Gin Blossoms frontman Robin Wilson has just returned from the road, touring North America alongside Canadian gems Barenaked Ladies. He’s deep in a remodel for his Long Island home, a byproduct of a tragic fire that claimed his property in 2021. 

Through it all he remains upbeat with a pitch-black humour, joking, “The tour was a breeze compared to being at home.

“I enjoy that kind of touring where we’re doing five shows a week. We stay in a bus, we’re playing with other bands on a package tour. It’s where I absolutely am at my happiest and give my best performances. So that’s easy. It’s hard being home and having to go to Home Depot twice a day and, you know, deal with my son and my ex-wife, and have to just deal with being alive at home. The road is much more simple. 

“I only have to know two or three things a day. What time is the meet and greet? What time does the show start? I have some responsibility to be healthy and prepared to give a good performance, but my life is very simple out on tour.”

Wilson’s sitdown with The Herald came in advance of Gin Blossoms’ return to Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time since 2015, when the 90s charttoppers would take the stage at the inaugural Churchill Park Music Festival. 

‘A beautiful community’

Wilson, for his part, expressed enthusiasm to perform alongside fellow rockers Our Lady Peace, also quipping that the island boasts “a beautiful community and a lovely countryside.”

But the much-hyped festival was only the tip of the iceberg for a defining year for the band. 

2022 marked the 30th anniversary of Gin Blossoms breakout album New Miserable Experience, a record that conjurers up bittersweet memories in no small part due to the tragic suicide of founding guitarist Doug Hopkins in 1993.

“Yes, it’s very heavy,” Wilson admits of revisiting their sophomore record, one that spawned the hits Hey Jealously, Until I Fall Away and Found Out About You. “There’s a lot to think about, there’s a great deal to unpack when thinking about New Miserable Experience. Of course, most of it is pride and pride in the band for surviving and for continuing our career, but there are many bittersweet memories associated with recording New Miserable Experience. Losing Doug, and then just the grind of being on tour in the van for two years promoting the record and just never being home and always being on tour in the van and sleeping in the van, driving all night. A very unhealthy lifestyle.”

The push towards platinum status  would be an arduous one for Wilson and co., with the album not becoming an overnight success, but rather a byproduct of grinding from gig to gig.

“We were in that van so much, we were always getting sick. And it just went on for, as I say, like almost two years. And it was rewarding, but it was incredibly hard work,” Wilson recalled. 

“It was a real sacrifice to just be away from home all the time for so long and to be in such discomfort, crammed in the van with everyone all the time. It’s not a lot of fun and it’s a real sacrifice to dedicate yourself to breaking the record. And so when the album did finally break and we had a hit, I feel very justified in saying that we earned it. Not only through the making of the record and the writing of those songs and keeping the band together, but all of the touring and promotion and self-sacrifice. It’s not easy. And I can wrap this up by saying that again mostly what I feel is very proud.”

‘Important as artists’

While the band and their global audience of fans toast three decades of New Miserable Experience, Wilson is adamant that all hands refuse to rest on their laurels, with new music on the horizon.

“I’d like us to make a record sometime in the next few years,” Wilson shared. “I don’t expect it to sell. It’s just not a thing that seems to happen much anymore, record sales. But it’s important as artists to continue to record and write new music, and I look forward to that process. In fact, I’ve already got songs in the can. I’m ready to go as soon as my band mates want to get into it.”

For all things Gin Blossoms related visit the group’s official website at ginblossoms.net

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” shared frontman Robin Wilson in advance of the showcase. “It’s a beautiful community and a lovely countryside. I’m planning to make the most of it. I’m coming up with my girlfriend and I’m a big fan of Our Lady Peace, so to share the bill with them is exciting. I’m a big fan, so that’s exciting.”

The band have been touring in support of the chart-topping sophomore record New Miserable Experience, with the exercise in revisiting their breakthrough record a bittersweet one, Wilson shares.

“Yes, it’s very heavy,” Wilson admits of revisiting their sophomore record, one that spawned the hits Hey Jealously, Until I Fall Away and Found Out About You.

