Podcast appearances and mentions of don kerr

Dr. Don Kerr from King's University College talks about the latest population numbers for Canada and what the slow down in growth could mean going forward.

This week on our Friday bonus episode the boys sit down with Josh Finlayson to pick his brain on working with Gord and creating the wonderful music they did together inside and outside the Country of Miracles.Transcript:Track 2:[0:17] Hey, it's JD here, and we're back again for a special bonus episode here on Discovering Downey. This is a really exciting one to share this week. It is with Josh Finlayson, who you've got to admit was one of Gord's shadows during his solo career and really extended that friendship onward into just a wonderful partnership. Partnership i won't waste too much of your time going into details because the boys craig justin and kirk are sitting around the table right now with mr finlayson and they are amped to get this interview into your ear holes i will say one more thing though we are getting very excited about our event july 19th tickets are on sale at discovering downy.com get them while you can they are 30 $30 for a ticket or $50 for a pair or hey, if you've got a group of friends that want to come out, you can save big bucks and get 10 tickets for $200. That's $20 a ticket or $10 off the single price. We've got some fantastic prizes that we are getting ready to announce for the silent auction. And of course, you'll see the almost hip and our special interview with Patrick Downey on the finale of Discovering Downey. Before we get into the interview, I'm going to spin a special track for you. This is the Sky Diggers, of which Josh Finlayson is in, along with Andy Mays and several others. They are going to get into some Sky Diggers talk in this conversation, no doubt. So let's listen to their version or rendition of Depression Suite before we head into the interview with Mr. Finlayson. See you on the other side.Track 7:[5:27] Welcome everyone to a very special episode of Discovering Downey. My name is Kirk Lane and I'm going to be here with our good buddies Justin St. Louis and Craig out in Vancouver. We're really excited today to have a very special guest, Mr. Josh Van Laysen from, well, from the Sky Diggers, I think is well most of you will know him from. But in regards to this adventure, Josh was very involved with several of Gord's solo albums that we have been discussing here on the pod. And uh we're just really excited to have him on board and just really talk about the his musical journey and and then obviously how it relates with his experience with with gourd solo projects not only with the recorded albums but also from a live perspective so um we've got lots of uh interesting topics and things we want to talk about and we're really thankful that he took took some time to join us today so welcome josh.Track 5:[6:28] Thank you thanks for having me yeah.Track 7:[6:31] I mean i guess i want to start with something that was recent and you had a pretty uh looked like a pretty good bill recently in a gig in toronto with uh with with your band the sky diggers and the sadies and paul and was band so i i think the group would love to hear a little bit about how that that went and and some of the other shows that you guys have been able to do together.Track 5:[6:54] Well we uh we um we played at a venue in toronto called the concert hall which is which is a venue that it's a it's actually a masonic hall and was built i'm not sure when i'm i'm assuming probably, late 1800s early 1900s it's right it's very close to young young and bluer um it's right downtown but it was used as a venue uh in the 60s um it was uh it wasn't the concert hall at that point it was called uh something else it just escapes me right now but i know led zeppelin played there like early days one of their first uh shows in toronto and many other acts you know like it's a pretty storied venue I saw I saw the stray cats there I saw it admit like that would have been 1982 Wow I know the the English beat played there the jam REM like tons of bands played there in the in the 80s and into the 90s there was the the hip did a.Track 5:[8:09] I think at the end of the Up to Here tour, they did a show there. And then they did three shows at the beginning of Road Apples. And I remember those shows. I was at at least two of them. And they were amazing shows, very memorable.Track 5:[8:30] And we actually had a show scheduled there in 1995 and had to postpone it. But it's a long story, but we had to reschedule it. And then it closed for a long time. It stopped. It was actually leased by a television station up here, and they filmed live television events there. So it stopped being a venue. And it just reopened, I think, in the fall of last year. And a friend of ours is booking the room. And so we thought it would be great to play there. It's about a 1,200-seat room. It's not huge, but it's a very cool room. And so we asked Paul Langlois, who we'd done four or five shows with in March and April of this year, shows that had been rescheduled in the fall. He fell and broke.Track 5:[9:28] A few ribs in the fall um and then we also asked the sadies to join us and the sadies are, uh old friends as well so it was a it was a very special night it's a great venue it was uh it's a lot of fun it's a great sounding venue it looks great and uh we did a bunch of collaborations as we had done with paul and uh i you know we've known the sadies for since they started actually Actually, I met Travis and got to know Travis when he was playing with his dad's band, the Good Brothers, in the early 90s. When this guy Deere started playing, we did some shows with the Good Brothers. And that's how I got to know Travis before he joined his brother Dallas in the 80s with Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. And yeah, so that's kind of the background of that. I did lots of collaborations with the 80s and with Paul.Track 7:[10:22] We did.Track 5:[10:23] Some hip songs we uh did some covers uh yeah it was fun good night i.Track 7:[10:29] I really love seeing uh as we've gone through this like the connection that many of the canadian bands have and and the the gigs they do together and then the projects that they do together and and i that's been really great to me to see that community and uh i mean i guess you see it a little down down here in the States, but not to the extent that I think you guys have been doing it. And it's been really exciting to see all that and be a part of that. Let's go back to the beginning and you and your musical journey. If you wanna give us just a bit of a history, like when you started out, what really got you into music? And then talk to us a little bit about, as you'd mentioned, many of the other bands that you've been a part of, The Hip and Gord, and how that relationship formed.Track 5:[11:18] Um okay well i i was born and raised in toronto i'm the youngest of three boys um and everyone in my family played music uh and my i have two older brothers um my eldest brother's a music teacher he was a classical guitar player uh and my middle brother was uh he played piano at a pretty high level so i was and my mom played piano my dad played a little bit but had a very eclectic and very cool record collection uh so there's always music around and uh that was a big part of my uh you know i don't think i really understood at the time how enriching that experience was like it was just always around um and because my older brothers played i i just assume that anyone could play, you know what I mean? It was almost a strange thing. It's like sports a little bit. When you're the younger brother, you're always trying to keep up and, you know, you just, you think any idiot can do it because if they can do it, you can do it. So, um, I think I had this sense of, uh.Track 5:[12:30] There's a bit of fearlessness in it and it sort of coincided with an era of I'm 60 years old so you know I was in high school in the late 70s and finished high school in 1982 so I kind of came out up through that post-punk punk and post-punk era of music where it was all very DIY and people you know started bands as I did just joining them you You didn't have to play all that well.Track 5:[13:03] You just had to think you were playing well. And that was a good start. So, you know, I played in various outfits and eventually got recruited at the end of my high school year. At that time, Ontario still had a grade 13.Track 5:[13:24] And so in that year, a friend of mine, he was a musician that had played in a band that was kind of popular in our high school. And he had that band had uh uh ended and he kind of recruited me he said i want you to play bass in this band and uh i thought okay i mean i would i'd have just played guitar i'd never played bass but i thought sure i'll give it a whirl and that was sort of at the end of it was april of um, of the final year of school we started doing a bunch of gigs and kind of had this a bit of a built-in audience because he had he had been doing it for a while and we made a plan to the following fall of 1982 uh to uh move over to london england and you know have uh uh see what our uh see if we could find any luck doing that uh and uh and in fact i was just talking about at the concert hall we we did a show in the fall in i think october of 1982 which gave us the money to buy our plane texas to move over to uh to london and uh oh wow nice years and uh.Track 5:[14:41] You know that was an experience unto itself i said you know i was there for a couple of years it was you know like uh we ended up in brixton which was a which was a pretty uh rough part of town there have been a lot of riots there and race riots and um it was but over in the uk you can and a lot of europe you can squat which is basically paying no rent uh and uh so we did that we found a way to exist on very little money you know uh and stayed there and it was a great education you know i always refer to it as my university education really it was a good life education and a good musical one too um i lived it was all a lot of it was west indian uh and i lived above uh the squad i lived in was uh right above this great record store called desmond's hip city which ultimately became one of our our recordings and the song is about that not experienced living in Brixton with this band.Track 5:[15:49] And that sort of ran its course. When I moved back, I had heard about a mutual friend who I didn't know, but we had a mutual friend and this would have been 1985. He, was he was putting together his own home studio and in 1985 that was unusual you know like studios were still fairly um difficult to it was it was expensive to record it was uh but he had a he had an i think a half inch 16 track uh machine and he worked in a music store and he had he had a big uh you know a big plan to start a record label and it was all very cool and i thought well you know i'd like to do this i had done a bit of recording in the uk and um you know i knew that that was sort of the way forward with any anything so i i when i came back to canada to toronto i uh.Track 5:[16:50] Um you know i connected with him we rented a house and built a studio in the house and i mean And truthfully, we smoked a huge amount of marijuana, and I don't know, I spent a lot of time looking for the tape measure, as I recall. But we did, as a carpenter, I make a good musician, so I wouldn't be misleading you if I was trying to tell you that the studio we built had anything to do with me. But out of that experience, Andy Mays, who I grew up with, who's the singer and this guy, he and I reconnected. He had played in a band. He's a few years older than I am, but he played in a band and we had done some shows with him before we moved over to London. And we started hanging out and playing and playing with Wayne Stokes, who was the guy that owned the studio. Wayne drummed on our first couple of records before he left the band. And uh and that was really you know that was from sort of 86 to about uh 88 1988 we we started the band um and we did a residency in toronto a weekly monday night residency which eventually led to our, our first record deal with enigma records which was based in culver city in la just as It's, you know, part of L.A.Track 5:[18:18] And that record had a song on it called I Will Give You Everything, which kind of launched us into, you know, into having a career. And, you know, it's still a song that has been good to us. You know, like it's been used in lots of movies, and it's still a song people want to hear, and still a song I love playing. From there, when our first record came out, we did some shows with many bands, but one of which was The Hip.Track 5:[18:52] Uh we're i was just saying this the shows we did with paul we went back and forth introducing, paul's band and he would introduce us and uh and we were our last show with him was in ottawa, and uh our first show our first tour with the hip the first shows with the airport in montreal and Ottawa and that was 1990 1990 uh and that was 34 years ago and that was the first time we met and at that time uh Paul and Gord Downey were living in Toronto so you know they were they were just that was the tail end up to here and they were playing you know bigger rooms you know like and they had up to here sort of raised them up they often I think refer to that as their first record they had an EP before that.Track 5:[19:50] But that was I think they felt that was their first real offering as a recording and at the end of that tour we did with them they went in down to New Orleans and recorded.Track 5:[20:04] Road Apples and you know Gord and I at that, you know, and Paul, I mean, we all became friends and Gord and I in particular kind of hit it off and, you know, for whatever reason, as you do with, with friends and we, uh, you know, we kept in touch and those days we used to write letters to, uh, before email and, uh, texting. Um, and then Paul eventually a couple of years later moved back to Kingston and Gord stayed in Toronto and that was uh but we were both bands we were busy you know we were touring uh working musicians and not around a lot uh so you know our our time together was limited uh but but always uh great and and eventually led up to what became Coke Machine Shinglo, which, you know, there's sort of a story in that too. He, he wanted, we were looking to do, find a way to do a project together. Um, but the reality is that he, he had written a bunch of songs and the, and the hip, you know, they wrote as a collective, especially in those days. And, and that changed eventually Gord wrote more on his own and, um, and brought songs in and then he would write with them. It did evolve.Track 5:[21:27] And so he had written most of the songs from Coke Machine Glow he had written on his own. And eventually, he just decided, yeah, I should just make a record. And I think part of it was also.Track 5:[21:46] Besides myself, he didn't know a lot of musicians in Toronto, you know, because he was away a lot. He had a young family at that sort of by the mid, his daughter, Will, was born, I think around 96, 95. And so, you know, when he was home, you know, that was obviously a big part of his life. And I think he wanted to connect with the artistic community in Toronto. And Coke Machine Glow became the opportunity for him to do that. Which is why it's a pretty eclectic record eclectic musicians there's and he also wanted to explore the spoken word stuff which is a part of that record and and the uh uh and battle of the nudes as well it was sort of extended into that uh that record so um yeah i don't know that sort of gives you a bit of a an overview yeah.Track 7:[22:41] No we appreciate that and you know we just recently Obviously, having discussions on each of the albums, Coke Machine Glow specifically, it was such a discussion. We actually had to split up our discussion into two parts