For years now, the idea of composing a solo record is something that has gained considerable momentum in the music industry. From Punk Rock, to Hip Hop, Soul, Folk, it seems that at least one of the members from any given group will inevitably depart from the pack to piece together something personal, different, raw, unique to the artist, at some point in their musical career.
However, Gerry Hannah is no stranger to writing song material away from his fellow musicians.
When active with the members of Direct Action (otherwise known as The Squamish Five), Gerry was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for 5 years. During this time, he wrote and recorded a more folk sound than would be familiar to fans of the influential Vancouver band, The Subhumans.
In speaking with Gerry, he commented that these recordings are virtually impossible to get, and in his words, "Production wasn't all that great" so only a handful of people have them. Fast forward to 2014 though, and some of these songs from his previous projects have made it onto Gerry's new solo album "Coming Home", available through CD Baby via hardcopy or digital download.
When active with the members of Direct Action (otherwise known as The Squamish Five), Gerry was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for 5 years. During this time, he wrote and recorded a more folk sound than would be familiar to fans of the influential Vancouver band, The Subhumans.
In speaking with Gerry, he commented that these recordings are virtually impossible to get, and in his words, "Production wasn't all that great" so only a handful of people have them. Fast forward to 2014 though, and some of these songs from his previous projects have made it onto Gerry's new solo album "Coming Home", available through CD Baby via hardcopy or digital download.
Inspired to connect..
When I asked Gerry what his initial inspiration for making this album was, he cited the book Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer, saying:
"There was a lot in it that made me think 'well I haven't been doing anything musical for a while, but I have all these songs I have been sitting on that I haven't released but have always wanted to release.'"
Gerry goes on to comment about how Joe Strummer was in The Clash, and then after the disbanding of the group, went through a phase where he [Strummer] was lost for a number of years in terms of a definite musical direction.
"After the Clash, [Strummer] didnt really have a direction, he dabbled in this and that. Then finally, he decided to start writing again, and get another band together and to give it another go, and thats what he did by putting The Mescaleros together"
"It was a revitalizing experience for him [Strummer] and anyone who liked him as a musician and as a person. That was quite a bit of an inspiration to me."
One of the things throughout this interview that I found interesting was that Gerry did not feel at all uncomfortable to be as open and vulnerable as some may feel when taking on a new direction artistically speaking. Here is where he allowed himself to get very personal. He went on to say:
"The other thing [That inspired me] is that I would go sit in a coffee shop where I live, and I would read a good book or whatever, and I would hear music. Often folk music, or folk rock or whatever, and I would really feel it speak to me. It really kinda felt like the artist was touching me and opening a door inside of me that I didn't know was there, let alone did I know there was a whole room behind that door to be explored"
"I decided that I wanted to connect with people that way too. I hadn't done that before and I really wanted to."
"I knew that some of my songs that I had written on acoustic guitar, some of them were of a caliber that had more of a direct impact on people on a more personal level than the Subhuman stuff did. So that was another catalyst for getting me to decide 'Im gonna release a bunch of these songs'"
"Coming Home", as Gerry explains, contains seven songs that were originally a part of his previous project "Songs from Underground" which was recorded during his time in prison. As he explains, he always wanted to redo these songs, and he viewed his new album as the time and opportunity to do them "properly" as he puts it.
"I knew how much work this was, because the last two Subhumans albums that we did, was a Huge amount of work. I knew that it would actually take money out of my pocket, not put money in my pocket. Basically, nowadays if you are an independent musician, and are not playing a lot of gigs or going out on tour, you are usually subsidizing you career from your own pocket. And its probably going to get worse"
These days, it seems that almost anyone can pick up an instrument and make a song that will somehow make its way into everybody's homes. With the amount of independent musicians hitting the scene and everybody clamoring to be heard, Gerry felt that although the competition was fierce, he knew what he was up against, and how hard it would be to breakthrough this time. Would it be easy to find press? Publicity?
Without any doubt, it would be tougher to do so. However, Gerry pressed on, and felt that "Coming Home" was an album that needed to be heard.
And rightfully so. If you have had the recent pleasure of listening to the record, you will find that the songs emanate the kind of honesty and raw lyrics that you would still find among the punk rock genre. Here in this album, however, we have the opportunity to listen to Gerry's voice from a very different angle. One that is perhaps his most transparent as a musician, and as a person. Head on over to Bandcamp to stream the album online, if you haven't had the chance to hear it.
"The Woman Reborn" is one of my favorite songs off of "Coming Home". It is such a sad yet powerful sound. Venturing into the story of a person becoming a shade of somebody who was once recognized by him, the song talks of a person once dear to Gerry, slowly and desperately doing things they may not have done of their own will at one time, becoming somebody he no longer knew.
