Q&A with Wintersleep

Seriously, there’s something about Canada.  Maybe it’s the weather, its embrace of the arts, or its vast expanses, but something about the USA’s hat churns out terrific bands.  Wintersleep, thankfully, is no exception.  Opening with  unsettling strings, a lonely guitar riff, and the yelp of Paul Murphy, Wintersleeps latest effort, New Inheritors, is a record that relies on smarts and straight-ahead indie rock instead of gimmicks.  This brainy, no frills approach makes them a natural pairing for The Hold Steady, who they are touring with throughout late September and into October.  I had to opportunity to ask their singer & guitarist, Paul Murphy, a few questions on their first day of the tour in Richmond, VA.

Hey, how’s the tour treating you so far?

Day 1. Been great so far. Relaxing day in Richmond. Laundry day. :)

How has New Inheritors been received from the crowds?  Do you notice any new faces coming out to the shows?

Yeah, I guess most apparent in Europe & the UK. Played a few neat things over there just before this tour.  End of the Road being a notable thing, maybe the most notable show of that tour. Just a really great independent spirited festival, maybe one of the few left.

I saw that you recorded much of this record while on the road touring behind Welcome to the Night Sky, was this a significantly writing process than is usual for you guys?  Is this apparent when listening to the record?

We wrote a lot of it on the road and took the ideas to Montreal with us. We recorded it though at home. It was an interesting writing process, not really essentially having a chance to get outside of it, but that probably helped in the end for this record. I think we have a certain chemistry, so even under difficult circumstances, that chemistry prevails.

Paul, your tunes are quite lyric-driven and more wordy than most.  What are some of your main lyrical influences?  Were there are any major themes you explored with New Inheritors?

I guess there are lots of influences. I have a few writer brothers in my family and I try to read as much as possible. Life events. People. Lately a lot of short stories. I like lots of different song writers & lyricists. There are too many to name without coming across as a name dropper fan boy though, so I will maybe just think of a few early people- Leonard Cohen was a staple growing up.  Neil Young. Let’s start with those guys. I like[d] Lee Renaldo and Greg Dulli’s lyrics alot too. I guess there are lots of ideas on the new record. I guess I try to keep it stream of consciousness as much as possible. Themes, themes. I’d rather hear what you think the themes would be. It’s a conversation, no?

Being from Canada and competing in an American-dominated market, have you felt doors have opened for you since winning the Juno award in 2008?

Well, not solely because of that. You have to just work your ass off to do anything in this world. We try to do that, just to get better and to play as much as possible, and we get out there and really work for everything we get. The Juno thing was helpful I’m sure and it was nice but it is more of a pat on the back than some big career making event. It probably helped a lot in Canada at first. We still cite it in press releases.

I know other Canadian bands like The Weakerthans and The Paperbacks are heavily influenced by their hometowns.  Does Nova Scotia play a similar role in your writing?

Yes. We are all from really small towns with very small music scenes. I think being so far removed from the world of rock and roll really gave us the drive to get out there and do it if we really wanted to, and so we did. Aesthetically probably too, but in the most practical way it really prepared us to work and made us work from the get go.

Opening for The Hold Steady, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, and Editors are a fairly diverse set of acts to perform alongside.  How was the reaction across such a wide range of listeners?

The Pearl Jam shows and the McCartney show were home town gigs, so maybe they were slightly different than the Editors tour and the Hold Steady tour that we are embarking on. I guess in the end, all of these bands attract music fans and good people and open people I guess, so for us it is just about trusting in that and doing our thing and hoping it translates.

Is there anything coming up in 2011 that we should keep our eyes out for?

Just check your local listings, because there is gonna be lots of touring.

Be sure to catch Wintersleep opening for The Hold Steady at Royale on October 6th and pick up their new record New Inheritors, available now through The Tom Kotter Company and all fine music retailers.