because there was so much to talk about. And again, because it was good for us to really take that in as that first offering from Gord and his solo effort. You have a producer credit on on that particular album and and the next one and then and then as mentioned I think as we go into the grand bounce that was Chris talk to us a little bit about that process and and and working with Gord and and how uh how that process went from either writing or recording or or things of that nature definitely we had our own discussions about it but it would It would be great to hear directly from the source on how some of that came about.Track 5:[23:41] Well... You know initially we were you know that we were trying to find a way into make a making a collaborative record but you know he had written these songs and um and at some point it was just like you know what like you should just do a solo record um because these.Track 5:[24:01] Songs he knew that uh they weren't going to be used in the in the hip and not because they weren't good songs but because their process was very much as a collective they would write songs together that was their that was how they did it gourd at that point uh gourd was pretty much writing all the words and uh um and they were they were you know playing they they would come up with the music and they that was just their process and um so you know we had these songs and and eventually it just became apparent that we should we should make uh the record and so we had he had had this cool little home studio set up you know this is 10 years after what i was talking about earlier and it was a like a digital i think it was a d80 da88 machine and a little board and so we were recording on that and um and then you know but realizing that neither of us were particularly good engineers and the hip had just mixed their record trouble at the hen house and I think Stephen Drake mixed that record and and he's a terrific talented mixer and a great musician and so Gord.Track 5:[25:24] Gord thought, you know, maybe we should get Stephen to engineer the session and the three of us will operate as co-producers.Track 5:[25:34] And which is what happened. So Stephen ended up coming and Gord really wanted to make the record in Toronto. Again, it was the sense of I'm living here. I've lived here for, I mean, at that point, it was probably over 10 years. Um and he had you know he had his his group of friends uh and artistic friends had grown just through meeting through you know through the hip but he thought you know if i if i do this project i can include them and i can uh um you know just sort of put down some roots in that in this community because at that point you know his creative outlet was the band and he would typically go to Kingston to to write songs and or to record and obviously all the road work they were doing so it was a you know at the time it was an attempt for him to put some roots down in in the city with other artists and other collaborators Gord was a very.Track 5:[26:44] Ambitious creatively is very ambitious and very always looking to evolve always looking to grow and and be influenced and inspired by other people so on that record you know we went in um you know the the idea was uh like initially it it uh the band was kevin hearn was there for kevin had just um he he just had leukemia and he had just he had like a bone marrow transplant and he was just in the recovering stage of that um and i'd met kevin before that but but you know um so but he was only available for a few days because he was going out with uh bare-necked ladies they were uh he was just joining back into the band and going out on tour um and uh.Track 5:[27:55] Don Kerr owned the studio with Dale Morningstar that we recorded at. It was called the gas station. And it was this cool old warehouse building down around King and Dufferin. It was on the top floor, all these open windows, really great view of the city. It's sort of looking south towards the lake through the exhibition in Toronto. And it just had a great vibe to it. And and don played a lot with ron sexsmith and ron was just about to make a record with steve earl in nashville his uh i think the record was blue boy and steve really wanted uh don to play on the record and to sing on it because he had seen don he's seen ron and don was playing with him and he loved their singing together and he loved his playing and a lot of ron's records at that point had been done in L.A.Track 5:[28:57] And their bands were put together for them. They're great sounding records, but Steve wanted Don to play on this record. So Don was only available the first couple of days, as was Kevin. And then Dave Clark, who at that point had played in the Rheostatics and left, was asked to come in and do the drumming. And Dale was just sort of around the studio to help as the assistant engineer, but he ended up playing on most of it. And then Julie Dwaran was asked to come and play on the record. She had sung on a number of hip songs and played in a band called Eric's Trip, who the hip had toured with.Track 5:[29:45] And then there was all these, like Travis Good played on the record. Travis at this point, I was talking about him. We had become good friends and he's a great musician and I thought, well, I want to invite Travis. And Gord, that's when he first met him. So this would have been 1999. As you know, the Sadies went on to make a record and do some touring with Gord as well. And they were very tight. And Travis played on Away Is Mine, the last record that Gord did that I, you know, we wrote together, um, and recorded at the bathhouse. Um, and so, and I, and then there was Adam McGaughan, who's a filmmaker who Gord had met, you know, really through the hip, but, you know, through, uh, maybe he used some hip song in a, in a movie. I can't remember the, uh, um, the connection, but he can.Track 4:[30:38] Yeah. Courage was used in the suite her after by Sarah Polly saying it.Track 5:[30:45] Right, okay. So, you know, he's another Toronto artist and Gord had met him. And so, you know, one of the, one of the, these sort of agendas of Coke Machine Glow and when it was trying to find a way to get into it because the, you know, Gord also released a book of poetry with Coke Machine Glow, but he wanted, he wanted to find a way to do spoken word stuff, which he had done. Yeah, you got it. He had done, you know, often at hip shows he was doing. He did a lot of those, like I know at Woodstock, someone was telling me all that was televised and he was reciting a lot of the Coke Machine Glow poems and a lot of the songs throughout pieces of, you know, instrumentals or whatever through that live show, as he was doing throughout that tour, I'm sure. And so he wanted to find a way to make the leap where he could do the spoken word stuff but you know of course the biggest potential obstacle was that it would be pretentious sounding so that was sort of the way that's that was this challenge.Track 5:[32:08] A couple of things ended up happening. One was that Adam Egoyan, who was a classical guitar player, when he grew up, he played classical guitar. So he brought down his classical guitar, and Gord asked him to just come up with some music, like pieces, little instrumental pieces. So he started playing, and the rest of us started improvising around those pieces. And Gord either would do the spoken word stuff.Track 5:[32:39] With us or we would find sort of this cool little section where it was it was just working and then he would use it and do do the spoken stuff the word stuff over that there was also a couple of there's a great I think it's I think it's the first first song on the record is accordion and pump organ and it's yarrow servinic who was the accordion player and the cowboy junkies and my neighbor uh at the time i invited him down and dale was playing the pump organ and um and it had it had this sort of uh, hinterlands who who kind of this funky weird kind of uh sound to it you know like it it uh and uh and it just somehow it worked you know like it was kind of charming and quirky and very much you know it was very much intended to be not it would have been a failure if it had been like a tragically hit record you know and you know because that would have you.Track 5:[33:52] They were doing that already, and Gord was doing that. This was an opportunity for him to expand his artistic palette, you know, and to challenge himself to be challenged, and challenge the other people around him. And so, you know, I think in that sense it was successful because it was very different. It was like a serious left turn. uh and i think you know from my memory people's reaction to it was like wow i didn't expect this and it's not it's not like the tragically hip which it wasn't and it wasn't meant to be um and i think it you know for a lot of hip fans it was like a real curiosity head scratcher and i think for people that weren't necessarily hip fans it was like wow i didn't expect this from gourd and it's cool and it's different and uh so you know it wasn't uh and really we just in the end we we uh we didn't we mostly toured in the states i think we maybe did one show in canada on that record um and uh and that was cool too because we were playing in a lot of smaller venues and it was a pretty eclectic band and it was a lot of fun.Track 5:[35:18] And it led in fairly quickly to what became, because he had written more songs, and a lot of those songs ended up on Battle of the Nudes. And at that point, the gas station had moved over to Toronto Island into this artscape, into this cool artistic community. Coke Machine Glow was the last record that was made at the Gas Nation. And I think it was 10 days that we made it in.Track 4:[35:50] I'm curious how different the two recording sessions were between Coke Machine Glow and Battle of the Nudes. Because in my mind, they sound very similar in that they sound like a band jamming, whereas the first one sounds like it's a little more acoustic, stick whereas the second one's like a full-on full-on band a little more you know experience under your belt was the actual were the actual sessions quite different.Track 5:[36:15] Um well uh one of the things that happened with uh so the gas station was uh it had you know it was a studio but um it didn't it had decent gear but it didn't have great gear and so what ended up happening was At that point, the hip had started to accumulate gear for the bathhouse, which was their studio in Bath, Ontario. And he brought up, there was a knave board and a bunch of microphones that he brought up and used it as, and we used his DA-88 machine I mentioned earlier. So it was eight tracks. We had eight tracks to use. so you know we could put as many mics into those eight tracks as we wanted it but and it was recorded live and it was acoustic and part of that was that you know when he and i were working on those songs initially before steven got involved it was typically two acoustic guitars and gordon had a very unique rhythm you know he always said he dropped he he played he strummed guitar like a drummer you know but his time was good you know he had great time uh he just did not strum like most guitar players he just you know it was not and i think part of that was singing and you know his phrasing was very unique too so there's a lot of syncopation going on.Track 5:[37:45] And um so initially that process was me kind of playing a more conventional rhythm which just gave the two acoustic guitars this fuller, kind of richer, solid bass. And then when Don and Dave drummed, that gave us another type of foundation. And then Steve and Drake played bass for most of that record. He played other things, too. And I think I played bass maybe on a song or two, but maybe Julie Dwarne played bass on something. But that was kind of the way it went and Stephen recorded it he had this nice gear and we used the DA-88 machine and we did a few overdubs like Paul Langlois came and sang on two or three songs and.Track 5:[38:41] And so that was an overdub. Travis Good was an overdub. Man, there was a couple of others, but I don't remember. But by the time we did Battle of the Nudes, we had done a lot of shows. And at that point, I was playing half the show on bass. Stephen didn't play in the live band.Track 5:[39:02] Partially because he was in Vancouver and he was doing other stuff. It was more of a practical decision than anything from my memory. And uh and i played guitar and julie and i and then at that point john press who's often referred to as dr p had also joined the band and those guys the dinner is around dale john press and dave clark and then myself and julie and uh and gordon uh and we did we did a couple festivals that summer we played like the edmonton folk festival but most of the shows were down in the in the states um and then when we went and recorded uh the gas station and moved to a portable on toronto island an old school uh school portable i don't know if you guys are familiar with with that phenomenon but in ontario they used to have their like boxes and they would be i guess it was It's just at schools, instead of adding, putting additions on schools, they'd have these boxes that would, you know, you'd walk out to your portable, your classroom. It was like a, it was like a cabin, you know, for lack of a better word. Obviously, it had electricity.Track 5:[40:18] But that's where the gas station moved into. And Dale recorded that. He recorded, I'd say, half of that record and mixed half of it or a third of it. And we also went to the bathhouse and recorded the bathhouse at that point. And a bunch of it was mixed there as well. Again, I'd have to look at the credits to sort of know what was done. And, you know, Gord was very taken with Dale. Dale was a very unconventional musician and very eclectic.Track 5:[41:00] And Gord loved that. You know, he loved that. He was just so outside. And Dave Clark is also a real free spirit. And John Pratt is an excellent, excellent musician, but also a free spirit, you know. So it was just it was a very different energy and even for me like it was like wow what a this is a total fucking trip you know this band can you know anything can happen at any point in time and i think gordon liked that you know like it was just it was um unpredictable and fun and uh, and yeah i think it was just and not to say that it wasn't fun in the hip it was just different and And it was exploring a different part of who he could be and his songs and his creative process. You know, that was a big part of it. So I don't know, Craig, if that answers your question, but...Track 4:[41:57] Yeah, yeah. And did you find your role in the band evolved over the years? Watching some of the live videos on doing our research, I noticed, you know, maybe a bit of a shift to playing some more bass near the end. How did you feel about your role and how it changed?Track 5:[42:15] I mean, it was really more the bass became, you know, I mean, I had played bass often on Scottie's records and the band I moved to England with, I played bass in that band. So it was not an instrument that I was unfamiliar with. And I was pretty comfortable on it. and uh and julie and i would swap uh run those first two tours and really even all the tours like she would play bass on certain songs i'd play uh guitar there's certain songs on that we toured with on coke machine glow like something like vancouver divorce i played always played acoustic as it was gore playing you know there's this cool uh interplay of the two acoustic guitars this sort of galloping feel, and Julie played this great solid bass part in that song, and Trick Rider, stuff like that. I always played acoustic on those songs, but then from Battle of the Nudes, and certainly when we did the Grand Bounce, I played almost, I think I played only bass. I don't know that I played any guitar, except for maybe, uh, uh, hello again, my friend. I'm to see