songs from the band’s newest album Lovish, and some fan favourites like “Handclap Nation” and “Drinking Games.”
It was the finale that really woke the audience up. The final track played was titled “Some Mezcal Morning”; this last piece to top off the smooth ride of a super-tight, indie pop show was a pleasantly dark departure from anything else performed.
“Some Mezcal Morning” is the first track on the band’s second EP For John. The band became close with John Farrell; a fan and rock radio station DJ from Buffalo that would take the bus to Toronto when Library Voices was playing. While they were on the road, they received word of his passing.
“After the point that he died we just [decided] we’re going to do whatever we want […]” said Brennan Ross.
It sounds like you can hear the cathartic release in “Some Mezcal Morning.” This marked a shift in the attitude and music of the band creating from indie synth-pop to indie rock and beyond.
Considering how Library Voices started, the pleasant sounds of Canadiana make little sense. The team was a quirky crew with some experienced musicians coming from hometown punk-rock and emo bands; this includes Carl Johnson, who was the frontman of the ‘90s band Filmmaker. Even with their one chart placer “Generation Handclap,” Library Voices acted more like rock stars than pop stars while making the video.
“It’s true,” said Brennan Ross when asked about a rumor on Youtube regarding a band member’s eviction while making the video for “Generation Handclap.” “People were partying, and people were drunk, and it was a real party, and those were real fireworks.”
The band’s wonderful rambunctiousness may not surprise fans who were won over with the track “Drinking Games” on the band’s first album Denim on Denim. This little piece of inebriated sunshine is a perfect addition to your infinite summer playlist. “Drinking Games” is a staple in the Library Voices set.
If you find yourself in Regina on this St. Patrick’s Day, you could also head over Malt City and a get pint of the official Library Voices beer. When asked which beer is the best beer in Regina, this was Johnson’s first choice.
Coming from a small town where making the jump as a working band is a rarity, Ross weighed in on why to choose the path of art as a profession.
“Any society where people stop making art is a very dangerous place, because people stop examining what the f*ck is going on” said Ross. “That’s why it’s important for me.” Library Voices is now winding down from their tour promoting Lovish, but has something new to offer soon.
“We have an EP of covers we’ve recorded,” said Johnson. “It might release four [tracks] at a time.”
On February 29, 2016, the track “Hey! Andrienne” off the album Lovish was number six in CBC Radio’s list of top 30 songs of the week. Whether or not Lovish will be the album that throws Library Voices into the mainstream is uncertain, but if it happens, you should not be surprised.