You’d struggle to find any artist – be it in music, literature, film, whatever – whose career has seen nothing but wine and roses.
Any attempt to make a life within the arts is a gamble, and one that may not actually pay off until long down the road (if at all). Canadian indie folk band The Strumbellas are keenly aware of this; it wasn’t until 2016’s Hope – their third album – that they finally found commercial success and the confidence to keep going. Frontman Simon Ward talks to the BRAG about the pros and cons of uncertainty.
“I can’t speak for other band members,” Ward explains, “but yes, I was at a very low point in the band’s career before this album was released. We were struggling to make a name for ourselves on a worldwide level, we were barely affording to pay the bills, and we were away from our families a lot. So it was tough. I wouldn’t say I was ready to quit per se, but I was getting really worried about our future as a band.”
Grim though that future may have appeared, with Hope’s lead single, ‘Spirits’, The Strumbellas’ fortunes swiftly changed. The song topped the Billboard Alternative Charts, and they even got to play for Stephen Colbert, which is surely a massive tick on anyone’s bucket list. ‘Spirits’ also acts as a handy thematic anchor for the album itself.
“Luckily for me, most of the songs I write are about sadness, self-loathing and death,” Ward laughs. “So regardless of the order the songs are made, they usually are about similar topics. But I never think about an album as a whole when making an individual song. Each individual song for me is its own story, and I’m definitely not organised enough to think about connecting songs together to sound cohesive together. I can’t even get myself to wear the same coloured socks every day.
“In the beginning, it was just about trying to make good songs. However for me, Hope has become something different than that. I’ve had probably 200 messages from people telling me the lyrics of this record have helped them through the hardest times of their life. I never in a million years thought that sharing my pain with others would be one of the things I’m most proud about in my life. It’s like I’ve made a bunch of sad friends and we can all be sad together,” he chuckles. “I truly appreciate every note I get that tells me I’ve helped someone’s day.”
Should you happen upon any press from the release of Hope (which dropped back in April), you’ll likely find reference to the various pop releases The Strumbellas were delving into as they toured from coast to coast. Indeed, you don’t need to listen for very long to hear some rather anthemic arcs arise, blended rather splendidly with the band’s original kind of quirky folk. The Canadians have been described as Mumford & Sons meets The Decemberists, which isn’t an inaccurate touchstone, but it does give you pause. Surely to pour blood, sweat and tears into an album, only to then hear yourself compared to some other band entirely, would be a frustrating experience?
“It doesn’t bother me, because to be honest, they are probably right,” Ward responds. “I could probably name a band or song that I tried to emulate for every song I ever wrote. It’s my secret. Don’t tell anyone. I think it’s inevitable our band gets compared to others. I’m a musical thief.
“Also, movie theme songs were a huge inspiration for me when writing this album. I love movie theme songs. The theme song from the movie Elf, Back To The Future, Indiana Jones, Police Academy, among others. Movie theme songs often hit me hard emotionally, so I always try to embrace that when writing Strumbellas songs. In terms of literature – not really. I’ve only ever read like 40 books in my life. I’m more of a movie guy.”
The next chance you’ll get to see the sextet in Australia will be at the conclusion of their world tour, at Bluesfest 2017. It’s been a remarkable road they’ve followed – from sleeping rough and playing local residencies just a few years ago, to hitting the road and touring overseas. The best part is, with their newfound success, it shouldn’t be long until we see them out here again.
“For me, playing live is like songwriting, in that I feel like there’s always things to learn and new things to try to make it better,” Ward says. “Yes, playing residencies helped in the development of our live show but I still feel like I can make it better – even after eight years! I definitely miss elements of the early years. There is a satisfaction in trekking across the country and playing to empty bars and sleeping on people’s floors. It makes you feel like you’ve earned the success that you’ve achieved as a band when you put in the hard years. I think if we skipped the hard years to get to where we are now, the success wouldn’t feel as satisfying.”
Hope isout now through Liberator; andThe Strumbellas appear at Bluesfest 2017, Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Thursday April 13 – Monday April 17, and Oxford Art Factory on Monday April 17.
