pe
      ea
      tt
      INI
      ays
      Nation,
      By
      Storm
      by
      Alec
      O’Hanley
      *
      Arts
      &
      ppt
      irae
      aa
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Things
      have
      been
      hectic
      for
     
     
      Matt
      Mays
      and
      El
      Torpedo.
      Fresh
      off
      a
     
     
      cross-country
      tour
      with
      Sam
      Roberts,
     
     
      the
      rocker
      snagged
      an
      ECMA
      award
     
     
      along
      with
      reams
      of
      critical
      praise.
      I
     
     
      talked
      with
      Matt
      while
      he
      was
      driving
     
     
      on
      some
      New
      Brunswick
      road,
      vainly
     
     
      trying
      to
      stay
      warm
      and
      keep
      his
      cell
     
     
      phone
      from
      breaking
      up.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      How
      often
      do
      you
      write
      songs?
     
     
      Matt
      Mays:
      I
      can
      write
      five
      in
      one
      day,
     
     
      or
      sometimes
      I’ll
      go
      two
      months
      with-
     
     
      out
      writing
      them.
      It’s
      very
      sporadic
     
     
      with
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      How
      did
      the
      idea
      of
      enlisting
     
     
      your
      dad
      for
      the
      album
      art
      come
      about?
     
     
      Matt:
      I’m
      a
      fan
      of
      his
      work.
      It’s
      cool
      to
     
     
      team
      up
      with
      my
      dad
      to
      do
      an
      album.
     
     
      He
      did
      album
      covers
      in
      the
      seventies
     
     
      and
      eighties,
      nobody
      really
      that
     
     
      famous,
      but
      he
      was
      always
      into
      doing
     
     
      poster
      art
      for
      a
      lot
      of
      cool
      acts
      that
     
     
      came
      to
      him
      looking
      for
      art.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      What
      was
      the
      tour
      with
      Sam
     
     
      Roberts
      like?
     
    

    
     
      Matt:
      It
      was
      awesome
      -
      a
      really
      good
     
     
      time.
      Really
      good
      crowds.
      Sam
      and
      the
     
     
      boys
      are
      some
      of
      the
      best
      guys
      we’ve
     
     
      ever
      met,
      both
      of
      the
      bands
      get
      along
      so
     
     
      well.
      It
      was
      a
      real
      pleasure
      and
      a
      good
     
     
      thing
      to
      be
      a
      part
      of.
     
    

    
     
      Matt
      Mays
      gazes
      wistfully
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Did
      you
      find
      those
      guys
      rubbed
     
     
      off
      on
      you
      —
      say,
      in
      terms
      of
      writing?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Matt:
      Not
      so
      much
      in
      writing.
      I
      find
      I
     
     
      just
      do
      my
      own
      thing,
      but
      as
      far
      as
      per-
     
     
      formance
      goes,
      they’ve
      played
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      shows
      this
      year
      -
      well,
      their
      whole
      lives
     
     
      really,
      they’re
      experienced
      players;
      so
     
     
      yeah,
      we
      definitely
      got
      a
      lot
      out
      of
     
     
      watching
      them
      play.
      As
      far
      as
      comedy,
     
     
      both
      bands
      have
      their
      own
      sense
      of
     
     
      humour
      that
      we
      get
      a
      kick
      out
      of.
      We
     
     
      get
      a
      lot
      of
      funny
      things
      out
      of
      them
     
     
      and
      they
      get
      a
      lot
      of
      funny
      things
      out
      of
     
     
      us.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Any
      plans
      for
      a
      future
      tour
      with
     
     
      those
      guys?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Matt:
      I
      would
      imagine,
      yeah.
      We’ve
     
    
   
   
    
     
      become
      pretty
      good
      friends,
      so
      it’s
      one
     
     
      of
      those
      things
      if
      the
      time
      is
      right
      then
     
     
      I’m
      sure
      it’ll
      happen
      again.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      What
      do
      you
      think
      has
      been
      the
     
     
      biggest
      boost
      for
      the
      band
      so
      far?
     