There is one line in the song that says: "Mouth moving by mechanical means, ideals trampled and torn."
Most times throughout our lives, we strive to do what is right whether in the interests of ourselves, our family, friends, society etc.
[Unless you are completely devoid of any moral compass whatsoever, in which case I encourage you to visit your nearest psychologist]
However, how are we to determine whether we will remain faithful to our values? Our core beliefs? I believe this song is a very true and honest statement as to what can happen to us and to the ones we love when they are pressed and bullied, if you will, to satisfy the whims of those in positions of authority.
When asked whether or not his reputation from being in The Subhumans plays a part in getting his foot in the door to distribute this latest release by him, Gerry had this to say:
"It helps a tiny bit for sure. A tiny bit. It has its disadvantages too. The foot in the door that you mention, allows me to connect with a publicist from punk rock days who was very supportive."
"I hate to say this but I'm on facebook now [laughs] so i'm able to reach out to people through there. And I have alot of people who want to be my 'friends' and why do they want to be my friends? Not because I put out an album called 'Coming Home' but because I'm Gerry Hannah from The Subhumans."
Gerry goes on to talk about the disadvantages of his punk rock reputation:
"You tend to get slotted into, you know, punk rocker, or post punk rocker category, and that can mean that alot of people dont even bother looking your way twice, because they arent really interested in that genre. So they skim over and say 'oh well i'm not interested in that' and carry on. But there are those that in fact might be interested in folk rock or whatever and will hear that 'Gerry Hannah from the Subhumans' put out a new album and wont be interested because they arent into punk rock, but would actually really enjoy the music"
"It's a double-edged sword I guess is what Im saying. But It does help a bit for sure."
Within the last number of years, the landscape of the music industry has changed dramatically. Right from the inception of the file sharing software Napster, music artists and others alike have been at odds in regards the matter of media distribution. Just last year a major case involving the now defunct isohunt.com, was successful in shutting down the torrent hosting site setting the precedent for future file sharing sites like isohunt.
These days however, there can be literally dozen's of new artists emerging overnight just by using a simple recording platform on their iPad, Android device, or PC to name a few. As a result, the need for easy distribution (and sometimes free distribution) has become a necessity for the aspiring musician hoping to get their sound heard.
However, the question remains: Should the downloading and sharing an artists music be limited to platforms such as iTunes, Bandcamp and Amazon? Does the convenience of access to online downloading justify the acquiring of an independent artists music for free?
Gerry weighed in on the matter:
"You hear this myth that 'oh yeah, putting out an album has never been cheaper or easier. You can record it yourself on your USB microphone in front of your computer and throw it online, and Bob's your uncle'"
"Thats Bullshit. That's not how it goes at all. If you want to do it right and if you want alot of people to see it and know about it, it costs Money. And it takes alot of work. Alot of hard work."
"It ends up being a huge chunk of money to do it right. I got into a debate with a friend of mine at a party not too long ago because he was happily admitting that he does illegal downloading of music and he thought that I would be fine with that because so MANY musicians have come out and said 'Oh thats OK'.
The musicians that are coming out and saying that's OK, are musicians that DONT stand to lose everything they could possibly make from selling their music."
"The musicians that rely heavily on selling their music to help finance them playing music, and recording music and putting out another album, they're not saying that, ya know? They're not saying illegal downloading is fine. They're saying: 'Hey, if you really like our band as much as you say you do, then why wouldn't you help me put out another record in the future by buying this record?'"
To put things into perspective, Gerry comments what this would be like for somebody at their everyday job.
"Think about your job. Would you do that for free? Say you clean the toilets at the local hospital. That's your job. Would you do that for free? No, you wouldn't do that for free, you expect to be paid right!?"
"If you want artists to keep making art, you have to somehow make it possible for them to do that. The simple way that always used to always work in the past is that you would pay them money for their art. That's how you did it. You want some great painting that took somebody a month to paint, you pay them for it! You don't go into their house when they're not home and steal it and then say 'hey I love your art I stole your painting in fact!' And then the artist is supposed to be flattered and supposed to go 'Oh! Thank you for loving my painting' How does that work!? [laughs] That's my take on it."
Gerry's feelings on the matter no doubt resonates with many artists who can share the sentiment on buying an independent musicians albums to support them to make more music and being able to share their music live on tour.
I recently saw a quote that read something like this: People have no problem paying $5 dollars for a cup of coffee that costs a few cents to make. But they have a problem paying $5 for an album that cost thousands to create.
Sadly, this does rings true in many cases.
"People are being ripped off left right and centre. If you really like a musician, then BUY their art. BUY their music. The general public needs to understand that independent music is economically very difficult to make. It's not like it was 10-20 years ago. The expenses are much higher. People need to be aware of that"
You can pick up Gerry Hannah's new album "Coming Home" from CD Baby available for digital download, or physical copy, as well as iTunes and Amazon.
