After a string of sold-out shows, legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett is set to return to Kingston.
Stopping by on Nov. 26, as part of his One Real Reveal on Wheels tour at the Kingston Grand Theatre, Joel Plaskett is back with stories to share. The Halifax-based musician is touring his latest record, One Real Reveal, a pared back album with a folk sound, and spoken word interludes.
Plaskett’s latest release is an intimate one. Released on Sept. 13, mere days before kicking off the tour on Sept. 17, the album’s contemplative connection is reflected in the tour’s design and tone, a distinct choice that’s important to the musician.
“I wanted a tour that felt like it took the feeling of the record on the road,” Plaskett said in an interview with The Journal.
The tour’s intimate set-up matches the songs Plaskett’s bringing to the table. “It’s a very simple set, you know? I wanted this tour to feel like it matched that timbre so I could play quiet songs […] the show is very joyful, I think, but there’s a slightly contemplative quality to the new record, and I think that shows up in the show as well, particularly with the stories that I’m choosing to tell,” Plaskett said in an interview with The Journal. “It’s kind of like a living room on tour.”
Made simply with a four-track cassette machine, a single microphone, and layering, One Real Reveal, is up-close and personal, marking a shift in Plaskett’s sound.
Analog recording comes with unique intricacies that add to the record’s raw sound, its imperfections adding character and humanity to the stories shared.
“[There’s] something about the way magnetic tape never responds the same way twice that I quite like. To me it feels like what exists between human beings, and the natural world for that matter. You know, whereas the digital sort of somehow steps it outside that […] I feel like that imperfection represents something deeper,” Plaskett said.
Analog recording allows for a unique, worn-in quality that adds history and character to the music. “It’s like a hardwood floor that’s warped, you know, over time and so as a result, when you listen back, there’s this feeling that it’s floating a little bit differently,” Plaskett shared.
Featuring poignant moments of spoken word, this sonic addition is new for Plaskett, borne out of an improvisational moment on stage among friends.
“As quiet as this album is, the spoken word bits almost served as—not a reset button—but they kind of draw your attention in a different way. Like if you found like you were kind of mellowing out too much or, kind of drifting off in the singing when suddenly you’re hearing somebody speaking it, it changes the way you listen. It kind of serves to draw the listeners attention—I like to think it does anyway,” Plaskett said.
Though it marks a change of pace, One Real Reveal echoes themes present throughout Plaskett’s catalog over time.
“I like to experiment and surprise myself, and I’m often looking at new ways of presenting something I write. I write a handful of ways, but there’s usually kind of a lyrical through-line across my records. Even when I’m flirting with something stylistically, there’s usually some sort of lyrical thread that you could find across all the albums and in many respects, the albums themselves connect to each other through lyrics,” Plaskett shared.
With “wanderlust baked into it,” the record has an interior, introspective aspect, partially reflecting the pandemic’s isolation.
Kingston’s a special place for Plaskett, who’s played shows with Kingston legends Sarah Harmer, and The Tragically Hip over the span of his career. Plaskett’s fan-favourite classic, “Love This Town,” even references a memorable show played at The Grad Club, where despite nursing colds, Plaskett, and his band Emergency, “emptied the tank.”
“That song was written in many respects for Halifax, but in that last verse it’s Kingston, you know. I’ll be singing that when I get to Kingston like I have many times before, and thinking about that very moment,” Plaskett said.
“I’m really fond of the place,” he added.
Plaskett has high hopes for his Kingston appearance. “It’s a tour of songs and stories, and it’s a different show. I won’t sort of give the trajectory of it away, but there’s a bit of a visual component. I think it’s a personal show, probably more personal than I’ve really done before, because I’m going a little deeper with the stories.”
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].