The Most Serene Republic
The Most Serene Republic talk beginnings, getting record deals through email and The Beatles on mono.
The Most Serene Republic got their name from the sobriquet of the formally independent Venice under the Doges. Apparently this was the “most serene republic of Venice.” We at HEAVE really have no idea what that means – but maybe it will help you understand a little more about The Most Serene Republic, and the interview we conducted with Adrian Jewett.
HEAVE: What did you listen to growing up?
Adrian: My dad and I used to listen to classic rock on the radio. The first album I got was Green Day’s Dookie. And then, from there I got into fast stuff. Stuff that didn’t stay on one common ground. I also listened to a lot of prog rock as a kid. I was into Our Lady Peace in grade school, but then in high school, there was Moby’s Play. Ryan and I bonded over that record. And then from there on in we got into Hey Mercedes, The Anniversary, The Dismemberment Plan, early Coldplay and Radiohead of course. And then there was an album called You Forgot It In People (by Broken Social Scene). That was very exciting for us.
HEAVE: Were the members of The Most Serene Republic friends who learned how to play musical instruments or musicians who learned how to become friends?
Adrian: We were friends from grade two. And I’m just learning guitar now. We always had a fondness for music--and video games. Nick and Ryan were the ones who could play, at least for as long as I’ve known them. I didn’t really pick up any instruments; I played trombone in high school and I still do to this day. I’ve taken about four lessons, but I didn’t have the urge to stick with it. I just always wanted to play what I wanted to. Guitar is the same way. I’m picking it up on my own. But we were definitely good friends before we did anything. We share common passions.
HEAVE: How did your band develop its sound? Was it a conscious effort or just what came out?
Adrian: Oh, really it just came out. It just really worked. It was a very natural process. And we have a self-checking system where we ask ourselves, “Is that the best we can do?” And if it’s not, then we always go back to the writing table.
HEAVE: Can you guide me through your typical songwriting process?
Adrian: Ryan usually lays down the piano line first. Then drums and bass are added. Then guitar. And then I take it on my own and I listen to it. We work separately; we don’t jam out songs at all. It’s a very individualized writing process, but the individual parts make it that much more interesting when it all comes together. I find that there’s always pressure when a band is jamming out a song, you always react to your surroundings. If you’re alone and you’re working with a song, you can really add what you feel and it’s very authentic.
HEAVE: So it sounds like your band writes more with the studio album in mind as opposed to the live show?
Adrian: Yeah. Definitely. Studio first. We never take our live show into consideration and we always have to make adjustments for it.
HEAVE: What about taking songs and developing them into an album? How does your band approach that concept?
Adrian: When we write the songs, we always go with a general theme that we keep in the back of our minds. The last album was based on acceptance. That didn’t come until afterwards. There was no set theme. Nothing until right afterwards, and that made it more fun because it was like “Oh, that’s what happened with our subconscious thoughts!” The other albums always had a definite theme in mind. But with this one, we decided to relax a bit and just write the songs that we enjoy and sound good. We don’t even adhere to the fans or anything. We don’t write for them. We write for us.
HEAVE: How did your band sign with Arts & Crafts, and what’s it been like since?
Adrian: Fast. It was through email, actually.
HEAVE: Did you initiate the email or did they?
Adrian: Oh we did. We asked them to check out our MySpace. And then from there it’s just been like we’ve been on a speed train.
HEAVE: What are the best and worst parts of being in a touring band?
Adrian: The best and worst parts kinda go together and actually can exist without the other. We’ve always had a killer self-esteem issue. We were always very neurotic and anxious. Adjusting to life on the road, even at this point, we had to really work at it. When you’re in a touring band, you see each other every day. The only time you break is really to sleep. It makes you face yourself and all your shields go down. Whenever there’s a fight, there’s plenty of time to think about and ask yourself, “What did I do wrong?” So it’s a very naked, frog-in-hot-water critique of others who are your best friends. You learn entirely about each individual that you tour with and you build up such a trust because you know who they are and what makes their being. It’s very heavy because and it takes a lot of adjustment. A lot of touring is about adjustments.
HEAVE: Favorite venues you’ve encountered as you’ve been touring?
Adrian: Schuba’s. And Zaphod’s in Ottawa. They always treat us the best.
HEAVE: What’s your opinion of Pitchfork? Has it helped or hurt your band in anyway?
Adrian: I think the job of critics in general doesn’t make much sense. It’s like a delusion almost. It’s up to the listener. It’s OK to discuss music with your friends, but to make a career out of your opinion and only your opinion, it just doesn’t make sense. You get one guy to write it. And unfortunately, a lot of people want to be lead. Their opinion is swayed towards what’s popular based on what one person thinks. That’s always been the case with critics. When I first started, it really screwed me up, always being critiqued. I didn’t know if my self-esteem could handle it. I would like to hear their album, and then I would like to critique it and send a review back. But it’s good we don’t ride on the 9.2 wave or anything like that...