you again. The East wind.Track 4:[43:37] So speaking of that song, from what I can tell, I believe there's like five guitars on that track. Does that sound right?Track 5:[43:44] If not more. You know, like it was, yeah, when the band kicks in, yeah, it was like a guitar orchestra, as I recall. It was a ton of good. I think Gord had his kids in there playing acoustic guitar. Yeah, that was for sure. Sure. And when we did it live too, I think I started playing acoustic and then it was like the guy and Rick Nielsen and Cheap Trick, you know, started playing acoustic at the beginning and then I'd, you know, Billy Ray would grab the guitar and I'd start playing bass. It was a bit silly, really.Track 5:[44:24] So I think it did just sort of evolve, Greg, I guess, really. But, you know, um dr pete was a great place bass player julie was a great bass player it was really not you know it wasn't like i'm the bass player and you know like no one else could play it was just the way it i love playing bass with dave clark drumming like he was dave is he's got a great command of many feels and uh and it was a you know the band really evolved too and and you know When you talk about the production stuff, it was also a natural. When we started, it was really Gord and I and then bringing Stephen in. But it was all very collaborative. There was no one saying, you have to do this. Gord was not that type of person. I mean, he would like something or not like it. But he was not the kind of person that would say, we're doing it this way. That was not really his MO you know like he was more into discovering what something could be rather than laying out like.Track 5:[45:36] Here's the here's where you're doing that it wasn't it wasn't like that at all rarely i mean he might have an idea that he wants to chase down you would try and do that which is of course cool but he was very open to suggestions and pursuing things and uh um and the more outside often the better he was attracted to often the diamond in the rough too you know he could see something in an idea i often couldn't you know which i always admired you know like you could see there was something there and he would keep he would keep pursuing it um and he he was very dogged that way and very persistent so.Track 6:[46:19] It seemed like you know you keep mentioning evolution and the band and um it seemed like the band took on a more significant role than just gourd downy this This is Gord Downie's band. And the name changed from The Goddamn Band to Country of Miracles. And then that even became more prevalent with The Grand Bounce. So did you guys bring songs to him? Or was it?Track 5:[46:45] Well, certainly, again, the spoken word pieces were often collaborative pieces. But the bulk of the songs were his songs. He and I maybe worked on some stuff. and I might suggest stuff in other situations. Maybe there would have been a co-writing. But for me, it was just like, these are your songs. You should, you know, like, I don't.Track 5:[47:11] You know like the uh they're great you know and you it was it you know he was at that point he was saying okay i'm putting my name on this i'm doing this book of poetry it was you know of course like any solo thing any songwriter any book of poetry there's there's a certain.Track 5:[47:31] Audacity to it all too right like it's uh and um there were collaborations on especially the first two records but by the by the time we did the grand bounce gordon had written these songs and that and there was you know it had been like four or five years before in between the grand bounce and um the battle of the nudes so he had collected more songs and i was aware of all these songs because we would still hang out and i'd come over we'd record them maybe but he had they were pretty finished songs and that you know he had gained a lot of confidence from making those first two records and he the story my my memory of um the chris walla connection was that the hip did a um there in pemberton just north ukraine there was a big festival there it would have been probably 2008 or 9 and i think tom patty was on the bill death cap for cutie were definitely on the bill because Chris sought out Gord they were on the bill he sought Gord out and said I'm a huge fan but I.Track 5:[48:42] Love your solo records, he knew them he had, Gord I think was a bit taken back and he thought wow this guy this is cool and he just as Gord did he was great at, you know, connecting with people and, um, and staying in touch with them. And, and I think in the back of his mind, he thought, man, you know, it'd be cool if, you know, cause at that point, I think Chris was just about to leave Death Cab for Cutie and he wanted to, he wanted to be a producer and kind of strike out on his own.Track 5:[49:15] And, uh, Gord thought, well, maybe it'd be cool to get him to produce the record and we'll do it at the bathhouse, which is what we did in 2010, I think.Track 5:[49:25] 2009 i can't remember the year now uh we spent you know it was august we spent i think three weeks at the bathhouse like the prime time of the year to be in southern ontario you know beautiful weather all the um the bounty of the you know the farming uh all the fruits and vegetables are coming uh and you know we spent and it was it was an amazing that was such a fun record not that the other records were not fun to make but you know we would start gordon had you know i think there's 12 14 songs on the record and we would do one song a day and we'd get up and he'd teach it to us and we start playing it and you know you know we get up around 10 in the morning and uh you know eventually you start working on the stuff and it would just the song would evolve all chris would make suggestions as we did it and then by the end of the day we'd find a um you know we it might be quick it might be a bit slower and take a few uh twists and turns but every day we got something cool down every day we got something that ended up on the record there's maybe one or two songs that didn't end up on the record but it was that was a you know i thought chris was amazing with everyone, because everyone, you know.Track 5:[50:48] Had made a lot of records at that point. And, you know, Dale produced records.Track 5:[50:55] But Gord was really good at, you know, Even choosing Chris, Chris sort of recognized everyone's strengths and their weaknesses and really empowered everyone into that. I just thought he was really great.Track 5:[51:14] That record I also love. It's a very different record. It was nice. I was mostly just a bass player on that record, but I love that.Track 5:[51:24] The opportunity to do that. And it was, again, you know, it wasn't his advice, but it was advice that I got from somewhere else. But, you know, the advice was play the gig you're playing, not the gig you think you should be playing. Just do what people are asking you to do and be the best version of that person you can be. And that was always a great thing about working with gourd like he he totally empowered you to be yourself and you know if he didn't like it or he didn't get it he would say but it wouldn't be like that sucks and i hate it and uh it would be you know we just find another way uh to, wherever that would be. It would just evolve. That was, again, a really great quality. And again, I think Chris Walla deserves a lot of credit for that record because he really kind of recognized everything. He was kind of the puppet master to a certain degree as well, really making sure that sorry.Track 7:[52:44] To interrupt yeah i just we had when we had our discussion about that about the grand bounce it was uh it was really felt like a band album and i think after i would imagine after you guys had done not only the two albums prior but you know playing together live and then having someone come in and being able to kind of shepherd that it it really came through i i think for me and i I think for us as a group, when we discussed it and, and it was, it was, I think we even talked about it when we, when we went over that particular album, like we were kind of bummed that we wanted the next, the fourth album. And I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that. Like what, what was that? Uh, was there discussions about that or?Track 5:[53:31] Yes um you know they're they're um so we we made i think it was 2010 we made the record in 2011 we toured we did a we did a bunch of summer shows um and we did some shows in the states but this that tour the grand bounce tour was almost exclusively canadian and um, And we did a bunch of summer festivals. And then we did a cross-country. We went coast to coast. So it was a pretty ambitious undertaking. It was not, you know, because Gord hadn't toured a lot as a solo act. It wasn't, you know, he hadn't really developed the, it wasn't the hip, right? And so it wasn't unsuccessful.Track 5:[54:17] But it's an expensive thing. You've got a tour bus. You've got a band. And, you know, it's expensive to, you know, with the hip, it was a different thing.Track 5:[54:27] And they could charge a different amount of money and it was just more established.Track 5:[54:32] So I think, I don't think the record was a disappointment for Gord. But I think the reality of taking a band out and touring and the costs of that were, I think that was maybe a bit sobering. I don't think he was unhappy with the you know the way the band played or or even the attendance or any of that i just think it was like you know it's it's not uh it's it it's it's more of an investment and i think it was like okay well where where do i go what do i do with this do i mean do i make another record like this and i you know he wasn't someone to repeat a process right that's the other thing like it was you know i can't say enough about working with chris was great and i thought he really brought out the best in everyone there he's really positive guy really understood everyone's kind of quirkiness and strengths and uh but so you know what happened was i think gourd we made that record and then was now for plan a that came next and then but but then what I what I remember because he he sent me we were talking about the songs from the secret path so the secret path was recorded in 2013 and.Track 5:[55:58] He had finished it and mixed it at that point. So he had this idea, and I think you probably know the story of this. So his brother Mike had found this CBC radio interview that was talking about a Maclean's article from 1966 that talked about Shani Wenjack.Track 5:[56:19] And Gord heard the documentary on the CBC and read the the mclean's article and sort of got very drawn to the story and you know he ended up writing you know again if you've watched any of the secret path stuff uh you know he wrote 10 poems and uh and that became the 10 songs for the secret path you know he ended up going there uh because he had a place just on in prince prince edward county just it was about a half hour's drive from the bathhouse and um he would come to the bathhouse and kevin drew from broken social scene where he was making a lot of records there and he kind of got to know kevin a bit and kevin said kevin uh was very much involved with arts and crafts he helped establish that label and i think he said well let's make a record and gourd had these songs and that's how that record was made so he finished it but i don't think gourd really knew what to do with the record and and my memory is more from nile spencer who was the engineer the house engineer at uh at the bathhouse i don't think gourd was i don't think he really talked about what that record was about out to any great extent i mean it was clearly a record.Track 5:[57:44] That was about a very heavy subject and he would have made rough you know he.Track 5:[57:51] Would have had some explanations for it but i don't i think he was very mindful about you know i'm not sure this is my story to tell um and uh.Track 5:[58:03] And I remember him sending it to me. They mixed it in like December of 2013. And he sent it to me early in January and just said, yeah, I did this. And I want you to hear it. And it's cool. And then he sat on it. He didn't know what to do with it. He had also been writing and recording songs with Pop Rock.Track 5:[58:32] Uh, since, um, after we are the same the hip record which led into uh the grand bounce and then you know spilled over into um the time that he he recorded um the secret path so he was doing a lot of stuff so when you say you know like it would have been cool to do another uh record uh with with the uh the country miracles and in that sense i i think it would have been but it wasn't like he was uh not doing it he was busy doing a lot of different things and and and that was very much you know he was loving all of that it wasn't like he wasn't saying oh i i will never do this again i you know but i think there's a lot of things going on and uh and and he was still being very productive and very creative. And then he got sick towards the end of 2015.Track 5:[59:33] At that point, you know, I mean, you know the story. I don't need to go through it. But, you know, he knew that he wanted, obviously, to do the last hip tour, but he knew he wanted to get the Secret Path record out. It was finished. But the graphic novel was another opportunity to provide an educational tour or for what the residential schools were in Canada. And, you know, these were things, I mean, these were things that we, Gordon and I, talked about a lot. I mean, we grew up being so ignorant of what had really happened in this country. And this was an opportunity to kind of pull the lid back a little bit and to have a discussion about that.Track 5:[1:00:22] And, you know, it's amazing. You know, like it just, you know, his illness and the attention that was brought to the hip tour and then consequently to the secret path project was kind of overwhelming, you know, like it was quite incredible to be in that sort of in the center of that, to be around him and to see the impact that it's had all of it. You know I mean like even with the hip tour you know like if you were in this country if you were if you were not a tragically hip fan you would you'd be touched by that story I mean who hasn't been uh impacted by a family member a friend who's had cancer and the story was just so incredibly touching and moving you didn't have to be a fan to be touched or moved by that story And then, you know, and then to carry on to do the, you know, the shows that he did for The Secret Path was, you know, that was amazing. I know I'm sort of going on to another subject now.Track 5:[1:01:29] Um, so just, yeah, I'm just kind of trying to bridge that time, time gap, you know, there was a, there was a lot going on for him. And, um, and you know, I think if the opportunity, if he had, if he hadn't gotten sick, I'm sure we would have made another recording, you know, I'm sure that would have happened. Maybe it would have been a different producer. Maybe it would have been something different, you know, like me was, uh, he was constantly doing things, you know, he was always working. Like he was, that was, you know, he was like a shark that way. He was always moving, you know, like he, very much part of his makeup, his DNA.Track 4:[1:02:11] So you were a part of the Secret Path live band.Track 5:[1:02:14] Yeah.Track 4:[1:02:15] And what was the lead up to that? Like, like the rehearsals, I know it seemed maybe Gord was, you know, he was quite sick at that time. were you guys you know were you ever worried that it it wouldn't work out or was there any hesitation.Track 5:[1:02:33] Well i think you know i even with the hip tour like i think you know when i mean i saw gourd all three you know from when he got sick and which was like november late october early November of 2015, he had his first operation, I think it was November, mid-November that year, and then it was a long recovery, and then he ended