Introducing: That's The Spirit

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A bold statement perhaps, but a few of us here at TLOBF truly believe that the debut album by Ben Wilson’s indie pop outfit That’s The Spirit is one of the best things to come out of Canada all year. And, considering the competition – that is certainly saying something. Need convincing? Check out our review of Staying Places’ here. For now though, lets get to know its creator a little better…

For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should…
My album is magic… Gandalf whispered the lyrics to me in a dream… Listening to it can levitate amps and make people implode

Can you recall the moment when you first decided you wanted to become a musician
I’ve always wanted to be a musician. Can’t recall any one moment in particular. I did record my first full-length album when I was 6 or 7 – it was called “Ben Wilson: Thriller” and I recorded it on cassette. It was basically me singing Michael Jackson songs, interrupted by long interviews with myself about all my success, while my dog growled in the background. Thriller, indeed. I told everyone I’d made a hit album… I brought it in to show-and-tell at school. I even wore around the red leather jacket with 20 zippers and sequin gloves. I was completely deluded. I did the moonwalk. I was pretty much an anti-magnet for girls. So it was probably around then… seriously, I don’t remember ever not wanting to be a musician.

Where do your songs come from? What’s your inspiration?
Without fail I get my ideas from long walks, reading, or going to the movies. Don’t know why it’s always those three things.

Name your Top 5 records.
I’d have to say: 1 – Mercury Rev “Yerself is Steam”; 2 – A compiled recording of Charles Ives “Three Places in New England” (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra); 3 – My Bloody Valentine – “Loveless”; 4 - Yo La Tengo “I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One”; 5 – Versus “Secret Swingers”.

What was the first gig you ever played and was it a success?
It was with my first band, Paperjack, at a ‘Band Warz’ competition in Hull, Quebec at a club called Roxanne’s, in 1994. I was obsessed with Oasis’ “Definitely Maybe” which was just making waves here, and I wanted to have that ‘wall of sound’. So I brought along all kinds of pedals for my vocal mic and asked the sound guy to wire them up and just press them himself during the choruses and just add reverb to everything on stage…I didn’t know anything about playing live!! He didn’t do anything I asked. I was upset but we kinda sucked anyway. Our kick drum sounded like Triumph, and there was so much smoke from the smoke machine I couldn’t see the rest of the band. We didn’t win, but since most of us were 18 or so, the free beer made us want to play more I guess.

What one piece of criticism has stuck in your mind and was it justified?
Turn up the vocals. Definitely. When I started obsessing over My Bloody Valentine I never wanted to push my vocals past the guitar sounds – I started thinking that up-front vocals sounded too commercial, and I was pretty stubborn about it. But with everyone blasting me about it over the years I began to realize that for me it wasn’t any kind of artistic statement, it was always just an excuse to hide behind effects and noise. So I took their advice.

What one thing has caused you to waste your free time in the past 6 months?
Television. I’d like to stop watching TV altogether, but I can’t. I even bought a recliner.

If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?
Probably writing, which is basically my day job anyway.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Jeez, I’ve had a lot. The worst – probably working overnight, stocking shelves at a grocery store. I tried to make friends with one of the guys I worked with, then he told me he’d just got out of prison. For assault. I remember the two of us just sitting and waiting at midnight for delivery trucks to arrive. Awkward.

We’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
‘Otta-wow! My Favourite Tunes from Canada’s Capital’
1. “Blue Light” – Hoffenheimer (slow-core early-’00s project of Rolf of the Acorn and Jon Bartlett of Kelp Records)
2. “Preacher” – Werbo (Ottawa’s most missed band)
3. “One, Two, Three” – Andrew Vincent and the Pirates
4. “Secret Camera” – Hilotrons
5. “Plans” – Snailhouse (original 7″ version).

mp3:> That’s The Spirit: ‘Orienteering’
mp3:> That’s The Spirit: ‘Every City’

That’s The Spirit on MySpace