Sarah Harmer

0:0395 7 the sound Sarah Harmer captive lovely talented Sarah Harmer sitting right beside me here Why don't you tell us about that tune when we start that way? I wrote this during the making of the record and My dad helped me out with the final lyrics because I was really stumped. Oh What what came from your father? Well, I was talking to him when I was in the studio and and He had said well So I guess you're finished that one because it was kind of the last song that I was struggling to finish and He said well because I and I've been working on it for a while I just couldn't couldn't get a few of the lines and he said so I guess you're done that though now finally And I said oh god no time still I'm still trying to work it out and he said well what what is the song about? And I said well it's kind of about you know

0:49limiting your options and like being really content with commitment and and and You know wanting wanting that and he said oh so it's kind of like fence me in Rather than don't fence me. He's a country music library or is he a songwriter's or you just happen to have a line for you? No, he just he just said that he said he said oh it's like kind of like fence me in and I said yeah Yeah, it's more like that. I was like okay. Thanks. See you later blah blah blah and then Yeah, a few minutes later like I think I'm gonna see if I can work that out. Nice. Thanks dad. Yeah for sure So we have some tickets to give away to the show tonight, which we'll do in a little bit But how was last night show is great. I'm kind of tired. Yeah, it's really back-to-back shows too much No, I just need a little nap between now and tonight and I'll be good

1:35But no it's really fun the crowd was perfectly dead quiet and then perfectly really loud What do you prefer to crowd? I guess I mean that that's healthy balance is great Well, yeah, when you're playing a song or quiet song especially and everybody's really really captivated and then at the end they scream I think that's ideal Mm-hmm. I loved the crowd last night. I like playing in bars I just feel like this album is more suited to people standing up and being a little round-ear Have you been doing theaters then before um yeah, we've done a mix this year of theaters and clubs But with this winter short tour this Western tour I kind of set out to do it in in clubs Mm-hmm. Yeah, how are the setlist gonna differ? Are you is it the same show two nights in a row? You can change stuff up now. We changed it up for sure You know, we'll play a lot of the same tunes, but we'll throw in

2:23I've got a you know a bit of a catalog now Yeah Go back and figure out what we didn't play and then throw in a handful of fresh tunes for the night in case there's any Repeat customers. I'm sure there will be a few how long you've been playing with this band is the same people you've been playing with for us? So they're comfortable playing everything from the catalog. Yeah, but it's usually well I wouldn't say they know everything sometimes the best moments of the set or when someone yells out from the crowd a song that my band Kinda knows and You get that fear slash excitement slash spontaneity So because they're otherwise they're just too good, you know, like they're all so good my wonderful band mates So that I got to keep them on their toes. So we'll probably yeah, we'll see we'll see I like I like when people yell stuff out from the crowd, but no I've been playing with my band mates

3:11Well Julie Fader who sings and gives me skis She and I have been playing together since 2004 But the other blokes Deendry art and electric guitar and Keir and Adams on drums and Paul Matthew on the bass I think we've played together for a couple years. I think Paul Matthews played with everyone at this point now He's on the gambit. Yeah, he's played with hidden cameras Matt Barber Craig Carter. Oh, yeah Craig Carter. What's goes on and on? Yeah, that's Southern Ontario. I guess seen maybe it's very communal down there And it well yeah, talk about Pearl actually speaking of communities and Southern Ontario. Yeah Pearl's a community group In Burlington on the Niagara Escarpment and so North Burlington and it if the community group formed about six years ago to represent the community of North Burlington in the face of a massive quarry proposal by LaFarge who want to go in

4:04to this Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve To get rock to get gravel ultimate here to blast So yeah, it's been six years of our community group along with the City of Burlington and the regional governments and Raising the science to make sure that the right decision is made by the province Which is to protect Mount Nemo and not to allow this massive? Below water table quarry And so far all levels of government have rejected the proposal because it's because the science says it's way too risky for all the Well water and for all these provincially significant Species and endangered you know habitats, etc. Now we're just out of hearing

