Dallas Good, guitarist/vocalist of Toronto country-rock band The Sadies, says that their new album, Northern Passages, has no direction, but that’s okay with him.
“I wouldn’t say there is an overall theme of the album.” says Good. “My brother [guitarist/vocalist Travis] and I are both songwriters, so the lyrics will vary. If I had to narrow it down, though, I would say that it’s more of the same dark existential bullshit that I always sing about.”
The band is hitting Victoria on tour in support of the album; they’re no strangers to the road, having toured all over the world. Spain in particular has been very kind to the band, and, after they finish off their North American tour, The Sadies will be heading over to Oceania to play in Australia and New Zealand.
“We actually play in Spain quite often,” says Good. “We’ve been very fortunate to play about 20 cities in Spain alone. We don’t take the experience for granted; we love being able to do what we do, especially in places that aren’t that easy to get to. In October, it’ll be the first time we go to Australia and New Zealand; we’re really looking forward to that. I’m very grateful we’re able to bring our music to different people and call it a living.”
Good says that the band takes inspiration not so much from certain artists but from one of his favourite decades.
“I think it’s almost obvious we take a lot of our inspiration from the ’60s. I don’t know why that is, but I think it’s a safe thing to say,” he says. “However, we do draw from a bunch of different styles in that era. What I consider the ’60s might be very different from someone else. That may not be the best example, but it’s easier to say than ‘We come from a deep history of soft jazz.’”
Good says that it’s hard for him to pick a favourite moment in his career purely because everything has been so vastly different.
“I can’t put it all in one moment like that; different experiences fall into different categories,” he says. “The Sadies have been really fortunate to work with a number of different artists, and sometimes that brings about a sense of elation, to work with an idol or a friend or both. If I had to pick one thing about the band that is my favourite, I would say it’s the fact I’m still doing it after 20 years.”
For Good, playing somewhere new brings on a lot of emotions. Playing in front of a new crowd can be nerve-wracking and demoralizing if the concert doesn’t go well. But, mainly, Good’s mostly just adjusting to the time zone of wherever it is he’s playing that night.
“Usually the first emotion I get when I step on stage is ‘I’m jetlagged.’ It’s hard to say, though. There’s always a sense of doubt just as much as there’s a sense of something to prove. We really pride ourselves on our live performances and, given the opportunity to play, we just do it the best we can,” says Good. “Really, performing, I just sort of get into this sense of mind and tune in more to the stage than that sense of ‘Do they like us? I can’t believe we’re here.’ I can tell you the feeling I get when things go horribly wrong… For the most part, I revel in being there often before I’m even there, though.”
The Sadies
7 pm, Sunday, September 24
$25, Upstairs Cabaret
upstairscabaret.ca