up having a second operation, and then, you know, went through radiation, and, you know, all the treatment that he did, so you know i saw him through a lot of that you know i you know i'd go over on a regular basis there's a time when the treatments were so he was sleeping a lot because you know they fucking kicked the shit out of you you know when he decided he wanted to do the the hip tour and you know i mean i think everyone i i mean there's it's all documented and you know in that uh show I mean, of course, everyone was concerned, could he do it? But, you know, man, the guy was a fucking force. Like, he was so strong physically and mentally. Like, he just, he was so determined to do it. And it was incredible, you know. I'm sure, Craig, you saw one of those shows, or, you know, like, it was a remarkable.Track 4:[1:04:00] I was at the two Vancouver shows. Justin was at the Ottawa show, actually, the second last one.Track 5:[1:04:06] Um, yeah, I mean, it, it, uh, I mean, to answer your question, was there concern for sure, especially for the secret past stuff, because he had never sung it beyond the recordings that he had done and when he wrote them. So as opposed to the, you know, the hip stuff where, you know, there's sort of a motor, uh, memory muscle that, you know, it's just, uh, but, you know, it's amazing like the brain is an incredible thing and you know gourd's short-term memory was impacted there were certain things that he struggled with but you know the music was it was pretty amazing what he was and he definitely made mistakes he definitely you know and it would could be counting in or waiting in it sir but we found out ways to make use or accommodate that and i I mean, it was amazing.Track 5:[1:04:58] Yes, there was concern that maybe it won't work, but it did, you know. And, you know, also, you know, Gord was not like, he could come in early on a verse when he was perfectly well. I mean, he was not a, those imperfections he often made work. You know, he adopted this philosophy, but, you know, what he used to say for a show to be interesting something something has to happen that neither the audience or the performer expects so a mistake can turn into a um an opportunity yeah and he often uh something happens and it's like okay here's my opportunity to make something of it not like not fucking freak out or fall apart and i mean that's a you know if you're a a seasoned performer, you understand that, you know, yeah, you don't have, I mean, everyone fucks up. I mean, that happens. So, yeah, I mean, it was... For all the shows we did with the secret pass stuff, there were very few mistakes. I don't think he made any more mistakes than anyone else made. Let me put it that way.Track 4:[1:06:14] Yeah, I know the show that's online is incredible. It is one of the best concerts that I've seen. I've actually made Kirk and Justin promise not to watch it yet. So we're going to watch it together one day online, I think. and it's so good. Yeah.Track 7:[1:06:35] Thank you, Justin. That's been something especially after we did the episode about the secret path and all the research we did. So yeah, when we had our recording of the secret path, that was one thing we had to make a little pack that we were going to wait. We're going to try and do a live stream of it, but it's been very difficult. Obviously watching some of the great documentary pieces that were done about the entire secret path project. And as you mentioned um you know where that kind of came in the timeline and and then obviously the it was recorded and then there was a few years break i think before it was released but um yeah we're we're very excited about seeing that that particular show and craig has has talked very highly of it so we're pretty excited to see that for sure yeah.Track 5:[1:07:23] Well it's very heavy you know it's It's not a, you know, and as it's meant to be, you know, it's a very heavy story. There's a lot to it. And it's being delivered by a guy that is well aware of his timeline, you know. And this was a part of his legacy that he was very aware that he he could have a positive impact you know any I think you personally really changed the conversation in this country and and I still see it you know I'm still very, I'm still involved with the Danny Wenjack fund and I'm actually doing a school event out of Vancouver next week next.Track 4:[1:08:17] Are you serious craig oh man craig's a teacher i'm a teacher i use it every year um, and uh i yeah so i watch that show every no no no go ahead i alternate between i'm sorry i was just gonna say i i go through every song with with the class and you know we talk and it's amazing every year there's like another another layer something else that someone will will see and we we talk a little bit about this artistic representation of this, of this boy's story and how it, it relates to the much larger, you know, issues that go back, you know, the things that we weren't taught when we were in school and it's, it's been really eyeopening and, and every year it's just a highlight of, of, of the year. A lot of students remember it years later. It's been really impactful and it's a way for me to dig into this topic that I, you know as a middle-aged white guy don't have a you know a personal connection to it gives me a way to sort of dive into this difficult material in a genuine way and students really appreciate that that um they can tell i mean i know i.Track 5:[1:09:28] Know it's in over 6300 classrooms across canada, the secret path and i know over 8 000 teachers are teaching that and i think really what's happening now is that they need to expand on the curriculum they need to build on it like the secret path has been a great introduction of course and it's a great tool but you can't teach the same thing over and over again you can't read the same book and expect you know so i think that's partially where they're at with it uh and that's a good problem to have.Track 5:[1:10:02] But you know it's it's just learning a truth that is important and a part of our history in this country that's important because you know as a canadian who spent a lot of time in the states you know i find that we are very we can be very sanctimonious and self-righteous about how fucking awesome we are and how our shit doesn't smell but you know and and you know.Track 5:[1:10:28] Canadians are the first to look down south and say well you know at least we're not fucked up like they are look at their medical system look at look at whatever you know like it's you know and and you know our shit stinks too and we you know we i just think this has been such an amazing opportunity to see how impactful uh this is and you know what's so interesting is that it's really ultimately not about gourd like and that was sort of his that was what was so incredible about this like he knew that he's he's telling the story and his illness and his celebrity and the connection to the hip were leveraging the the attention towards this but he knew that this was much bigger than him you know i i was just talking to the the guy that's organizing the uh event i'm doing out in uh in vancouver and he was saying yeah he's a huge hit fan big music fan and he's saying you know like a lot of these young kids don't know who the tragically hip are and it sort of breaks his heart you know because uh or doesn't they don't know who gourd downey is but they know the secret path and it's so interesting and truthfully it's really what it is the important part of the story is the truth of why that story had to be told and And I think Gord would be kind of smiling about that right now.Track 5:[1:11:54] I know with the graphic novel, I recall vividly him saying, in his mind...Track 5:[1:12:02] The graphic novel and the music could be played for grade fives. You know, that was sort of his target audience. That's good age. This could have a good impact. I mean, I think it's become much broader than that. And as you said, Craig, it became, you know, there are many layers to it and there's a lot to it. You know, with a lot of Gord stuff, it's very interpretive and very, you know you can really peel back the layers on it so i think that makes them happy and i know for me on a personal level to be able to they these are uh called uh artist ambassador that's part of the downey one jack artist ambassador program so i go i go into the schools and i'm introduced and i'm you know i knew gourd and i talk a little bit about my uh relationship with him and the connection to the secret path and i go around and i look at the work that the students do and i talk to them and i just it you know it fills my heart to know that i'm still connected to gourd through this project and all the other stuff i did but this was this was a special opportunity for him to leave his own legacy but not about him but the legacy of something that he felt.Track 5:[1:13:26] He felt like it's a story that needed to be told and it's a conversation that needed to be had.Track 7:[1:13:32] One thing that I was able to share with the guys yesterday, my middle daughter graduated from a local university out here, Cal State University, Northridge. And before the ceremony began, they actually had a recorded message from the indigenous tribe from the area saying, prior to the university being built. And they had partnered with them. And the leadership of the tribe actually sent out a blessing as well as a song to the university and to the graduates and to those of us that were there. And I was there with my mom, my 81 year old mom. And I'd been sharing a lot of the secret path story with her and, you know, gave her the graphic novel to read. And we talk about it because I go over and visit quite regularly. And we both were so taken aback as Americans, because we're aware of our ugly past, and we're aware how bad we stink down here. And too often, we don't get the opportunity to really recognize it and bring it to the forefront as much as we could. And for us, that was fantastic, especially after our discussion with this group about secret path to see something in the United States. And I've been to many graduations, and I've been to many events and whatnot. And that was quite literally the first time I had ever seen anything like that done in the recognition.Track 7:[1:14:50] And it really, it, it warmed our heart that it was, it's about time, of course, but it's going to take those like Gord and that project and what you guys did, um, obviously in what you're continuing to do to, to bring that recognition. So that was just, it was really great and timely. And I know Justin has spent some time i'm doing some research as well about about uh um some of the indigenous issues in the history and whatnot and it's been great for us as you know americans to have that open discussion as well and uh so we really appreciate you sharing that with us because that that was uh it was definitely emotional for us going through the secret path and having that discussion and and as as craig had mentioned you know us middle-aged white guys you know trying to pretend for a second that we We know what happened and what they're going through. The awareness, I think, was really important for us and to be able to discuss that. So definitely appreciate you sharing that with us.Track 5:[1:15:51] Yeah, yeah. I mean, I just read something or saw an interview recently and just talking about colonialism. And, you know, like, you know, our history is that is kind of the history of the world. I mean, it's not any more North American than it is. It happened in China 7,000 years ago. It continues that. You know, you can't change what has happened, but you can acknowledge what's happened. And, you know, what's amazing is, you know, I know, I mean, my mom is almost 94. for. You know, a lot of the discussions with her and people of her generation about First Nations people here was that, oh, you know, we give them so much and we give them money and they you know, there's all these sort of false narratives about.Track 5:[1:16:45] And, you know, she's just repeating things that she's hearing, right? So this is what happens. Like, you hear something enough, and it becomes the truth. You know, like, you know, and I mean, that's sort of the sad reality of politics these days as well. You get a message just fucking repeatedly all the time. And then before you know it, you're saying it yourself somehow. You're believing it. It's so weird. It's so fucked up. The truth is often difficult to accept and to acknowledge, and it's not just about being white and privileged.Track 5:[1:17:24] Which of course we are, or I am, I won't speak for you guys, but it's about being honest about what has happened. And the history is not as it often is. It's told through the eyes of the people that have been the beneficiaries of it. And this has been an amazing journey for me. I've ended up doing many different projects. And that's what I was doing with Kevin Hearn today. We do this collaboration with Chief Stacey LaForme, who's just retired, but was the elected chief of the Mississaugas of the First Credit. And he's a poet as well. And we did a collaboration with him when the 615 bodies were discovered in Kamloops. He wrote a poem and Kevin and I put some music to it and inserted his voice through that as well. I'll send it to you, Kirk. It's a very, very powerful thing. And we've done a bunch of performances with him and we're doing something with him in June again.Track 5:[1:18:36] And it's, you know, again, it's like it's just this ongoing dialogue and this process of, you know, realizing that people are people, you know. And it's very powerful to share these collaborations and these stories. And, you know, I mean, Greg, you're seeing it every day. I see it every once in a while when I go into these schools. But these young kids are hearing these stories. So they're not, they're not, they're hearing these stories firsthand. They acknowledge and accept what happened. So they're not denying it. They're not pretending it didn't happen. They weren't, as what was Gore's line, trained to ignore it.Track 5:[1:19:22] It's such a fucking good line. And that was, again, that's sort of the righteousness of our thing is, you know, if you just put it out of your mind, well, then you don't have, and you don't think about it, then it's not your problem.Track 5:[1:19:36] And, you know, lo and behold, it was, you know, like there's a very dark history to our relationship with the First Nations people in this country. And you know what's amazing is i remember travis good talking about this when he was touring with his dad's band the good brothers in the 80s and early 90s late you know mid to late 80s he'd go over to holland and they would be saying you know what's up with your country you fucking treat the natives like shit what's with the residential schools he had no idea you know like me he was sort of you know and he learned about it from another country you know like it's always amazing how you know where we can be so uh oblivious and ignorant of our own truth i know i i did i'm kind of on a bit of a rant but it was a very and still is a very moving part of uh that relationship uh with gourd and and very one i'm so i'm just so i'm so proud of him for finding the creative courage to to to make that record and then you know like just so blown away by his courage for sure but his tenacity to get it out there and to go out and do those shows that was uh that was a.Track 5:[1:20:59] Remarkable thing including the hip tour i don't i don't they're not one i don't see one is more exclusive than the other i just think.Track 5:[1:21:09] It was a remarkable feat to watch him go through that.Track 7:[1:21:12] Absolutely and and uh you know this whole project as we'd mentioned has been great for us as as tragically hip fans and already having an appreciation and a love for gordon and what he's done and the band had done and a