4:50At the provincial level because ultimately the province of Ontario and Dalton McEntee and the administrative natural resources that make the the final decision Whether or not to license this quarry. So yeah, it's a full-time Undertaking you know what you're eating this. This is it seems like a whole new career pathway. Yeah I grew up right there on Mount Nemo my family still lives on the farm that they've lived on for 40 years and I have had the privilege of Wandering meandering through incredible forests and Prime agricultural soils and ponds and wetlands for my whole life really growing up there so when 200 acres was put on the chopping block right near our farm and

5:35And This quarry proposal came to light We all realized that this you're not making any more world biosphere reserves And it's really the wrong place to go in and this kind of industrial activity into our best remaining natural land in Southern Ontario It's it's just doesn't make sense except the agri industry is heavily lobbied the provincial government for a long time The Niagara Scartement rock is really close to the surface. So it's economical to get that. It's it's a big rock ridge So it's quite but what's on top of that rock is you know 40% of Ontario is rare and endangered species and headwaters for Dozens of tributaries and and and all these ecologically crucial ecosystem so Yeah, that's that is a big compelling

6:22Thing that I've been involved in and a lot of other people have been Volunteering their time for five or six years on it Is it something you want to continue with like it almost sounds like you want to get into politics in a way But like more on the environmental side Well, I am into politics really I mean because I'm an active citizen I don't necessarily want to become a politician although I Do have a lot of respect for for that service because it really is part of the service industry, you know, I like it's it's a difficult but crucial you know role that that That we need really great leaders and so it's It's been really interesting for me to get involved and to meet a lot of different types of people planners and Biologists and Politicians and to work with levels of government on this so yeah, it is a whole new field for me that has been really interesting

7:13But hopefully this year this this hearing will wind down and the province will Decisively say no to this proposal and then Mount Nemo will be protected for the future and then you know, there's a lot of other Issues out there that need everyone's engagement. So you've got quite a few of them here. I know you do Yeah, there's so we'd love to have you here to fight for us I think that there's a lot of able Albertans out there who who can get involved because there's a lot of places to Feel that success and to work on local levels and engage. Yeah, it sounds like almost that you've gotten that Activist bug out of your system in other ways because I don't hear it on the new record as much Especially not as much of the last one. Yeah, no, I didn't really write any songs that Directly related to this stuff last album I wrote escarpment blues, which is kind of the tail of it from from my perspective

8:06At that time. So this one's more about Artbreak love relation. Yeah, it's a love record. It is a love record. It's cool. I like it and it's it sounds pieced together Not as opposed to you know, a band playing live in the studio. Is that the case or is that yeah? Yeah, it's Gavin Brown Production he made the first Billy talent record which very different sound from you. Well, yeah But in the way that it it was also very kind of crafted and over time. I think really Manufactured in a way, but I I was there to try to you know maintain the Magic to try to keep it feeling like it was it was inspired and and And I've great musicians playing on it and stuff. So there's a lot of a lot of love a lot of attention to detail, but

8:53That's that's the way he works Do you think you can get you to give me a little clip on basement apartment? So when we play it I can you know get a little storytellers thing beforehand? Yeah, basement apartment I wrote when I was actually in university So it's an older song would you go to school at Queens? Okay For a few years, but I wrote that tune You know thinking being more probably in a more Desperate state romanticizing my desperation more than I really Warrented but yeah, I wrote that song And I know where that that place is yeah, yeah holes in all the bottles in my lungs hurt. Yep. Yeah Nice five questions five quick questions one more answers rotor studio studio

9:41Okay, so I'll be less precious with the next Landon or McCartney again difficult Lenin most important thing in a song lyrics melody or rhythm These are not fair Melody song you've written your most proud of oh Maybe dandelions and bullet holes that wasn't a one word answer. That's fine. That's matter none of the song titles are One word Sarah armor home girl. Yes. Yes. That's a word