You can listen to the full interview on Soundcloud here
-Jay Caption-
(Note: This interview was done before the passing of Brian Goble, longtime friend and bandmate of Gerry Hannah. Our condolences and fellow feeling to the families affected by Brian's passing)
"There was a lot in it that made me think 'well I haven't been doing anything musical for a while, but I have all these songs I have been sitting on that I haven't released but have always wanted to release.'"
Gerry goes on to comment about how Joe Strummer was in The Clash, and then after the disbanding of the group, went through a phase where he [Strummer] was lost for a number of years in terms of a definite musical direction.
"After the Clash, [Strummer] didnt really have a direction, he dabbled in this and that. Then finally, he decided to start writing again, and get another band together and to give it another go, and thats what he did by putting The Mescaleros together"
"It was a revitalizing experience for him [Strummer] and anyone who liked him as a musician and as a person. That was quite a bit of an inspiration to me."
One of the things throughout this interview that I found interesting was that Gerry did not feel at all uncomfortable to be as open and vulnerable as some may feel when taking on a new direction artistically speaking. Here is where he allowed himself to get very personal. He went on to say:
"The other thing [That inspired me] is that I would go sit in a coffee shop where I live, and I would read a good book or whatever, and I would hear music. Often folk music, or folk rock or whatever, and I would really feel it speak to me. It really kinda felt like the artist was touching me and opening a door inside of me that I didn't know was there, let alone did I know there was a whole room behind that door to be explored"
"I decided that I wanted to connect with people that way too. I hadn't done that before and I really wanted to."
"I knew that some of my songs that I had written on acoustic guitar, some of them were of a caliber that had more of a direct impact on people on a more personal level than the Subhuman stuff did. So that was another catalyst for getting me to decide 'Im gonna release a bunch of these songs'"
Hard Work..
"Coming Home", as Gerry explains, contains seven songs that were originally a part of his previous project "Songs from Underground" which was recorded during his time in prison. As he explains, he always wanted to redo these songs, and he viewed his new album as the time and opportunity to do them "properly" as he puts it.
"I knew how much work this was, because the last two Subhumans albums that we did, was a Huge amount of work. I knew that it would actually take money out of my pocket, not put money in my pocket. Basically, nowadays if you are an independent musician, and are not playing a lot of gigs or going out on tour, you are usually subsidizing you career from your own pocket. And its probably going to get worse"
These days, it seems that almost anyone can pick up an instrument and make a song that will somehow make its way into everybody's homes. With the amount of independent musicians hitting the scene and everybody clamoring to be heard, Gerry felt that although the competition was fierce, he knew what he was up against, and how hard it would be to breakthrough this time. Would it be easy to find press? Publicity?
Without any doubt, it would be tougher to do so. However, Gerry pressed on, and felt that "Coming Home" was an album that needed to be heard.
And rightfully so. If you have had the recent pleasure of listening to the record, you will find that the songs emanate the kind of honesty and raw lyrics that you would still find among the punk rock genre. Here in this album, however, we have the opportunity to listen to Gerry's voice from a very different angle. One that is perhaps his most transparent as a musician, and as a person. Head on over to Bandcamp to stream the album online, if you haven't had the chance to hear it.
"The Woman Reborn" is one of my favorite songs off of "Coming Home". It is such a sad yet powerful sound. Venturing into the story of a person becoming a shade of somebody who was once recognized by him, the song talks of a person once dear to Gerry, slowly and desperately doing things they may not have done of their own will at one time, becoming somebody he no longer knew.
There is one line in the song that says: "Mouth moving by mechanical means, ideals trampled and torn."
Most times throughout our lives, we strive to do what is right whether in the interests of ourselves, our family, friends, society etc.
[Unless you are completely devoid of any moral compass whatsoever, in which case I encourage you to visit your nearest psychologist]
However, how are we to determine whether we will remain faithful to our values? Our core beliefs? I believe this song is a very true and honest statement as to what can happen to us and to the ones we love when they are pressed and bullied, if you will, to satisfy the whims of those in positions of authority.
Getting back in..
When asked whether or not his reputation from being in The Subhumans plays a part in getting his foot in the door to distribute this latest release by him, Gerry had this to say:
"It helps a tiny bit for sure. A tiny bit. It has its disadvantages too. The foot in the door that you mention, allows me to connect with a publicist from punk rock days who was very supportive."
"I hate to say this but I'm on facebook now [laughs] so i'm able to reach out to people through there. And I have alot of people who want to be my 'friends' and why do they want to be my friends? Not because I put out an album called 'Coming Home' but because I'm Gerry Hannah from The Subhumans."