Don Kerr is a demographer who teaches at Kings University College at Western University. From 1992-2000 he worked in the demography division at Statistics Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craig Small is an award-winning visual artist, director, and animator. A co-founder of The Juggernaut Productions, Craig is constantly inventing unique and striking ways to creatively present ideas. His work is  highly sought after by A-list corporate clients, broadcasters, and production houses.   Nominated for two Emmy Awards for his film title designs, Craig has worked with internationally-renowned design houses, animators, and filmmakers, in addition to bands such as The Sadies, the Tragically Hip, The Beaches, and the Barenaked Ladies, and musicians such as Ron Sexsmith, Michael Bublé, and Dan Mangan. Although not a musician by trade, Craig is officially the 4th member of Don Kerr's indie band Communism, for which he conceives dynamic and compelling live visuals.  A self-proclaimed "retro-mechanical nerd",  Craig's work rides the line between the digital and mechanical realms. His creative outputs exist in a world that embraces both the past and future of imagery, machinery, music, and the written word - work that has gained the attention and admiration of people such as Jack White,  Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Mark Maron, and David  Byrne.More about Craig and his work:The Juggernaut ProductionsCraig Small - websiteCommunism promo videoCommunism Side Door LivestreamDan Mangan's Show to NobodyThe Dan Mangan ZoetropeJack White demos the LiterariumCarmine Street Guitars (Trailer) Bo Diddley Zoetrope David Byrne ZoetropeKenk a Graphic Portrait (Pop Sandbox)Inside Kenk: A TVO Original DocumentarySong samples in this episode:"Weakness is Strength" - Communism (Get Down Get Together, 2016)"These Days" - Ron Sexsmith (Cobblestone Runway, 2002)"Love in Your Heart" (Love Speech, 2023)  Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the pod with a donation. Any amount helps! MUSIC BUDDY IS:Jane Gowan (host, producer, editor) Tim Vesely (co-producer/co-host) The show's theme song, "Human Stuff," is written by Jane Gowan and Tim Vesely, and performed by Jane and Tim, with additional vocals by Steve Wright and Connie Kostiuk STAY IN TOUCH Email: jane@musicbuddy.caInstagram: @musicbuddypodcastFacebook: @musicbuddypodcastTwitter: @janegowanTikTok: @musicbuddypodThis podcast is brought to you by Morning Run Productions.

