Despite being robbed of equipment, Said The Whale pushes on to tour Canada
Brad Hudson
writer
Canadian indie band Said The Whale has been roundly blessed and cursed so far in 2011.
The band was robbed of over $8,000 worth of gear and luggage while touring in Sacramento, Calif. Included were full cymbal sets, guitar pedals, two acoustic guitars, and guitarist/vocalist Tyler Bancroft’s entire wardrobe.
They promptly went to local pawnshops in Sacramento submitting serial numbers in case anyone attempted to pawn their gear.
“It was a pain in the ass, to say the least,” Bancroft admits of the experience.
Luckily, no shows had to be cancelled, but it did set the band back financially.
On the flipside, Said The Whale was awarded the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards in Toronto, which aired on March 27.
“It’s a huge honour,” Bancroft humbly says. “(We had) one of the best weekends of our lives. We partied hard . . . we are very proud of each other and proud of ourselves.”
In addition to winning the Juno, the band is also beginning a cross-Canada tour, having just recently returned to Canadian soil.
On its tour, Said The Whale will be stopping at The Starlite Room to play both April 18 and 19 with fellow Canadian indie acts Tokyo Police Club and Dinosaur Bones.
“Expect to see three bands that are really stoked to be on the road together,” Bancroft promises.
“We are really big fans of each other’s music,” he added.
The band’s latest album Islands Disappear was an entirely different experience for the band from its experience writing for and recording its EP Taking Abalonia.
“Recording-wise it was a lot different because we had more time to record the songs, which was nice”, Bancroft admits.
He also spoke of his anticipation of laying down tracks for a new Said The Whale album. He hopes to begin working on it as early as this summer.
Bancroft promises that the band will be playing some of those new songs at both of The Starlite Room shows later this month.
Bancroft’s humility is apparent when you get a chance to talk to him. One of the main things Bancroft hopes for Said The Whale is that its music achieves longevity with listeners.
“We write songs from the heart that mean a lot to us,” he admits.
“Every musician’s goal is to withstand the test of time. I hope we are always able to play music for people, whether it’s 10 people or a thousand people.”
Bancroft speakes highly of the company they have had on their tours.
“It’s an honour to share the stage with friends of our’s that we respect so highly,” he says, referring to eastern Canadian acts Hollerado (who was also nominated alongside Said The Whale in the New Group of the Year category at the Junos) and Stars.
Whatever the future holds for Said The Whale, one thing is certain — winning a Juno this early in its career is a good indicator of the musical talent and an even stronger indicator of its developing career.