“There’s a lot to think about, there’s a great deal to unpack when thinking about New Miserable Experience. Of course, most of it is pride and pride in the band for surviving and for continuing our career, but there are many bittersweet memories associated with recording New Miserable Experience”

For our full one-on-one with Wilson check out an upcoming issue of The Newfoundland Herald. Tickets are still available for the inaugural Churchill Park Music Festival!

Raine Maida has done it all. Vocalist to multi-platinum selling, Juno winning rockers Our Lady Peace, the polished, poised and perennially put-together Canuck paused to reflect on three decades fronting one of our nation’s most successful musical staples.

“I think I definitely have come to a place where I’ve slowed down in terms of being able to be in the moment,” Maida shared from his Los Angeles home. 

The band is fresh off their genre-defying, production-pushing Wonderful Future tour, where they’d roll out hologram special guests in a thematic tribute to their 10th studio album Spiritual Machines 2 – itself a sequel to the lauded concept album inspired by futurist Raymond Kurzweil’s book The Age of Spiritual Machines.

“I think it was really organic in the sense of during COVID we couldn’t tour, and we really didn’t get to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Spiritual Machines like we probably would have,” Maida shared of the decision to re-visit the themes and concepts of 2000s Spiritual Machines.

“Everyone was stuck indoors, so we took a look at Spiritual Machines, and when you start dissecting it, not even musically, it was just like wow, this is pretty cool. You listen to the interstitials that Ray talks about between the songs. It’s like s**t, a lot of this, mostly everything came true. As a human being, I’m like damn, I’d love to know what the next 20 years looks like for Ray. And so when you start extrapolating that from the music you’re like okay, if we want to go back to Ray and ask him to give us another 20 years predictions, we probably need an album to back it up, you know? And that was kind of it.”

‘Being Inspired’

Enlisting the aid of producer Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio fame), Maida, bassist Duncan Coutts, guitarist Steve Mazur and drummer Jason Pierce, set to work on delving back into Kurzweil’s predictions for a future-rock record that, as Maida puts it was “the record I’ve been trying to make for ten years now.”

“I think as a band and for me as an artist, it’s not about getting bored, but I just never saw art as being something that should be copied by yourself, if that makes sense,” Maida shared. “I’m all for being inspired and borrowing from other artists. And I think Bowie said it first, like the best artists are the best thieves really, you know? So I’ve always taken that approach.”

2022 is a year of milestones for Our Lady Peace, marking the bands’ overall 30th anniversary, while also serving as the 20th anniversary of the groups’ landmark worldwide hit Gravity, which spawned the chart-topping singles Somewhere Out There and Innocent.

Reflecting on all parts of the journey, and Maida is content with the groups’ most recent effort, signaling it as one of the hallmarks of a career filled to bursting with changes.

Long-awaited reunion

“At the end of the day it’s like coming full circle where Spirits Machines 2 is, dude if this was the last record we made I could say, yeah, this is the right way to go out, for me at least. I’m not going to speak for the other guys, but I’m very proud of this record. It’s the first OLP record that I can still put on and listen to. Every other record I get inside my head. I’m like I would have done this. This is just like, you know what, I’m in. I just submit to this and I love it.”

Part of this most recent sonic highway for Maida and company required a reunion with longtime OLP guitarist Mike Turner, who contributed to Spiritual Machines 2 and also took part in the acclaimed Wonderful Future Tour.

“I said in interviews before we released Spiritual Machines 2, it’s like we couldn’t have done it without it Mike,” Maida shared honestly. “He brought that book into the studio when we were starting to make that fourth record. I couldn’t conceive ever releasing a Spiritual Machines 2 album without Mike being a part of it.”

To the business at hand, and the band is set to return to Newfoundland and Labrador at the inaugural Churchill Park Music Festival, alongside fellow chart-toppers Matchbox Twenty, on August 13th.

“It’s funny. I go back to the George Street ones that we’ve done. That just really gives me the vibe of Newfoundland,” Maida shared with a smile. “It’s such a special thing. It doesn’t always work out in terms of scheduling how we can make it work. But there’s never been a huge gap, I think, where we haven’t played Newfoundland. So I can’t wait. I definitely love playing in the summer more than the winter too. I”m glad we’re coming back during the summer (laughs).”

Further reflecting on the winding road of ups and downs and startling successes that have defined Our Lady Peace, and Maida is refreshingly honest about the journey, and more than content with the destination.