Greg spoke to Don Kerr, a demographics professor at King's College, Western University about Canada's fertility rate has hit its lowest level in recorded history.

Greg spoke to Don Kerr, a demographics professor at King's College, Western University about Canada's fertility rate has hit its lowest level in recorded history.

We had the honor of an exclusive interview with legendary artist and performer, Donny Osmond. He spoke with us one week ahead of his national tour, kicking off in Waterbury, Connecticut. We spoke with him about the show, what audiences can expect and more about his six decades of work. ((00:00)) According to national statistics, 72% of caregivers are providing help to a parent or grandparent. That relationship shift from child to caregiver can strain family relationships. Counselor, Julius Dudics, provided help to cultivate healthy relationships and adjust to new roles. ((07:48)) Now that the US Supreme Court has struck down the Biden Administration's plan to cancel or reduce student loans, what's in store for borrowers, saddled with high student loans? We learn about a way to steer through student lending and loan repayment plans thanks to AAA. Don Kerr explains. ((19:14)) According to The Wall Street Journal, young workers are talking about sex more often at work. Have the rules on what's appropriate to discuss with coworkers changed? And how should you respond if a coworker starts talking about their sexual activities? Julie Bauke of Julie on the Job addressed these questions. ((27:22)) IMAGE CREDIT: Royalty-free; Collection: The Image Bank

