The Sadies make a long awaited return to Lethbridge to open the Geomatic Attic’s new season, Monday, Sept. 18.
Guitarist/ vocalist Travis Good, plus his brother Dallas, drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean are touring in support of their latest album “Northern Passages,” which they recorded in their parents’ basement.
“We sent our parents away on vacation and took over their house,” Travis Good chuckled.
“It’s where Dallas and I started playing in punk bands,” Travis Good said, taking a quick breather at home after playing a couple of successful shows in New York City
“But the most important thing was we could take our time on the songs. Dallas produced it, Usually we get a producer and take him somewhere, but it was nice to not have to be on the clock,” he said.
Over their 20 years playing together, the band have been blessed to play and record with a number of famous musicians ranging from punk legend John Doe of X to The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie, not to mention Neko Case, R&B legend Andre Williams, The Mekons’ Jon Langford, Jon Spencer, Robyn Hitchcock, John Doe, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Neil Young.
“ The album took us a long time, though not as long as the album with Gord. That took longer because we had to work around our busy schedules, so we would go in and record one song then we’d go on tour on our own for a few months and come back and do another song,” Good said, noting they just completed a tour with Blue Rodeo.
“We haven’t had a lot of success so to speak , but that’ s success in our books, getting to play with these people. My list is getting shorter,” he enthused.
Good looks at collaborations as a break for the band.
“Other bands take a break from each other to do their own projects but when we take a break, it’s to collaborate with someone as the Sadies. So we take a break together,” he said.
“And it‘s refreshing, so it never gets stale,” he continued, adding that is part of the reason the band has been together for 20 years. It never surprised him.
“ When we started, we got our mom to lend us money to buy a used van and promised to pay her back which is a contract stronger than any other contract. It’s been amazing. It’s been a lot of fun. Besides, what else would we do,” he asked.
War on Drugs’ Kurt Vile appears “Its Easy (Like Walking), one of the tracks on the new CD,
“He’s a great guy he’s been a friend of ours for a long time,” he continued.
There really was no other option other than music for Travis and Dallas, who are the sons of bluegrass and folk luminaries Bruce Good of the Good Brothers band, so music was always around their house growing up.
Travis Good took guitar lessons from family friend Gordon Lightfoot’s guitarist Red Shae.
“He usually doesn’t take students until they are 12 or13, but I was nine and he made an exception for me. He taught me a lot of classical guitar and fingerpicking, which I don’t really use, but I love fingerpicking. He is an amazing. He’s a great fingerpicker. And then he moved on to Chet Atkins, ” Good said.
Among the many well known musicians the Sadies have played with is Ronnie Hawkins, as they used to be his backing band. They still keep in touch with him.
“He lives a couple blocks from me, so I see him pretty often,” he said.
Even with the Sadies new Cd fresh on their minds, they are already working on new projects.
“We’re working on a couple of soundtracks for a cartoon and a documentary,” he said, not wanting to elaborate on what they are about.
“ We’ve been playing as lot of opening shows for other people, so I’m happy we’ll be able to play a whole night ourselves. It’s something we always look forward to,” he said.
The Sadies play the Geomatic Attic, Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 advance, $37.50 online and $40 at the door.