Gerry goes on to talk about the disadvantages of his punk rock reputation:
"You tend to get slotted into, you know, punk rocker, or post punk rocker category, and that can mean that alot of people dont even bother looking your way twice, because they arent really interested in that genre. So they skim over and say 'oh well i'm not interested in that' and carry on. But there are those that in fact might be interested in folk rock or whatever and will hear that 'Gerry Hannah from the Subhumans' put out a new album and wont be interested because they arent into punk rock, but would actually really enjoy the music"
"It's a double-edged sword I guess is what Im saying. But It does help a bit for sure."
Not for free..
Within the last number of years, the landscape of the music industry has changed dramatically. Right from the inception of the file sharing software Napster, music artists and others alike have been at odds in regards the matter of media distribution. Just last year a major case involving the now defunct isohunt.com, was successful in shutting down the torrent hosting site setting the precedent for future file sharing sites like isohunt.
These days however, there can be literally dozen's of new artists emerging overnight just by using a simple recording platform on their iPad, Android device, or PC to name a few. As a result, the need for easy distribution (and sometimes free distribution) has become a necessity for the aspiring musician hoping to get their sound heard.
However, the question remains: Should the downloading and sharing an artists music be limited to platforms such as iTunes, Bandcamp and Amazon? Does the convenience of access to online downloading justify the acquiring of an independent artists music for free?
Gerry weighed in on the matter:
"You hear this myth that 'oh yeah, putting out an album has never been cheaper or easier. You can record it yourself on your USB microphone in front of your computer and throw it online, and Bob's your uncle'"
"Thats Bullshit. That's not how it goes at all. If you want to do it right and if you want alot of people to see it and know about it, it costs Money. And it takes alot of work. Alot of hard work."
"It ends up being a huge chunk of money to do it right. I got into a debate with a friend of mine at a party not too long ago because he was happily admitting that he does illegal downloading of music and he thought that I would be fine with that because so MANY musicians have come out and said 'Oh thats OK'.
The musicians that are coming out and saying that's OK, are musicians that DONT stand to lose everything they could possibly make from selling their music."
"The musicians that rely heavily on selling their music to help finance them playing music, and recording music and putting out another album, they're not saying that, ya know? They're not saying illegal downloading is fine. They're saying: 'Hey, if you really like our band as much as you say you do, then why wouldn't you help me put out another record in the future by buying this record?'"
To put things into perspective, Gerry comments what this would be like for somebody at their everyday job.
"Think about your job. Would you do that for free? Say you clean the toilets at the local hospital. That's your job. Would you do that for free? No, you wouldn't do that for free, you expect to be paid right!?"
"If you want artists to keep making art, you have to somehow make it possible for them to do that. The simple way that always used to always work in the past is that you would pay them money for their art. That's how you did it. You want some great painting that took somebody a month to paint, you pay them for it! You don't go into their house when they're not home and steal it and then say 'hey I love your art I stole your painting in fact!' And then the artist is supposed to be flattered and supposed to go 'Oh! Thank you for loving my painting' How does that work!? [laughs] That's my take on it."
Gerry's feelings on the matter no doubt resonates with many artists who can share the sentiment on buying an independent musicians albums to support them to make more music and being able to share their music live on tour.
I recently saw a quote that read something like this: People have no problem paying $5 dollars for a cup of coffee that costs a few cents to make. But they have a problem paying $5 for an album that cost thousands to create.
Sadly, this does rings true in many cases.
"People are being ripped off left right and centre. If you really like a musician, then BUY their art. BUY their music. The general public needs to understand that independent music is economically very difficult to make. It's not like it was 10-20 years ago. The expenses are much higher. People need to be aware of that"
Coming Home..
One of the last things that Gerry had to say in regards what to expect of this new endeavour:
"This album is a bit of a psychological or emotional history. It's a chance for me to present one of the members of 'Direct Action' in kind of a human sense, where you become familiar with this person on an emotional level. And its even an emotional historical perspective of something important, I think, that happened in Canadian history. The actions and arrests of 'Direct Action' in this country, is something that's kind of swept under the carpet."
"As with most things in history, I think that this is something that we need to revisit. So this is my attempt at allowing people to revisit this moment in Canadian history and see what it was actually like from a musical perspective if you will, an emotional perspective by the thoughts of one of the people that was involved in it."
You can pick up Gerry Hannah's new album "Coming Home" from CD Baby available for digital download, or physical copy, as well as iTunes and Amazon.
You can listen to the full interview on Soundcloud here
-Jay Caption-
(Note: This interview was done before the passing of Brian Goble, longtime friend and bandmate of Gerry Hannah. Our condolences and fellow feeling to the families affected by Brian's passing)
Jay, I really enjoyed your insightful and articulate commentary. You have captured the essence of "The Woman Reborn" through careful listening.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Michelle.
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