Clean slates,
dirty thirties

Statue Park come out of hiding
to celebrate a birthday

HARMONICALLY COMPLEX: Statue Park

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“Statue Park blends elements of sample and loop-based music with the more harmonically complex end of the post/indie rock spectrum, creating songs inspired by the accidents of architecture and urban planning. This is the manufactured universe in which Toby Cayouette’s unique songwriting and vocals exist. In a few words, beats, melodies and flashes of dissonance.”

So writes Cayouette, frontman for the elusive local act that’s set to play a special show next week, alongside solo projects by the band’s guitarist (aka Bomb Camera: “A dense backdrop of electronic pads and percussion on which singer/songwriter Jon Hill can sketch his frail but scrappy songs,” writes Cayouette) and drummer (“I write shitty sentimental pop songs. That noise in the background for half the song is my dryer. Thank you,” writes Gabriel Rousseau).

Founded in 2003, the band has a cross-Canada tour and two EPs to its name, and intends to deliver a long awaited LP in the new year, probably on vinyl, with deluxe artwork and a download code or CD on the side. The band has only played one show since 2006, largely because three quarters of Statue Park (Hill being the odd man out) are also members of francophone band Chinatown, who spent 2008 recording, touring China and playing locally (including the recent M for Montreal industry showcase). Chinatown aren’t letting up in 2009, so this is a rare opportunity to see Statue Park (and its side projects) live. And Cayouette turns 30 this weekend, so the Mirror asked the birthday boy to list his hopes and dreams.

Top five birthday wishes:
1. A great party. One for the books.
2. A thirtysome.
3. A girlfriend, if the above doesn’t work out.
4. A Statue Park album in 2009, as a consolation for points 1, 2, 3 not panning out.
5. A large format view camera, to properly document points 1 through 4.

Top five resolutions, or things you intend to give up now that you’re a respectable adult:
1. I plan on being more accountable in every aspect of my life.
2. I’m going to reduce my tolerance of bullshit. It’s not cool to complain about your job, or your band, or your girlfriend/boyfriend anymore—if you don’t like who/what you’re doing, stand up and change it.
3. I’m no longer going to buy things that are broken, with the intent of eventually fixing them.
4. I should probably drink less beer and go to the gym.
5. I should probably see someone about my insomnia.

Top five goals for the coming decade:
1. Buying a dwelling.
2. Meeting a girl I want to spend the better part of a decade with (this may or may not include children, depending on how the decade goes, I suppose).
3. Publishing a novel (I’ve written two so far, and I figure the next one will be good enough to publish).
4. Publishing a book of photographs (I’ve had my first photo show this year, and I’m getting better at it every day).
5. Drive across a continent (any one will do) with a view camera (the one that someone should give me for my birthday) in an old car I’ve learned to fix myself.

WITH BOMB CAMERA, GABRIEL
ROUSSEAU, DJ MIKE MIND AND
GUESTS AT LA SALA ROSSA ON
TUESDAY, DEC. 23, 8 P.M., FREE