“You talk about Gravity. Like, that thing blows up in the U.S. Somewhere Out There is a huge hit and Innocent and it’s like all this attention. And that was really like five albums into our career, right? So that was weird. People are like, ‘Wow, can you believe you’re having success again? And I’m like yeah, but you know what? For me, I was just judging myself on a body of work. Like we’re not there yet. And I always held to that,” Maida shared, honestly, concluding that, with this most recent chapter in the Our Lady Peace discography, the mosaic fells complete.

“It’s funny, because now with Spiritual Machines 2 included in that body of work, now I think I can call it a body of work and I’m cool with it. So it’s a great moment to be in this band.”

For tickets and more information on the Churchill Park Music Festival visit churchillparkmusicfestival.com

37^TH ANNUAL GEORGE STREET FESTIVAL

The biggest party of the summer returns once more as the 37th annual George Street Festival unveiled its lineup that includes trad favourites, rock stars and country crooners.

Rounding out the list of headliners is Juno winners Arkells, 90s rock staples The Tea Party, Newfoundland’s own The Navigators, Shanneyganock, and Alan Doyle, pop rockers Marianas Trench and country superstar Brett Kissel. Supporting acts include Fortunate Ones, Kellie Loder, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Neon Dreams, Meghan Patrick, Sam Roberts Band and Women of Rock! 

Tickets at georgestreetlive.ca

STARS ON THE ROCK

This year will see a host of legendary rock stars hit NL. Mary Brown’s Centre will play host to British icon Sting (Sept. 16th) and Canadian rock gods Blue Rodeo (Sept. 10th). Bryan Adams returns with an intimate show at the Arts and Culture Centre (Sept. 5th), while Canadian metal greats, Exciter (July 23rd) and Anvil (Sept. 1st), will take the stage at The Rock House.

MUSIC COMES TO CHURCHILL PARK

The center of St. John’s is getting set for a big time musical happening with the debut of the Churchill Park Music Festival. Announced for the must-attend music showcase are hit-makers Matchbox Twenty with special guests Our Lady Peace, Gin Blossoms and Timber on August 13th, with event organizers expected to roll out more acts for August 12th and the following weekend on August 19th and 20th. 

For tickets and more key information visit churchillparkmusicfestival.com

CURTAIN CALL: NL AT THE THEATRE

It’s not just music that puts butts in seats, as Newfoundland and Labrador will play host to a series of theatre-centric performances this year.

Alan Doyle’s theatrical debut, the widely acclaimed Tell Tale Harbour, will be heading across the province in Sept. and Oct. (artsandculturecentre.com for more info.)

Jackass star Steve-O will bring his comedy routine to Holy Heart Theatre (August 29th), and Spirit of NL will celebrate its milestone 25th anniversary (July 28-29).  

COME ONCE MORE FOR COME FROM AWAY

Though Come From Away may be wrapping its historic runs in New York and London in the coming months, Newfoundlanders will get to feel the magic once more before its all said and done. Come From Away The Concert will bring the sounds of the Tony winning performance to Gander and St. John’s for a series of highly anticipated events this September.

NL’S RISING STARS TAKE TO THE STAGE

A slew of rising stars across Newfoundland and Labrador will be honing their craft in venues across the province throughout the summer. Keep your eyes open for performances by Carolina East, Quote The Raven, Justin Fancy, Fortunate Ones,  Nico Paulo, The Once and Kellie Loder throughout the second half of 2022.

NL’S TRIED AND TRUE FAVOURITES

Newfoundland’s got talent to spare, and you can find many of these gifted artists hitting venues across the province throughout the summer. Janet Cull, Adam Baxter, Kelly-Ann Evans, The Kubasonics, Sherry Ryan and Chris LeDrew are just a few of the fan favourites you will see, and hear, across Newfoundland in 2022. 

PARTY AROUND THE PROVINCE

The great thing about summer in Newfoundland? We loves a good come down. No place is that truer than at a trad show. From Alan Doyle and his Beautiful Band, to the b’ys that brings the house down in Shanneyganock, and the always fan favourites Celtic Connection, Irish Descendants or The Navigators, if there’s good times and good beer, you’ll find trad music near! 

Let us know which shows you’ll be attending and who we should spotlight as summer concert season kicks into gear!