It's been a couple of years since the Winnipeg pop group Crash Test Dummies last
played the Maritimes, but for lead singer Brad Roberts, Nova Scotia became
something of a home-away-from-home last summer, during a visit with girlfriend,
and South Shore native, Angela Vanamburg.
"It stretched out into a couple of months," recalls Roberts, who also put in an
impromptu appearance at Yarmouth's ill-fated Fish Aid festival. Crash Test
Dummies return to Nova Scotia on Tuesday to appear with Alanis Morissette at
the Halifax Metro Centre.
Roberts brief acoustic set was the first time he'd performed solo in nearly 10
years, and was the only time during his trip he had to think about music at
all.
"I was out there by the ocean, suckin' back the Keith's tall boys and watching
the sun go down. It was pretty nice. Taking it easy, jogging a little."
The stay proved to be a calm respite from life in New York, where Roberts has an
apartment in Harlem. Previously, Roberts had traded Winnipeg's Portage and Main
for a London, England flat, but now says New York is where it's at, which may
explain why the Crash Test Dummies have a much more urban sound on their latest
album, Give Yourself a Hand.
"It happened by accident, really," explains Roberts. "When I decided to move to
New York, I had a problem finding an apartment. Something came up that happened
to be in Harlem, and although I had no intention of living here, I did anyways.
"The next thing you know, I'm singing falsetto in the shower, because you get
immersed in this atmosphere where you're hearing it all the time. I hadn't
realized I had a falsetto, and then, boom: I started writing all these songs
that were groovier sounding and I learned to use my voice in different ways.
"It turned out to be a different record by the accident of the real estate
situation in Manhattan."
The change in sound is evident on the disc's first single, Keep a Lid on Things,
in which Roberts' trademark growl alternates with some soulful upper register
work.
Give Yourself a Hand also feels different lyrically than past Dummies discs.
It's more instinctive, not as overtly literary. It was an invitation to a
songwriters retreat in France that led Roberts to L.A. producer Greg Wells, who
wound up co-writing much of the record.
"That was a blast," says Roberts. "I didn't want to go at all. A songwriting
retreat? I didn't want to collaborate with anybody. I'd never done that in my
life, it didn't appeal to me at all.
"Then I thought about what a great party it would be, it didn't matter if I
collaborated or not. All these freaks in some castle in the middle of France
drinking wine every night, getting fed. I stayed in a tower; a bat flew through
one night, nightingales woke me up in the morning."
"I wrote some good music, actually, and I met Greg Wells there, who wound up
producing the record because I was so impressed by his abilities."
Those abilities led to a wide array of rhythms and ambient sounds not previously
heard in the Crash Test Dummies' folk-pop mix.
"Greg's the one with the drum loops and stuff," Roberts says. "He was just
running in the direction I was going with the lyrics and the vocal styles and
that's what emerged. He's got a real versatile grasp of all that, and it was
the first time I'd entrusted so much into a producer's hands, and he was the
first one competent enough to do anything good.
"Despite the fact we were constantly arguing in a friendly way every day over
how every note should be," he adds with a wry laugh.