     
      Matt:
      I
      would
      say
      probably
      getting
      to
     
     
      tour
      Canada
      with
      a
      great
      band
      like
     
     
      those
      guys,
      getting
      to
      play
      in
      front
      of
     
     
      that
      many
      people
      every
      night
      really
     
     
      helps
      us
      out.
      We’re
      going
      back
      out
      west
     
     
      in
      a
      week
      and
      a
      half
      and
      we’ll
      be
      able
     
     
      to
      get
      a
      few
      people
      out
      now
      that
      we’ve
     
     
      been
      able
      to
      do
      that.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      So
      this
      year
      you
      won
      best
      new
     
     
      artist
      at
      the
      ECMAs
      in
      St.
      John’s.
      Word
     
     
      has
      it
      that
      at
      last
      year’s
      ECMAs
      you
     
     
      and
      Eyes
      for
      Telescopes
      got
      kicked
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      Sennheiser
      party
      for
      stealing
      a
     
     
      punch
      bowl
      of
      beer
      and
      marching
     
     
      around
      a
      hotel
      at
      Sam
      screaming
     
     
      “we're
      here,
      we’re
      queer,
      we’re
      not
     
     
      going
      away!”
      Which
      year
      was
      more
     
     
      fun?
     
    

    
     
      Matt:
      I’m
      not
      gonna
      lie,
      I’d
      say
      as
      far
     
     
      as
      shenanigans
      go,
      we
      got
      into
      a
      lot
     
     
      more
      shenanigans
      in
      Halifax
      than
      we
     
     
      did
      in
      St.
      John’s.
      I
      mean,
      it
      wasn’t
      for
     
     
      lack
      of
      trying
      but
      it
      seemed
      to
      get
     
     
      pulled
      off
      a
      little
      more
      successfully
      in
     
     
      Halifax.
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      I
      think
      it’s
      on
      tape
      too...
     
     
      Matt:
      (laughing)
      I
      guess
      I
      really
      can’t
     
     
      deny
      those
      shenanigans
      then.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Do
      you
      still
      live
      in
      Halifax?
     
     
      Matt:
      I
      live
      in
      Dartmouth.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      My
      bad.
      Do
      you
      find
      there
      has
     
     
      been
      any
      pressure
      for
      the
      band
      to
      relo-
     
     
      cate?
     
    

    
     
      Matt:
      Not
      really
      no,
      only
      from
      the
     
     
      weather
      (laughing).
      Other
      than
      that,
     
     
      we're
      perfectly
      fine
      with
      living
      in
     
     
      Halifax.
      I
      think
      as
      long
      as
      you’re
      will-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      to
      tour
      and
      not
      wanting
      be
      home
      all
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      time
      then
      you
      can
      live
      anywhere
     
     
      you
      want.
      I
      truly
      believe
      that.
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Your
      song
      “City
      of
      Lakes”
      is
     
     
      set
      in
      Dartmouth.
      Was
      there
      a
      reason
     
     
      why
      you
      decided
      to
      film
      the
      video
      for
      it
     
     
      in
      Ontario?
     
    

    
     
      Matt:
      Budget-wise,
      where
      we
      filmed
      it
     
     
      was
      only
      a
      couple
      of
      hours
      north
      of
     
     
      Toronto
      and
      if
      we
      had
      have
      flown
      the
     
     
      whole
      crew
      to
      Halifax
      we
      would
      have
     
     
      had
      to
      cut
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      budget
      in
      the
     
     
      lighting
      and
      cameras.
      I’d
      rather
      go
      for
     
     
      a
      better
      quality
      video
      somewhere
      that
     
     
      looks
      exactly
      like
      Dartmouth
      than
      to
     
     
      have
      a
      low
      budget
      video
      in
      Dartmouth
     
     
      itself.
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Cadre:
      What
      do
      you
      like
      about
      surf-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing?
     
