Lead singer Brett Emmons tells his story of self care
The Glorious Sons played for a packed crowd at Peter Clark Hall in the University Centre on Saturday, Sept. 22, and proved that they are the band the world needs right now. The Glorious Sons’ frontman, Brett Emmons, took a call with The Ontarion ahead of the show to discuss the band’s career so far.
“[We’re] going to play rock music and have as much fun as possible,” said Emmons. “I think the best bands in the world live are the bands that are having fun.”
After the opening band, Shotty Horroh, failed to create any energy in the room, Emmons walked on stage wearing his father’s University of Guelph football jersey and received rapturous applause.
Emmons has spent time in Guelph and recalls funk nights at The Albion and walking around downtown Guelph before the band got started. With years of partying and jubilation gone by, Emmons remains incredibly human, but his level of balance took some trial and error to arrive at.
“I stopped drinking and started to make some life choices to start to become myself,” said Emmons. “In this business you can pretty much get whatever you want, as far as substances and partying goes, whenever you want.”
“What was hard for me was limiting myself over the years. I wouldn’t say I had a terrible addiction, but it was changing my brain,” Emmons continued. “When that started happening and I felt that I was becoming more of a caricature than a person, and I felt like I was evading the responsibility that I had to the people that I loved in my life, I realized that I had to make a change. It’s been really good.”
The Glorious Sons are about to kick off the last leg of their tour promoting their newest album Young Beauties and Fools. Both singles from the album — “S.O.S (Sawed Off Shotgun)” and “Everything Is Alright” — have reached number one on the Billboard Canada Rock Chart.
“The whole album is kind of about owning up to yourself and the people around you, just being honest with yourself and how you feel and where you stand and what kind of person you have been,” said Emmons. “The song ‘Everything Is Alright’ […] is also about trying to find that moment of peace. Maybe it’s forgiveness, maybe it’s something else, but when everything is bad, it can still be okay for a little bit.”
Originally, the show was set to take place at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre on campus, but was moved at the last moment to Peter Clark Hall in the University Centre. Undoubtedly, the UC administration, Central Student Association, and other show partners made an excellent decision in moving the show to a venue that was more intimate.
On an audible note, The Glorious Sons were far able to outperform the recorded versions of themselves. The live show in such a small space created a huge and crisp sound.
Considering that homecoming is the biggest party day of the year, the audience was lively but respectful. As the band played each song, the fans knew every word and sang along. This positive energy created a feeling of camaraderie in the hall.
Although Emmons and The Glorious Sons started out admiring the Rolling Stones (and still do), they have swiftly curated their own image, and cut an album that simultaneously acknowledges that although life can be hard, it can always be improved.
–
Photos by Karen K. Tran/The Ontarion