The Washboard Union crew rolled in Kitchener on Tuesday, and we were there to meet them.
It's not often that we leave Toronto for shows, but we feel so strongly about The Washboard Union's music that we made an exception.
Not only did we get to take in the show, we also had the privilege of sitting down for a chat with the band earlier in the day.
In the past, we've seen The Washboard Union live, we've been axe throwing with the band, we've reviewed their album, but we hadn't had the chance to sit down with Chris, Aaron, and David before. Jumping right in I asked the guys about what inspired them.
Aaron was first to respond and spoke about grade school and his teacher. You could hear the admiration he felt when talking about how the music teacher loved music so much that he wanted everyone to be great. He described how the teacher wrangled a large group of kids and helped them to be the best that they could be. Aaron is still in touch with the teacher, and to this day sends copies of their albums. Music can affect groups of people, and he's taken that forward. The core message was a love of music and wanting to share that with the world.
Chris started by saying "I was always in love with the stories songs told." He told us about his dad and singing old, old cowboy songs like Red River Valley and Big Iron by Marty Robbins. He fell in love with lyrics and the love of songwriting. He disclosed that he wrote his first song, with Aaron, at 14. They've been together playing music ever since. There's something about being able to figure out how to say something in song that people might be having trouble figuring out. It's a powerful skill. He also divulged that the band had just returned from Nashville and had written 11 songs in a week.
David told us a story about being a small boy and dancing on his mom's feet while she would sing to him. He remembers the feeling of having someone sing a song to you and what an amazing that was. Being able to bring that to fans is something that he feels very appreciative of. He remembers going through his parents' record collection as a small child and not knowing who any of the artists were, and then reaching an age where he could use the stereo, and it was at this point that his life changed.
Going through the albums, there was every style of music, The Ray Conniff Singers, Helen Reddy, and he spoke with amusement about putting on his first The Beach Boys album. He said "My world exploded. I was absolutely blown away." That feeling is something he's always looking for. Listening to different sounds and different music, it amazed him that groups of people could get together and sound so different, he continues to draw on that. "Go out, be who you can be, and if people like you, that's a bonus."
At this point I brought up the rise of their current single, Feel Like That, which had hit number 20 on October 15th. We'd checked the charts, and it was sitting at number 15. We asked Washboard to try to describe to us the feeling of your song climbing the chart. Aaron smiled and expressed that feeling never gets old. He wisely summed it by saying that each new single is a like your child. You watch it grow, and you see how it affects the environment around you. You see how people receive it and watching it rise is a good reminder that they have a fanbase. People are really responding to their sound. This allows them the freedom to continue writing and doing what they do.
I had to ask about the video for the single, it's currently one of my favourite videos. It's so well done and so funny. The initial concept was a chase. Working with Joel Stewart, they put together a video with mischievous kids. Think a combination of Stand By Me and Stranger Things. The band is quick to give credit to the kids, saying "they made that video". The video isn't really about the band, it's about the kids. Shot in Orono, Ontario they town opened the doors to the band and the crew.
They had a fun, wonderful day and we get to see the end result. Aaron told us about meeting a very young fan and her dad during filming, and they come to shows, they come say hi and take pictures with the band. It impressed me how important the fans are to Washboard. They're sincere when they say it's really about the fans. There's no room for doubt.
There's been a lot of fan lineups and meet and greets. They know what it's like to not have a fan base, and the fans are what makes their journey rich. Going out on the road allows them to meet the fans, connect with them and that helps fuel the music. Chris expressed that scheduling in fan time is non-negotiable for them and they've been known to head to the back of the line to say thank you to the fans they know will be waiting the longest.
Chris said of the fans "you would give your time, that you would care about our music enough, that you would love it and learn and sing it back to us, that's the good stuff".
On that note, I had to ask if they remembered the first time fans sang back to them. There was a small laugh, and then David told us that Chris stopped singing. He was so blown away. The song was Moonshine, and the audience started singing, and Chris was listening and looking at them. It happened in Winnipeg when they opened for Zac Brown Band. Aaron experienced this in a big way at Boots and Hearts when he took the earpiece out, he said he'll never forget, that he gets goosebumps thinking about it, tens of thousands of people singing along with Shot of Glory. It's something that can't be recreated, it's a moment, and it stays with them.
I couldn't let this opportunity pass by without asking about the light up jackets from the 2018 CCMA Awards, and I wasn't disappointed. For those of you who don't know, Aaron was responsible for the creation of the suits. Aaron said "It was this crazy idea that came up in my head. Sometimes I come up with these ideas, and they're a little out there, but if I can see the idea, then I'm pretty sure I can make it happen no matter how wild it is."
He contacted the company who made the lights, and with their help, he purchased everything that he needed. He had to buy a new computer because the program only worked on a PC, but he learned to program the suits in about a week. They had a tailor help putting the holes in the fabric but the idea worked, and it was fabulous. Chris told us about spending days in hotel rooms in the dark, rehearsing how to turn them all on in sync. We think this was an amazing idea with a fantastic payout!
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5 Quick Questions with The Washboard Union
Q1) If you're in charge of the music on a road trip, and can only pick one album to play on repeat, what album do you choose?
Q2) Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Aaron) "We form a pyramid, you guys wanna see it?", he joked. "They're not super glamorous. We do a lot of warm up. Blend ourselves and be on the same page. Tea. Water."
We also, when we pull into a show we put on Jason Aldean's Fly Over States. Full volume and we all sing at the top of our lungs. We got to open for Jason last summer and hear it live. It was incredible."
Aaron) "It's usually hands in the air."
Q3) What's your favourite season?
David) "Fall."
Aaron) "I used to be a summer guy, but I've really fallen in love with Fall."
Chris) "Yeah Fall. I love the colours of fall. We just left home, and it looked like the trees were all on fire."
Q4) Is there a band or artist you think people should be paying more attention to?
Aaron) Hunter Brothers, The County Line
David) The Abrams, JJ Shiplett
Chris) Sean McConnell, Tenille Townes
Q5) Is there anything else you want us to share with our readers that we haven't touched on.
Aaron) "Well we've touched on fans, but I can't stress enough how much our fans mean to us. They have a lot of options and money only goes so far, and if you're spending it on us, we really appreciate that, and we're going to make it worth your while."
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