Broken Social Scene

Update from Kevin
(Posted by Kevin on 2009-05-15 )

Hi. this is my first blog entry...here and now. I thought I would update all of you on what’s been happening with the band. It seems like there has been more talking then actually doing these days so I would like to explain what’s going on with us.

First of all-----------we are in Chicago - Soma studio to be precise. I am happy to announce we have started recording our first record in four years and decided to do it with the one and only John McEntire. We did a one-day session with John last October and it was a perfect fit. This plan has been in the works for nine months and it has all come together quite sweetly in the moments leading up to being here…he is a hero of ours when it comes to recordings so it seems very balanced that we are here.

We spent the last couple of weeks at Chuck Spearin’s house/rehearsal space/backyard writing tunes, drinking coffees, hanging with the family...and now its time for the record button.

To be here is a departure for us since our two previous records have been made by David Newfeld...He just finished making the new most serene republic record and is now busy working with our friends from México city, the very excellent chikita violenta. He is a very busy man at the moment but we have discussed plans for the future....

There is no one like Dave and no one who makes records like him. He has played a HUGE role in our music but right now it feels good to be at Soma with John.

Before I left I wrote him an email to ask for his blessing and here is a quote from his response:

"You don't need my blessing, I'm not a religious guy, I don't believe in Mary, Mohammed, Hindi God 3b, Buddha 1xp2, Pharaoh 4,Darth Vader, Zeppelin 3, Lucifer or Jesus, so I'm not qualified to bestow blessings, but if you want me to wish you the best in your recording, then I wish you the best!"

love that guy.

Also, we had a book written about us that has come out this week.

Weird?? yes.

Strange?? yes.

Our friend Stuart Berman compiled the book over the last couple of years. It's title: "This Book Is Broken " and it covers the musical years in our city leading up to us getting together, the You Forgot It in People days, and the days after. It consists of interviews with the band, friends, local promoters and musicians.

My brother was the original catalyst who took the idea to Canadian publisher, HOUSE OF ANANSI...a publishing house we all felt comfortable with because of their excellent reputation. I encourage everyone to go to their site and see the writers that they publish...Margaret Atwood, Sheila Heti.... We are semi-scared/honored to have a book written about us. It is sort of like a high school yearbook of our last ten years. We would like to publicly thank House of Anansi and Stuart Berman for their unending patience, efforts, design and tact in this whole process.

next....

We were planning our sometimes-annual show at Olympic island in Toronto this summer. The line-up was us, Explosions in the Sky, Thunderheist, Beach house, Apostle of hustle and the rattlesnake choir...if you haven't heard-It's been cancelled. Reasons are many, but please let me state, once the MOLSON INDY was announced and scheduled to happen on July 11 weekend, we did not feel right having our show the same day.

The racetrack runs on Lake Shore Boulevard and is the noisiest fucking thing going and beyond irritating…sorry racecar fans.

For us to ask, Rattlesnake Choir, Apostle of Hustle and Beach House to play while the sounds of racecars roar across the lake is absolutely ridiculous and insulting.

The audience would have to put up with the sounds of racecars the whole day, a rumored ferry workers strike, not to mention all the fucking traffic while some of our main streets by the lake are shutdown. The promoters were also worried about ticket count up to this point, and so began the evaluation of the weekend. The day is supposed to be yours, ours, the lakes and the people of Toronto and beyond. It was starting to look like trouble so we all decided to shut it down. It was hard to do.

So....we arranged a free concert at the Harbourfront that same day-July 11, after all the car racing is done for the day. Some of the originals have already confirmed that they will be a part of the show, and if it proves to be anything like the last time we played the Harbourfront five years ago, it should be a lot of fun

Besides that, it's onwards with music. I can't tell you what this record will sound like, who from the other great bands will be involved, but I can tell you it feels amazing to be in Chicago recording.

We're grateful and we are thankful. Enjoy your lives, avoid the instant gratification society, watch out for vampires, easy on the all the drugs out there (legal and illegal), don't ask guidance from your stereo, just ask for a little bit of truth. Also watch out for this twitter shit that has become the new thing these days...if instant communication keeps going like this we’ll have to all find our own personal shaman to help remind us how to live and there is not enough of them on this planet for all of us.....

thanks, kevin

xo