The exact moment where
instinct triumphs — that is one thing that never loses its impact over time.
And that is something both singer-guitarist Jon Middleton and drummer Roy Vizer
readily agree upon.
Neither can recall
exactly when or where they started playing music together, but they distinctly
remember it was very soon after meeting. The two friends aren’t sure they ever
talked about being a band, either. In a way, that decision took care of itself.
The symmetry was there
from the start: Middleton’s gently wavering voice, powerful in spots but never
enough to overshadow his expressive guitar playing; Vizer’s inventive,
expressive percussion, delivered in a way that meshed perfectly with its
elements.
Over a decade and four
critically-acclaimed roots albums later, the duo of Jon and Roy continues to
roll. To date, they have played hundreds of shows in clubs, theatres and
festivals — both at home in Canada, through the U.S. and overseas in the UK —
and have seen their music placed in everything from MTV, HBO and NBC programs
to spots for Scotiabank, Volkswagen, Telus and more.
Jon and Roy are no
less prolific outside of the studio. They have built a reputation on the
strength of their live show, thanks to the synchronicity of their skills. Best
of all, they have been able to accept career opportunities that stay with the
boundaries they have set for themselves as artists. “We’re privileged to be able to do what we feel like doing, and not
have to change it in any way to satisfy other people,” Vizer said. “That feels really good.”
Middleton, who writes
the band’s lyrics, is constantly putting pen to paper. Even at this stage in
their friendship, Vizer, who has had a front-row seat to Middleton’s process
since 2002, remains amazed by his bandmate’s constant stream of creativity. “Songs generally come out of Jonny in
batches,” Vizer said. “They are
constantly flowing.”
By My Side, the band’s
forthcoming fifth album only adds to Jon and Roy’s well-documented reputation.
Fans and critics have praised 2005’s Sittin’ Back, 2008’s Another Noon, 2010’s
Homes, and 2012’s Let it Go, the latter of which earned Jon and Roy a Western
Canadian Music Award for best roots recording.
These achievements
have put these consummate recording artists in good stead (and on tours with) The
Cat Empire, Xavier Rudd, Buck 65, Current Swell, Finley Quaye, and Trevor Hall.
To date, Jon and Roy’s back catalogue has topped the 20,000 mark in sales.
A popular festival
draw, the band has headlined Canada Day in its hometown of Victoria, BC to
45,000, and joined Stuart McLean's CBC show The Vinyl Café (including a
broadcast to 1.4 million people) for a series of theatre dates. Look for Jon
and Roy to get back on the tour circuit this summer, with confirmed dates at
the Regina Folk Festival, Tall Tree Music Festival, Keloha Music & Arts
Festival, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, Whistler Concert Series, and
Guelph’s Hillside Festival.
It’s all in support of
a collection of songs that are purposely not the norm by today’s standards. “I try to stay away from generic drum
beats,” Vizer said. “It doesn’t come
naturally to play things I’ve heard on a million other records. I try to always
think of parts that are slightly unique in some way.”
The recording came
about by way of regular jams at Vizer’s house. That’s how Jon and Roy have
always worked, although some new layers were introduced during the sessions for
By My Side. Middleton brought a banjo and his newly-acquired 1950s Gibson
acoustic into the fold, while Vizer used his new, custom Gretsch kit. The end
result, which features contributions from bassist Louis Sadava and backing
vocals from Carmanah’s Laura Mitic, charts a new path for the group.
“I listen to so many different styles of music, and I get inspired by
so many different things, I end up writing different songs for each album,” Middleton said. “These songs are linked by a theme. This
album is more cohesive.”
Middleton wanted to
make a lyrical statement with By My Side, to be more concise in his songwriting
approach. He also took the opportunity to stretch his voice out on occasion,
forgoing nuance when it was called for on new songs Where’d My Light Go, Every
Night and By My Side. “I’m comfortable
singing in hushed tones,” he said. “But
there were a few instances where I wanted to force it out a little bit more.”
However, the core
tenets of Jon and Roy are evident, which makes the recording come across as
something of a bookend to their 2012 album, Let it Go, home to one of the
band’s best-known songs, Vibrant Scene. Now with five albums of stirring
anti-folk on their resume, the band is willing to walk away from the studio for
a few months.
Or not. Middleton says
he is once again writing new material. “We’re
in a good spot,” he said. “We still
have this burning desire, I guess.”