Indie Shuffle sure has a soft spot for musical genius Patrick Watson. And believe me, we don't throw around the word "genius" too often.
Recently releasing his fourth (and arguably best) album titled Adventures In Your Own Backyard, Watson and his crew have left fans in fits of shivers, track after track. Providing a means of musical escape, this Montreal-based group has been receiving overwhelming attention and praise for their latest ear-pleasing offering.
We had the pleasure of catching up with the front man himself in Toronto to talk album inspiration, alcohol and the value of honesty.
Tell us a little about your musical background. Where did it all start?
As a child I sang in choir and took classical piano lessons where I thought a ghost was playing the piano for me. It really was an accidental road. My lifestyle became music before I got the chance to decide. Patrick Watson became a band out of necessity. We've treated the past ten years more like an adventure than a business.
If you could picture the ideal Patrick Watson fan, who are they?
It's interesting because our fans come from all walks of life. Our sound is innocent and pure, which caters to a wide variety of listeners. There's something honest and grounded about it, yet it remains elaborate. We could play a small town in Northern Quebec or a venue in New York and by the end of the night we would all be getting drunk together.
As a listener yourself, what do you look for in a musical experience?
I look for things that are genuine and honest. Honesty is huge for me. I love Grizzly Bear, Beirut and Sufjan Stevens.
How were you able to transcribe how people experience your live shows onto this album?
We didn't use much production and we really tried to get the right sound from the get-go. There's only so much you can do to imitate an audience's experience.
What aspect of Adventures In Your Own Backyard are you most proud of?
I have to say the vocals. It's taken us a long time to find our sound as a band, but that makes me confident that there are better things to come.
Picture your ideal location for a concert of yours to take place. Where is it?
Paradiso in Amsterdam, an old renovated church that seats about two thousand people. It's a crazy fucking room, but it still remains intimate. I like rooms that seem smaller in scope than they really are.
What do you want an audience to take away from listening to this album?
We want to take people out of their daily lives for a moment or two. People listen to music for the same reason they would drink. That's what track three "Step Out For A While" is all about. I would argue that it's healthy for a human to get really drunk once in a while. There's a reason why people poison themselves.
What do us dedicated listeners have to look forward to in the near future?
I'm trying to figure out if albums will exist two years from now. The next step is to somehow steer away from releasing a token album every three years. Anticipation is key.
SIMILAR SONGS
