Musical mosaic

Apostle of Hustle does the mash

AS THE CROW FLIES: Apostle of Hustle

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“I’m pretty much like a raven or crow,” says Andrew Whiteman. “If you see some shiny paper on the ground, you’re gonna go get it and weave it into your nest. I go anywhere that excites me, and if it’s real, then it sticks.”

The inspiration for Whiteman’s band, Broken Social Scene affiliate Apostle of Hustle, came from spending two and a half months absorbing Cuban culture in Havana. Since 2004, the band has approached pop melodies and progressions with eclectic instrumentation that favours rhythm above all.

At the moment, Whiteman is enjoying Malian, Kurdish, Turkish, Spanish and Moroccan music. He’s also trying to get his head and hands around a stringed instrument made for him by lauded Montreal luthier Daddy Mojo.

“It has no frets on it, it’s just a goatskin over cigar boxes, with three strings,” Whiteman explains, comparing it to a Moroccan gembre. “It’s great, but it’s the hardest instrument I’ve ever tried to play. Usually, I can pick up something and just play it, but uh-uh, that thing is a strict master. It’s gonna take a while.”

Following this month’s six-date East Coast tour, and a four-date stint with Inouk singer Tagaq in November, Apostle of Hustle will take some downtime ahead of the March release of their third LP, tentatively titled Eats Darkness. Las Vegas makes a musical imprint this time around (“it really swings,” he promises), a slightly less exotic reference point than usual, but one that’s still miles away from Toronto, and from indie rock, a term that seems to fill Whiteman with dread.

“Eugh!!” he offers. “It’s not as bad in Montreal, you guys have slightly bigger ears, but God, get me the fuck out of here!

“Just to step outside and listen to music from somewhere else where, guess what, they don’t give a fuck about indie rock! Mashing stuff together is just how it is. The world is getting more crowded, so shouldn’t we be a little bit more fluent in other cultures? As a kid under Trudeau, the idea of Canada as a mosaic was really shoved down our throats, and it came home to roost with me. I feel that it’s my duty.”

WITH SEBASTIEN GRAINGER & THE
MOUNTAINS AND ARCHIPELAGOS AT
LA SALA ROSSA TONIGHT, THURSDAY,
SEPT. 11, 9 P.M., $15