As Steve Conte releases his Fourth of July single, the guitarist and singer talks about writing songs with his XTC hero, joining the New York Dolls and playing on stage with Chuck Berry. He also gives tantalising pointers to his forthcoming album of co-writes with Andy Partridge. This episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast also includes comments from Andy Partridge himself, plus sad news about Ian C Stewart. Music courtesy of Don Kerr and Communism. Steve Conte Limited edition Fourth of July on 7" blue vinyl Communism XTC fan tribute compilations by the late Ian C Stewart: https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-Skylacking https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-ObsceneCollection https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-BeastsIveSeen/ What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com  If you've enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who've done the same. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week on Gardeners' Corner with David Maxwell; why are there so many caterpillars this year and do the spooky webs some are creating spell doom for the plants they cover? At Helen's Bay Organic Farm John McCormick has some tips on growing courgettes and how to get better veg without wasting water. Helen Mark travels to Stranocum for a masterclass on early summer pruning with Don Kerr and Jekka McVicar reveals her herb of the month. Also on the programme, Katie Bell from Ulster Wildlife and Claire McNally, head gardener at The National Trust's Rowallane join David in studio to answer questions sent in by listeners. Email the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Don Kerr is a drummer, singer, songwriter, cellist, composer, and producer. He's also a pacifist/activist, who believes strongly in the power of positivity and the value of community. A much-sought-after sideman and bandmate since the 1990s, he has performed with Rheostatics, Ron Sexsmith, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, The Weather Station, and many others. Don's own band—Communism—is a super-charged power trio, renowned for their "dance-your-face-off" live shows, for which Don performs using a DIY stand-up drum kit, fashioned to create a more dynamic presentation.  The result (in combination with video, lights, and lasers) is a visually arresting, sonically exhilarating, and uplifting experience.. Despite our differences as humans, Don Kerr believes that we're all good at heart, and capable of love, change, and...dancing up a storm.  Don looks for the up sides, and talks about how the pandemic allowed his band—at home with no tours planned—the time to create a sonically rich, layered, and exploratory album. The result is Love Speech : 10 tracks dedicated to "...dancing with love in your heart." Don also shares his thoughts on being a "pacifist at war", balancing family and work, composing the soundtrack for The Colour of Ink documentary, and what "communism" means to him. Later in the episode, musician, engineer and Music Buddy Sessions producer Tim Vesely joins the conversation. Don and Tim compare notes about drums and bass, and the early days playing with Ron Sexsmith and Rheostatics.More about Don and CommunismCommunism.bandCommunism on BandcampCommunism on YouTubeCommunism on SpotifyCommunism on Apple Music MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE:All song samples are from the album Love Speech, by Communism (2023)THE MUSIC BUDDY SESSION: "One of Everyone", by Don KerrPerformed by Don Kerr, Jane Gowan and Tim VeselyMixed and mastered by Tim VeselySupport the showA Morning Run Productions ProjectMusic Buddy is nomated for a 2023 Canadian Podcast Award for "Outstanding Music Series", and "Outstanding Main Title Theme Music for a Series". Many thanks to the Canadian Podcast Awards, and congratulations to all the Nominees! You can see the full list of Nominees at canpodawards.ca Jane Gowan (host, producer, editor) Tim Vesely (co-producer/co-host) The show's theme song, "Human Stuff," is written by Jane Gowan and Tim Vesely, and performed by Jane and Tim, with additional vocals by Steve Wright and Connie KostiukEmail: jane@musicbuddy.caInstagram: @musicbuddypodcastFacebook: @musicbuddypodcastTwitter: @janegowanTikTok: @musicbuddypod

