MySpace a place for friends

Local singer-songwriter Todd Donald interviews Paddy Townsend and Patrick Finch of The Stars Here. On the cusp of their tenth anniversary and the release of their brand new full length LP, Econoline Hymns, the lads talk about where they’ve been, how they maintain themselves, and where they’re at.

Todd Donald: How would you describe the band's shift in its sound; was it a natural evolution, or an intentional departure from the original space-alt-rock sound?

Paddy Townsend: The entire story of any good band is evolution. If the music isn't growing and changing then the band is either stagnant or the kind of band that continually writes the same song or hooks. All of us contribute to songwriting, which brings in all of the influences of the band. I can tell you there is no way this album would be what it is if it weren't for the five of us doing it together.

Patrick Finch: For us it’s always a natural progression. We’re all voracious record collectors and fans, and our music tends to be pretty directly inspired by whatever’s getting us off at that particular time. This time around our collective stereo’s been spinning a lot of Tom Petty, Drive By Truckers, Matt Mays, Gram Parsons, Wilco. Just great stuff. Whatever’s good and true, we’re usually pretty into.

TD: How have The Stars Here stuck together as long as you have?

PT: Barely sometimes. It’s like being in a relationship with four people at once. Just because I am not getting along with one of the guys is no reason to spoil it for the rest.

PF: We love each other a lot. We’ve been family for a long time and it’s important that we keep that foremost in our minds. So we fight and bicker, but it’s only rock n’ roll, you know? I still want to have everyone over for a BBQ.

TD: How has the band's view of the independent music scene and music industry changed since the beginning? How does the band aim to fit in?

PT: The industry is a funny thing. It will work against you until you have some sort of marketable product for them to turn into money. At this point we do it for ourselves the rest will come if it is going to.

PF: My view hasn’t changed at all. I always assumed it was fickle and full of bullshit and I’ve seen nothing so far to sway my opinion. We do not aim to fit in. We’ll remain an island.

TD: In terms of how it's treated the band, aside from K-W, where on the map does the band give ultimate love to, and why?

PT: The prairies and west are very good for live music. We haven't really exploited the amount of people that live in the Ontario/Quebec area, but these are the people who are harder to impress. I don't know if its because of the over saturation or the arrogance of believing that Ontario is the heart of music in Canada. I can tell you for a fact that great music lives all over this country.

PF: We’ve been treated really well everywhere and treated pretty poorly everywhere too. If we could go back, I’d love to go back to the Lucky Bar in Victoria. They know how to treat a band. And that’s about as far from home as you can get without leaving the country.

TD: Boil it down and tell us, what are the best things for you guys about working in a studio versus recording in your own space?

PT: There is a comfort to doing it yourself because you're only on your own schedule. Waiting around for people doesn't happen. If its just you, you can record whatever you want. In a studio, you want it all ready before you go in, and sometimes the pressure to get it done gives birth to great things.

PF: Recording on your own has the gigantic added bonus of knowing that your day isn’t going to cost you a thousand dollars, regardless of what gets accomplished. Although, working on Econoline Hymns with Brian Moncarz was a lot of fun and he was a good, unobtrusive editor for us. He had a great ear for what we were doing. And a disgusting sense of humor. Our kinda guy.

TD: What personality type would best go along with the identity of the band?

PT: That's tough. It truly is a collaborative effort. We all have a finger in the pie.

PF: I can’t really imagine someone coming into our band. At this point I think we share too much history to be able to truly accept someone new into our ranks. They’d just have to be one of us. They’d have to love rock n’ roll and be able to play without ego. And they’d have to chip in for beer.

TD: What are the dominant rules that apply when The Stars Here are playing a live gig, (i.e. to make sure each member is coherant, ready, practiced)?

PT: Sometimes there are no rules. I think we've been together long enough that we know what to do. When someone doesn't pull their weight, it's not tolerated.

PF: As few rules as possible. Take care of your shit. Have a good time.

TD: As writers, is there any feeling or message that you've struggled to get across through a song? And if so, how do you go about finding the perfect phrase, or collection of thoughts/melodies in an attempt?

PT: Every song is its own entity. It took us a long time to be able to write together and the initial meaning or thought of a song can change once everyone is involved. That's what makes it a Stars Here song instead of just mine.

PF: I don’t force it, I just try to stay open enough to let the song out, you know? If you keep your guitar in your hands, eventually a song will come. If it moves our asses or hits our hearts, it stays. We trust each other’s instincts a lot, so we’re always willing to play ball.