HEAVE: ...That’s tough to follow up...
Adrian: ...Yeah, we’d be like “Oh man, this is great, everyone’s coming out and the know-it-all’s are saying their thread and it’s positive.” It’s almost like a self-made god.
HEAVE: This is a similar question but with a broader focus. What’s your opinion of the blogosphere?
Adrian: I think blogs are fine. Because they aren’t as loud as Pitchfork or Rolling Stone. It’s just people writing their thoughts about what they are listening to. You can respond to blogs and post a comment. And it’s not set it stone. It’s acceptable enough for me as a form of critique because you are just putting your opinion out there for others to see. I haven’t experienced any vicious or overly-pretentious blogs.
HEAVE: How do the members of your band feel about file-sharing?
Adrian: It’s unstoppable. I don’t mind it at all. It’s there. If I hated it or liked it, it wouldn’t matter, it would still happen anyway.
HEAVE: If you had a message to fans who do engage in file-sharing, what would it be?
Adrian: Personally, if I liked the band I’d always buy the album. There’s something about the physical copy. To me, downloading is kind of like phone sex. I think everyone should aspire to have a library of music they love and then one day, when you die, people will know what you listened to instead of just throwing away a computer after six years. To have the physical album is more of a permanent record of where your passions were at a particular age.
HEAVE: What are the most exciting and depressing developments in the music industry at the moment?
Adrian: There’s nothing too exciting. There’s disillusionment. I think it stems a lot from identity crises. You can be whatever you want and do whatever you want. And there’s a lot of responsibility on the people of our generation, more so than ever, to do something that’s productive for society. Back in the day, the Army was such a shoe-in. Three generations ago, the identity was you go off and you fought for your land and you came home and you deserved the house and the one you loved and your children. It also screwed a lot of people up though: mentally, and there was a lot of violence and abuse. But with this one, there’s not so much violence and abuse in the music industry, there’s a lot of backtalk and gossip. There’s a lot of high-schooling. I feel like I never left high school after I got out of it. There’s no wake-up call at all. You can leave high school early and do whatever you want. But there’s a lot of fear. I find there’s more fear than anger in the music industry these days. Because no one knows what to sound like or what’s the next thing. So there’s a lot of throwback.
HEAVE: Can you make any predictions as to the state of the music industry in ten or twenty years? Is there any particular place you’d like to see it go or any models you’d like to see implemented?
Adrian: I have no idea. It’s all based on historical events. We’re playing very over-the-top, spoiled kid music. We’ve had our hardships though and that’s what keeps us doing it. There’s a feeling of waiting for something. Good art is always triggered by a really big, cataclysmic historical event. Like World War III or something. If your life is always threatened, that makes for something good artistically. But there’s also an exception. If you know yourself entirely and you’re not afraid of yourself and can keep working at it, that also makes for great art. Fear is when you pander to tastes for anybody; you should pander to your own tastes. And that’s all you really can do.
HEAVE: What’s your opinion of The Beatles’ Rockband?
Adrian: I think it’s fine. Doesn’t hurt my opinion.
HEAVE: Speaking of The Beatles, if you were to purchase a box set of the most recent remasters, would you pick the mono or stereo version?
Adrian: Were they originally done in stereo or mono?
HEAVE: The majority of the albums were originally recorded in mono. A few of them were done in stereo.
Adrian: You know, I’d have to do both. If I had the money. I just bought The Complete Motown Number #1s Collection, and that was $200, but I just had to do that. Now that you mention The Beatles remasters, I’m gonna have to think about that and get it. Mono is flat, so it’s interesting to hear. It’s like Pet Sounds. I have that in mono and stereo, so it’s interesting to hear the difference between the two.
HEAVE: Favorite albums/artists/labels of the moment?
Adrian: I’ve been listening to the new Luyas music. Jessie Stein is the front lady. She was in SS Cardiacs and Miracle Fortress. Based out of Montreal with members of Bell Orchestre. And it’s fun. It’s a lot of fun. And it’s exciting. It’s emotive.
Guitarist Nick Greaves enters the van. I ask him for his favorite albums/artists/labels of the moment.
Nick: I like The Antlers album a lot. I got that through the suggestion of somebody in Toronto. I like the Grizzly Bear record. The Phoenix record. Those are the cliche indie albums, I guess.
Posted by Ben Wadington on Sep 21, 2009 @ 9:00 am
