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They salute youFor Those About to Love return to
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“Everybody’s ridiculously talented in this band,” says drummer—excuse me, guitarist, singer and occasionally drummer—George Donoso III of his bandmates in For Those About to Love. A big boast, but fans of the Dears won’t doubt the abilities of Donoso, FTATL founder and bassist Martin Pelland and keyboardist Valerie Jodoin-Keaton. The three were essential to the sound of the Dears during their tenure in that band’s mercurial line-up, so it’s not surprising to hear echoes in tracks like “Quasar,” off FTATL’s eponymous debut album. What is surprising, at least until the background stories surface, is who’s playing what. Donoso had in fact devoted an entire summer in his teens to mastering the six-string before settling in behind the kit. “I’m a drummer at heart, but guitar is challenging and so much fun, and now I’m enjoying singing too.” Enjoyment—creating their own music to alleviate the necessarily routine nature of their latter Dears days—is what drove Pelland and co. to slowly concoct the record’s contents over years. The results cover a lot of ground. There are propulsive, hook-laden rockers like “Good vs. Evil” and “Love Tree,” lush and heavy-lidded numbers like “Smile,” dashes of shoegazer sweep, mod punch and enriched pop charm. Two of the sweetest, most languorous tunes are “Never Forget Me” and the Gainsbourg-inflected, French-language “Fusion Ana Tomik,” both sung by Jodoin-Keaton—whose dignified and decorous stage presence provides a stately feminine counterpoint when the songs climax and the lads go getting their guitar faces on. “In my vision of things, I feel like I’m rocking out,” she laughs, “but it’s a great feeling to be in a band that rocks out so well, to be in that vibe on stage. I mean, we had that with the Dears but now it’s even closer. I think there are more possibilities for interaction among ourselves.” There are, especially with the addition of guitarist/drummer François Plante (Plaster, Afrodizz). “He’s probably the best bass player in town,” says Pelland. “Thing is, if I’d approached François to play bass, I’m almost sure he would have turned it down. His first instrument, just like George playing guitar, was drums.” The last man in was Joss Tellier—“A very in-demand guitar player in Montreal. He’s played with Mara Tremblay and he’s a great jazz guitarist. And his first instrument was drums! He even told me the other day that he’d played bass for a while!” Tellier has proven invaluable in decorating the music with ambient flourishes. “You hear the layers more on the album,” says Pelland. “Live, we’re heavier. I like that fact that the two are different.” For a taste of both, catch the launch this Tuesday—but don’t expect to leave with a CD. Aside from a vinyl edition, Pelland has a bold distribution plan for the album. “People show up with their iPods and we put it right into their machines, or a USB key. It’s free to get in, so if you like it, buy the record. “People buy CDs, put them on their iPods and never listen to the disc again. I said, ‘Why don’t we do it the other way around?’ You buy it digitally and then, if you want a CD, just go to Jean Coutu, spend 60 cents on a blank disc and burn it.” ALBUM LAUNCH AT LA SALA ROSSA |