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: Happy Thursday, there's certainly no other occasion to be happy about on this day…, right? Top of mind for Scott today: The city's plans for the waterfront is expected to generate millions of dollars in taxes. - This week another secret police station operated by China was found in New York City. - The Sound of Music returns in June, and they've released their line up! - A new McMaster residence in the downtown core has been facing some criticism for being ‘unsustainable and not affordable”. – And SpaceX launched a 2nd rocket today… but it exploded shortly after liftoff. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast. Guests: Chris Phillips, Manager, Municipal Land Development Office, Planning & Economic Development Department, City of Hamilton.  Christian Leuprecht, Professor at both the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, and a Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. Myles D. Rusak, CEO, Sound of Music. Vic Wojciechowska, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3906 Paul Delaney, Professor of Astronomy, York University. Jeff Kucharski is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an Adjunct Professor at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.; Former Assistant Deputy Minister in the Alberta Department of Energy responsible for international energy policy, strategic planning and intergovernmental relations. Dr. Jane Boulden, Professor, Department of Political Science, Royal Military College.  Dr. Kathleen Ross, President Elect for the Canadian Medical Association. Don Kerr, Professor and Demographer, King's University College. Scott Radley, Host of the Scott Radley Show and Columnist with the Hamilton Spectator. Host – Scott Thompson Content Producer – Elizabeth Russell Technical/Podcast Producer - William Webber Podcast co-producer – Ben Straughan News Anchor – Dave Woodard, Jennifer McQueen Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

Dr Don Kerr, Professor of Sociology at King's University College, joins 980CFPL's Mike Stubbs to talk about the world population reaching eight billion this week, what it means, when it's going to start slowing down and why.

Episode 28 features two of host Paul Myers' songwriting heroes; the illustrious Elvis Costello whose internationally recorded new album Hey Clockface is chock full of musical invention, and Canadian tunesmith Ron Sexsmith who talks about moving to Stratford, Ontario and recording his sweet new album Hermitage mostly at home with longtime drummer and producer Don Kerr. And RSD's Carrie Colliton drops by as always with the Record Store Day news. Sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Tito's Handmade Vodka. Go to RecordStoreDay.com for the latest updates. Rate us, review us and subscribe to us wherever you get podcasts.

This week we meet the civilian team that supports the Minnesota National Guard, meet with Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network’s Central Lakes College and get an update from Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers. Guests include: Don Kerr – … Continue reading → The post Minnesota Department of Military Affairs and Central Lakes College appeared first on Minnesota Military Radio.

Kitchen Windows is a side-project of the Sunday Night Dinner podcast. In this time of Covid-19 and social isolation, it’s a chance to have a brief look into the kitchens of writers, musicians, chefs, artists and health-care superstars. What can they see out their window? What are they cooking for comfort? Who are they with? How do they spend their days? Claudia Dey is a writer and the co-founder of the design studio and clothing brand Horses Atelier. Her latest novel is Heartbreaker. Don Kerr is a musician and record producer. He played in the Rheostatics for a number of years, and he’s the drummer and lead singer of the band, Communism. Their song, Take Care of Each Other should be the anthem of the pandemic. Dove and Austin are their sons. You can find Claudia’s gorgeous store, Horses Atelier, at: horsesatelier.com The song “Take Care of Each Other” is from Communism’s album Get Down Get Together, and features Don on drums and vocals; Kevin Lacroix on bass and vocals; and Paul Linklater on guitar and vocals. Kurt Swinghammer rocks the guitar in their live shows. You can find more information about Sistering, a shelter that supports under-housed women at: sistering.org All other music written and performed by JJ Ipsen.

On this episode Don Kerr talks with host Steve Noxon of Talk of the Town about the new rules of student lending based on the US CARES Act.

Freshest fish and light ramen. Don Kerr, GM of Masa Ramen and Sushi joins us to talk about what makes Masa stand out from the rest of the Ramen and Sushi places around OKC. Also, they have a great special going on for Valentine's Day! … Continue readingEp 49: Masa Ramen & Sushi w/ Don Kerr

Freshest fish and light ramen. Don Kerr, GM of Masa Ramen and Sushi joins us to talk about what makes Masa stand out from the rest of the Ramen and Sushi places around OKC. Also, they have a great special going on for Valentine's Day! … Continue readingEp 49: Masa Ramen & Sushi w/ Don Kerr

In this episode we talk with the senior manager of lending for AAA Northeast about student loans and how they can help with vocational education. Today it is not unusual to spend $3500-$35,000 to become an automobile technician and AAA can help with the process as well as loan applications. We also review the Nissan Rogue, play trivia and answer that age old question, is nitrogen worth the money.

Communism is a remarkable three-piece pop-rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Featuring Paul Linklater and Kevin Lacroix, the band’s the brainchild of well-respected producer, drummer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Don Kerr, who has worked with Ron Sexsmith, Rheostatics, Gord Downie, Leslie Feist, and many, many other people. Communism’s new record, Get Down Get Together came out this past […]