by LORRAINE CARPENTER

After bagging his mid '90s indie rock act Rev 32, and before launching the Social Register at last year's Pop Montreal festival, Montreal singer-songwriter JF Robitaille suffered one of those irritating interludes that most underground musicians roll their eyes through at one time or another. As anglophiles are wont to do, he moved to England with high hopes for a career in live music on London's many, many stages. His plan of action seemed feasible at first, but the cost of British living brought him home only a year later. Plan B was to release a sophomore solo album (his debut came and went in 1999), a dozen tracks he'd recorded before the British sojourn with help from Dears singer Murray Lightburn and engineer-about-town Howard Bilerman. This, too, proved to be complicated.

"It was all ready to go, but I just wasn't happy with what I had," says Robitaille, singer of soft, lovelorn ditties "in the tradition of the Smiths and the Beatles." But, just as he was throwing up his hands, Robitaille met local producer Billy Wellham, and Jordan Zadorozny - Blinker the Star's centrepiece and studio-dwelling friend to the stars. The pair picked their six favourite songs from Robitaille's dozen and Wellham re-recorded them completely with the singer's newly formed band, the Social Register - Robitaille on lead vocals and guitar, Lisa on keyboards and backup vox, Chris Wise on bass and Joe Villacrusis on drums.

"I let them choose the songs because it was impossible for me to be objective," says Robitaille of his two-year-old tunes. "I'm willing to take advice and I'm willing to compromise. Divas don't usually keep bands together for too long."

Finally, the Social Register's sunny, self-titled mini-album is upon us, and an additional LP of fresh songs is coming this fall, along with a second Pop Montreal gig and an east coast tour. Robitaille is thrilled to see his band in action and on track, far from his derailed solo stint.

"It got lonely up there on stage," he admits. "More than anything, I'm just glad to be part of the gang again."

With Pony Up at Petit Campus on Friday, August 22, 9PM, $5

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