Despite touring, recording and the many trappings that come with
being professional musicians, members of The Dears still find time
for family.
The band’s infectious brand of noir-pop rolls into Los
Angeles on Oct. 4 at The Troubadour, though its musicians
aren’t coming alone.
The bond between the Montreal band members is so strong that not
only do they act like a family, but they take their own families on
tour with them ““ including Neptune, the baby daughter of
vocalist Murray Lightburn and keyboardist Natalia Yanchack.
“(Neptune) is a trooper,” said drummer George Donoso
III. “Just when you think you’re a rock star, she keeps
you grounded.”
The effort to stay humble can be hard for any person, however,
let alone a rock band.
But as dramatic and emotional as the music of The Dears can get,
the band members make sure they don’t become their songs.
“We make fun of each other and remind each other
it’s what we do, it’s not who we are,” Donoso
said. “We’re just going one step at a time, playing for
the next year, year and a half, trying to keeping our heads
straight.”
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One way they stay grounded is by taking the time to enjoy new
experiences and appreciate their extensive time on the road.
“I ended up going to this guy’s place (after a show
in Los Angeles). We just ended up going there after hours to his
house in the Hollywood Hills,” Donoso said.
“Seeing the sun go up at 6 a.m. was an experience I never
thought I would have.”
The band stays down-to-earth not only on tour, but while
recording music as well.
Though The Dears’ previous album, “No Cities
Left,” was an expansive, cinematic release, their new album
“Gang of Losers” is a grittier, rock-based affair.
The album’s rougher tone is the product of a more natural
atmosphere.
Shunning the traditional method of professional studio
recording, the group opted to lay down the tracks on “Gang of
Losers” in Lightburn and Yanchack’s home in
Montreal.
“We wanted to build an environment that was homier than a
studio,” Donoso said.
“At the time, the baby was just born. It was the only way
we could work, have her around and have everybody feel more
comfortable. We could commit to music rather than feel in the
studio, “˜Hey we have two hours. Let’s get this
done.'”
It took a group effort to make the album. Although Lightburn
wrote the songs, each member got to have his or her input into the
final sound of each track ““ though Donoso did admit that the
original material that Lightburn wrote ended up “close to
where it started.”
“(My favorite track) is “˜I Fell Deep,'”
Donoso said. “It was more of a challenge. I still have a hard
time playing it. If you go to our show, you’ll see me
struggling through it. It went through three or four incarnations
from a slow, funkier groove to a jazzy rock jam.”
That kind of evolution is characteristic of the ever-changing
face of Canadian independent music.
The Dears are one of many Montreal bands looking for a
breakthrough, including the much-hyped Arcade Fire and Wolf
Parade.
While The Dears have a distinctively different style and
uncommon influences ““ Lightburn’s voice has been
compared to Morrisey, and the group’s cinematic sound often
recalls Radiohead ““ they’re often lumped in with the
scene’s other bands.
The Dears, however, are not content to trail behind their
peers.
“We’re still somewhat ambitious,” Donoso said.
“We don’t aim to be rock stars; we aim to be as big as
we can be. It’s just there’s so much garbage out there
that is polluting everyone’s ears.”
“It’s frustrating as a consumer, musician, listener
““ it’s noise pollution,” Donoso said.
In that light, one might consider The Dears environmentalists.
When it comes to their live shows, though, they’re willing to
get their hands a little bit dirty.
Despite having an overall mellow outlook on life, the band still
knows how to put on a good performance. The band’s intense
shows are surprising considering the warm, fuzzy feeling shared
between members.
“We play pretty hard,” Donoso said. “We might
sound soft, but we’re a pretty aggressive band live. We
sweat, and sometimes there’s a little blood.”