     
      Matt:
      It’s
      just
      so
      much
      different
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      anything
      else
      I’ve
      done
      before.
      It’s
      just
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      of
      those
      things
      that
      is
      a
      pretty
      awe-
     
     
      some
      concept.
      It’s
      really
      nice
      to
      be
      out
     
     
      there
      and
      you
      don’t
      need
      to
      pay
      to
      do
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      How
      did
      both
      the
      joining
      and
     
     
      parting
      with
      the
      Guthries
      come
      about?
     
     
      Matt:
      I
      met
      Dale
      from
      the
      Guthries
      at
     
     
      a
      party
      and
      we
      ended
      up
      having
      the
     
     
      same
      exact
      musical
      tastes.
      He
      was
      in
     
     
      the
      band;
      the
      Guthries
      were
      together
      at
     
     
      the
      time.
      So
      I
      got
      to
      see
      them
      and
      I
     
     
      thought
      they
      were
      really
      great,
      I
      was
     
     
      into
      what
      they
      were
      doing
      and
      I
      really
     
     
      wanted
      to
      be
      in
      the
      band,
      so
      I
      ended
      up
     
    
   
   
    
     
      just
      jamming
      with
      them
      and
      hanging
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      out
      a
      lot
      it
      was
      six
      months
      after
      that
      -
     
     
      actually,
      maybe
      three
      or
      four
      months.
     
     
      They
      asked
      me
      to
      play
      a
      few
     
     
      songs
      with
      them
      it
      just
      built
      and
      built,
     
     
      we.
      grew
      together,
      started
      touring
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      March
      9,
      2004
      page
      18
     
    
   
   
    
     
      everything
      and
      then
      I
      started
      my
      solo
     
     
      record
      because
      I
      had
      a
      lot
      of
      songs
      I
     
     
      wanted
      to
      get
      on
      an
      album.
      I
      started
     
     
      giving
      that
      my
      undivided
      attention
      and
     
     
      the
      Guthries
      were
      sort
      of
      second
      to
      the
     
     
      album
      I
      was
      working
      on.
      It
      sort
      of
      nat-
     
     
      urally
      happened.
      I
      was
      spending
      most
     
     
      of
      my
      time
      selling
      tickets.
      With
      the
     
     
      Guthries
      there
      were
      four
      songwriters,
     
     
      so
      there
      were
      only
      three
      songs
      per
      per-
     
     
      son.
      It
      got
      a
      little
      tense
      sometimes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      What
      have
      you
      been
      listening
     
     
      to
      lately?
      i
     
     
      Matt:
      Lately,
      I’ve
      been
      listening
      to
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      Warren
      Zevon...
      we
      listen
      to
      just
     
     
      about
      everything.
      We
      listened
      to
      the
     
     
      Hellacopters
      all
      day
      today,
      yeah,
      you
     
     
      name
      it.
      Really
      digging
      [Joel]
     
     
      Plaskett’s
      new
      record.
      Yeah,
      tons
      of
     
     
      stuff,
      I
      don’t
      even
      know
      where
      to
      start.
     
     
      I
      like
      a
      lot
      of
      older
      music
      like
     
     
      the
      Beatles,
      and
      when
      it
      comes
      to
      new
     
     
      music
      I
      like
      a
      lot
      of
      hip
      hop
      more
      than
     
     
      I
      do
      rock
      or
      whatever.
      I
      mean
      there
      are
     
     
      a
      lot
      of
      cool
      bands
      out
      there
      —
      I
      really
     
     
      like
      that
      new
      Jet
      record.
      I’m
      into
      Neil
     
     
      Young,
      Dylan
      and
      the
      band,
      Jackson
     
     
      Brown.
      I
      really
      like
      the
      early
      70’s
      stuff.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *Cell
      phone
      cuts
      out*
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Hello?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Matt:
      ...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cadre:
      Crap.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Matt
      Mays
      and
      El
      Torpedo
      are
      playing
     
     
      the
      Wave
      with
      Two.
      Hours.
      Traffic
     
     
      Friday,
      March
      13.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      reporter
      is
      indebted
      to
      Stephan
     
     
      MacLeod
      and
      Erin
      McGuire
      for
      help
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      interview.