Halifax based singer / songwriter Joel Plaskett has been busy since his last visit to Lethbridge at the Tongue N’ Groove back in 2005 or 2006. Not only did his ’90s band, indie darlings Thrush Hermit reunite for a tour and an eight disc box set earlier this year, but he has carved out a successful solo career, crowned by his latest solo triple CD ‘Three.’ 
And now his is about to embark on a tour with the Bare Naked Ladies.
He’ll be taking a break from that tour to visit the Geomatic Attic for two shows April 9-10.
“I’ve never toured with the Bare Naked Ladies before. It’s nice to be invited to open for them. It’s a great opportunity for me,” Plaskett said, checking into his hotel in Victoria before the tour’s first stop, April 6.
“I don’t even think I’ve seen them play before. So it will be a challenge to reach out to an audience who might not be familiar with my music. But by all accounts they are pretty receptive to the opening act,” Plaskett continued.
“I may have met Steven Page, who is no longer with them ,” he said adding he and guitarist Peter Elkas have a half hour set for each of the tour’s Canadian dates.
“So it will be a pretty intense hit heavy set for an audience who might not know my stuff,” he continued, noting he is looking forward to being able to spread his musical wings out a little at the Lethbridge shows.
“I found out I’ve got a three days off in Calgary, so why not come down to Lethbridge? With the triple album, depending on how you look at it, I’ve got between six to eight records and a lot of tunes, so I can change the set list quite a bit. And Pete and I have a long history of playing together. I can take requests and just follow my nose,” he said adding that also depends on how familiar the audience is with his material.
His latest release, ‘Three’, scooped up a trailer full of awards nominations from the East Coast Music Awards, Canadian Folk Music Award, an Echo Songwriting Prize nomination and several Music Nova Scotia awards.
“I’m really pleased with it especially seeing as it is a risk to release a triple album. But it’s a risk that paid off. I don’t think it would have been that successful if I had just tossed it off. I worked really hard on it, recording the songs and thinking of the concept,” he said adding he did most of the new CD in his studio, just down the road from his house.
“A lot of this album has more folk related material which he plays and influences me like the Fairport Convention. He taught me the basics of guitar, so this was an opportunity to hear him play and record him,” Plaskett continued.
So is the next one going to be a quadruple CD set called ‘Four?’
“No. The next one is going to be scaled back. I just want to spend six to eight months in the studio writing and recording. I haven’t planned the next record. I want it to happen more organically. I have a 16 track tape machine there. I like the limitations that places on me. I want to have my band the Emergency playing on the next CD a little more,” he said.
“ I also want to do a CD of covers called ‘To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before’ with the songs of some of my favourite girl singers,” he said adding he has some ideas and a couple new songs written for it, some of which he might introduce to Lethbridge.
“ I don’t like to drop new material on audiences who aren’t familiar with my material,” he said adding he has also been busy producing and recording other artists for his new record label ‘New Scotland Records’ like David Myles and Steve Poltz. Poltz is known for being a huge inspiration of pop/folk singer Jewel and who had a catchy hit a few years ago called ’Silver Lining.’
“That’s a great song, right? So I produced his new CD and played bass and drums on it. It’ll be coming out in a month or so,” he enthused adding, he got Thrush Hermit back together for a quick tour and to get the new Thrush Hermit box set out to the masses.
“It’s pretty ridiculous. There’s the three CDs, some CDs of B sides and rarities and two DVDs of footage and tour shenanigans. It took me two months of research, going through the music and footage and the artwork,” he said adding he made 1,000 box sets and sold about half, though he didn’t bring any for the Bare Naked Ladies Tour, preferring to introduce the audiences to the “hits” and new music.
He said the tour couldn’t have gone better.
“It was awesome. It was fun, intense. We sold out nine shows and we’re also playing better than we ever have,” he said adding a new Thrush Hermit album and tour is not on the works.
“They’ve all got their own careers now. Ian (McGettigan, bass and vocals) produces records in Toronto, Rob (Benvie guitar and vocals) is a published author who has his second book coming out and Cliff (Gibb, drummer) programs computers and plays drums for several bands in Halifax,” he said adding he can’t wait to get back to Lethbridge.
“I love that place.”
