Introducing: Andrew Vincent

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Andrew Vincent has a special place in the hearts of Oh! Canada – indeed, it was with his track “Canadian Dream” that the very first Oh! Canada compilation started last year. By the end of the year the song saw Andrew nominated for a CBC Bucky award for “Most Canadian Song”, while his album graced many end of year lists in his native land. Indeed, he even featured in Oh! Canada’s own end of year lineup with a name check from The Acorn’s Rolf Klausener. With his album Rotten Pear coming out in the UK on the 25th January, and a UK tour including a performance at the TLOBF sponsored Shhh Festival, we thought it was about time we introduced you properly to the great man.

For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should?
Raw emotion. Good rhymes. Sex appeal.

Can you recall the moment you first decided to become a musician?
I remember deciding that I wanted clarinet lessons when I was 9. But as for deciding to become a “musician”, like as a career, I’m still waiting. I’m hoping it happens on this tour.

You’ve said Some of the songs on Rotten Pear were recorded as far back as 2004. What took so long to get them on record?
Between 2004 and 2006 I only wrote three songs. So, I guess I could have got them on record earlier, but it would have been a really short album. Late in 2006, I found the music again.

How does it feel to be recording without the Pirates? has it changed the way you do things?
There is more wine and fewer beers. More roast chicken and fewer cigarettes. More synthesizer and fewer harmonies. More tears, fewer laughs.

You will be releasing a new EP in April- what can we expect?
Six very nice rock n roll songs with a full band including such Canadian all-stars as Jim Bryson, Shayne Cox, Jenny Omnichord, Andy Swan, Andy Magoffin, and Jon Bartlett. Song topics include love, death, the American border, churches, beer can collectors, books vs. magazines, getting rejected for arts grants.

What Inspires you?
Driving in the dark while listening to Come on Feel the Lemonheads. Hot showers. Boxing. Making mistakes. Love, memory, family. The radio.

What is the most memorable gig you have played, and what can we expect of your live show?
Every gig is memorable, but playing gigs with people who are now famous sticks with you. Feist opened for me in Toronto in 1998. There were 15 people there. She is now playing 15,000 seat arenas and I’m, well, still playing smaller places.

Do you have anything special planned for the UK? Will you be playing your Jay Reatard cover?
Sadly, the way airlines now charge for every bag means we have to leave our pyrotechnics and horn section back in Toronto. It will be a mostly acoustic set. I am bringing Jon Bartlett, who runs Kelp Records and sings a mean harmony, to play percussion and be my Everly Brother. We will play at least one good cover from the 80s. And I will definitely play my Jay Reatard song. (see below)

What one thing has caused you to waste your free time in the past 6 months?
Cat fights (and by this I mean our cats fighting and then having to build barricades throughout the house to keep them apart).

If you could have played on or written any song, what would it be?
Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric (I wrote a song inspired by it called Nobody Else).

We’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
Theme: Hiding from justice
Justice: Genesis
Constantines: Young Offenders
Ghostface Killah: Run
Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak
Chad Van Gaalen: TMNT Mask

Can you tell us one Canadian band we should listen to (that isn’t your band)?
There’s so much great music in Canada right now, it’s hard to name one. I’ll go with my current Ottawa favourites: The White Wires.

–N.B–
Since Andrew responded to these questions, we heard about the sad news of Jay Reatard passing in his sleep at the age of 29. Andrew had this to add following the news:

I only became a fan of Jay Reatard last year. I was at my local record store looking for some music to stir the blood and remembered reading about Jay and thinking that Watch Me Fall was just what I might be looking for. It was. I put it on and turned it up loud and there was something in his balls out but damn melodic and dare I say it, thoughtful and sad, lyrics that really did it for me. Certain songs, like “There Is No Sun” I returned to again and again. Like all of my favourite music, it stopped me in my tracks, at times making me shake a fist, at times almost bringing me to tears. It does what the best music does: makes you feel. That particular song got me in such a way (and I couldn’t even make out all the lyrics) that I ended up writing a song about it. I feel so sad that Jay will not be around to make more of this devastating music. The only consolation for me is that there is still a lot of his music I haven’t heard, and I know I’ll find more of his songs to yell from my windows.

mp3:> Andrew Vincent: “When I Heard There Is No Sun”
PC: right click and choose “save as…”
MAC: CTRL + click and choose “save link as”

You can go and see Andrew on the following dates:

23rd Jan Shh Festival, Cecil Sharp House, London
24th Jan The Northern Monkey, Leeds
25th Jan Slaughtered Lamb, London,
26th Jan The Windmill, Brixton
27th Jan Tin Angel, Coventry
28th Jan Brel, Glasgow
29th Jan Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
31st Jan Black Box Cafe, Belfast
1st and 2nd Feb Isaac’s Hostel, Dublin
3rd Feb Bewley’s Cafe Theatre, Dublin

COMPETITION ::
TLOBF has teamed up with Andrews label Kelp Records to offer a copy of Rotten Pear, a t-shirt and a pair of tickets to any of Andrews UK and Ireland shows. All you have to do is email competition@thelineofbestfit.com with the answer to the following question (the winner will be notified via email by 20th January).

Andrew Vincent is on Kelp Records. Name one other artist or band on that label.