Sep. 09, 2009 - Issue #725: Sex in the City 2009

Devilsplender

Just like Canada Day: Rob Malowany returns for a Hometown Riot

When devilsplender's Rob Malowany began talking up his ideas for his latest release Hometown Riot, there were plenty of musicians who thought he was crazy. The notion of heading into the studio without rehearsal, without demos even, does sound a little half-baked. But ask Malowany why, and you'll get some very well thought out answers.

"There is something that I always loved, that was always my favourite thing about playing music with people, like when you pull out a brand new song and the very first time you play it. It has an energy unlike anything else," Malowany explains over the phone from Vancouver. "Everyone is kind of, like, excited, and there's this real feeling of, 'Oh, this is fun.' And you're seeing it evolve immediately. It's this instantaneous gratification. Like, 'Aw, that was cool; that rocked!'"

It's the kind of experiment a musician has to grow into, one borne of a mixture of experience and camaraderie. Malowany did, after all, bring in some of his most talented friends (Rubim de Toledo, Robin Hunter, Stew Kirkwood and Chris Wynters) to test his theory that spontaneity plus skill in the studio equals a sincere recording. The other thing that Malowany had going for him is that he wasn't very worried about the results.

"It's one of those things where if it didn't work, it wouldn't have worked," he laughs. "We're making music here, you know? It's not like we're solving the world's problems or something. In the grand scheme of things, I can't take myself that seriously."

This is an attitude that comes across on Hometown Riot, complete with Malowany's self-effacing lyrics. A listen or two gives the sense that he is completely relaxed and comfortable in his own skin.

"When I was growing up and in Edmonton for many years, I was like, aw, all my friends are doing all this stuff. It's just the kind of person I am—I felt competition or I felt tense about it or I felt I needed to do more," he says. "But now—I think this comes across in the record and the performances and stuff—it's like, no, I am doing all I can do and I'm enjoying every second of it."

It's a good place to be, and fans will get a sense of that at the hometown release party of devilsplender's Hometown Riot, which will also be a showcase for Malowany's Reminder Records lineup: Neil MacDonald, Brian Toogood and Kirkwood. Despite moving to Vancouver last year, he has been able to get some of Edmonton's heavy hitters to release albums with him. MacDonald's EP Heavy Bag will be ready for the show, while Toogood and Kirkwood will be releasing their own albums later in the fall.

"This record label is not something where I am putting up a whole bunch of money and releasing records," Malowany explains. "It's more of a co-op. It's more of a relationship, based hugely on respect for one another, where it's like, why wouldn't I want to go out and do what I do and support some other people who are like-minded or have like interests or have the same desire?

"It's not like I set out this year, said, 'Oh, these guys are doing this,'" he adds. "It was really just, 'I'm doing this, do you guys want on board?' And each of them instantly said, 'Of course!' Why wouldn't I want to do that?" V

Fri, Sep 11 (9 pm)
devilsplender
With Neil MacDonald, Stew Kirkwood, Brian Toogood
Haven Social Club, $10

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