Billboard: BSS Taking Time Off After Fall Tour

[DevO]

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002801847

Broken Social Scene Taking Time Off After Fall Tour

July 07, 2006, 3:30 PM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Following a November U.S. tour, Canadian indie rock collective Broken Social Scene will take an extended break from the road and the studio, according to principal member Kevin Drew. Although dates are still being finalized, the group is planning to focus on places it hasn't often played, including Florida and other Southeastern states.

"We've become that band that doesn't really rehearse anymore," Drew told Billboard.com yesterday (July 6), prior to Broken Social Scene's performance in Brooklyn, N.Y.'s, Prospect Park. "We just get together and go tour and play live. We've lost a bit of that thing we had at the beginning where we tried to challenge each other a lot more."

"The last few years have been hard," he continued, noting the dramatic uptick in media interest in Canadian rock bands. "Things kept getting bigger and changing. But we've had an incredible, incredible, incredible run. It's something that can't be taken for granted. If we kept going [without a break], we'd be taking it for granted. Next time, we'd be doing college tours for money. That sucks the music out of you. Next thing you know, you're trying to get teenagers to buy your albums."

During the time off, there will be plenty of music forthcoming from group members, including new albums from Andrew Whiteman's Apostle Of Hustle, Feist and Dave Newfeld. Of the latter, Drew reported, "I'm not sure what he's going to call himself, but he has a crazy, hip-hop psychedelic folk album going now."

Feist's album will feature several BSS members ("I'm not too sure who has ended up where," Drew admitted) as well as contributions from Mocky and Jamie Lidell.

Drew is also messing around with songs he's recorded over the past two years with BSS contributors Ohad Benchetrit and Charles Spearin, but he's unsure what form the material may take. "Sometimes it sounds like a young man's U2," he said with a laugh. "Right now, it's a pretty stereotypical recording that needs to get away from me. I might throw it out there to see if some people want to beat it up a bit."

Last month, BSS teamed with J Mascis for a charity show in Toronto, during which the artists rocked through a set of Dinosaur Jr songs together. Drew is hoping the parties can get together for future charity dates when their schedules permit.

"It was some of the most fun I've ever had live," Drew said. "I mean, I used to play a canoe paddle to Dinosaur Jr. before I played guitar. That night on stage, I looked around and we were singing 'Get Me.' It was like, you know what? This is it. I'm turning 30 and I've achieved everything I've ever wanted to do in indie rock."