La fin du monde

Description

When I started the second Hylozoists album in 2004, my goal was to make it an album that could be played live and become a real band. The first record I was so proud of, but not a practical affair! It was great because I didn’t see things that way, but after playing in the Sadies for years, my goal was to play this music live and present it to people in person. It also helped me forge some of my most meaningful relationships I would have musically. Jason Tait, a drummer who was looking more toward vibraphone, was hugely motivating and brought this music to life in a way never seen before. Patrick Conan had also bought a vibraphone and, at a three-mallet show, it was coming to life, but that also meant there were extra drummers and how we would end up settling into the two-drummer formula. Even though it was a real headache trying to open for people and tour ourselves, that was another magical part of that setup. With that core in place, the next big relationship came with Cuff the Duke in the form of Paul Lowman, Wayne Petti and Matt Ferris. Paul was the best bass player I could ever have hoped for and he loved playing music. He was very kind to play the parts I had written and then brought his own playing to the band. Cuff and the Hylos toured together, which allowed me to tour with the band in a way I never could have without them. Without them, I’m not sure what all the Hylozoists would have been able to do, eternally grateful. With Jeremy Strachan, Julie Penner, Dale Murray and Nathan Lawr to round it all out, we were able to record the album and play shows right away, which had never been possible in previous years. The older you get and the different paths you take make you realize how incredible the parts of your life are and this period is one for which I am eternally grateful. My brother often says his version of grace when we sit down to eat as a family: “Aren’t we lucky,” and it’s so true that I am lucky.