The Tea Party has big plans brewing.

In the wake of their successful return to the stage last summer, the Can-Rock power trio have decided to make their reunion official — and seal the deal with a new album.

“This is not a victory lap, that’s for sure,” stresses singer- guitarist Jeff Martin, hours before kicking off the band’s first large- scale Canadian tour in six years. “This is permanent.”

And he’s as pleasantly surprised by that as anyone. “I don’t think the three of us really knew what to expect when I flew to Canada back in July,” says the 42-year-old frontman, who now lives in Australia. “It was a case of, ‘Can we get back together after six years of not speaking to one another and not playing music? And can we get along?’

Although there was a bit of tension at first, from the first notes we played, the magic was undeniable. And then with the shows themselves, we just felt this momentum building. So we’re already talking about what to do when this run in Canada is over. The next step will be for them to come to Australia in the new year, not only to tour, but also to record new music.”

This newly rekindled kinship is a far cry from the tension and conflict that split the band in 2005, when Martin unceremoniously dumped bassist Stuart Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows, then left the country to pursue a solo career. (Chatwood turned to producing and composing, while Burrows signed on with Can-rock supergroup Crash

Karma.) Now that they’ve buried that hatchet, all three are making The Tea Party their top priority again, Martin says.

Along with his plans for the band’s long-overdue followup to 2004’s Seven Circles CD, the jetlagged rocker called up from Vancouver to discuss old wounds, new music and selling out to the U.S. political movement. Here are the highlights:

For years, you weren’t interested in reuniting. What changed your mind?

My issues with the acrimonious nature of the breakup of the band dissipated more every year that passed. I had achieved so much in my solo situation, and achieved so much in my personal life. I was in such a positive state of mind that I felt getting a big monster band like this back together was something I could handle again. There was a bit of trepidation. But all my questions were answered and all my concerns were laid to rest quite easily.

There’s a perception you’re doing this for the money.

I’m pretty sure I can speak for the other two and say we really don’t need the money. We’ve been very successful individually. I’d be a fool to say it’s not great to be rewarded for what you do. But no, it’s not a case of us needing the money at all.

Are you selling your domain name to the American Tea Party movement?

This is something Stuart could talk about. I came up with the band’s name, but he was the one that, in his infinite wisdom back in 1994, bought the domain name for $10 or something. Obviously, to the political movement in America, teaparty.com would have some value. I personally don’t feel that teaparty.com is very important to the band.

It’s not really necessary for us anymore. But are we going to do it? I honestly don’t know.

Tell me about that first rehearsal. How did it feel?

You have to consider the three of us and the history. Jeff Burrows and I have a friendship that dates back to when I was seven years old and he would have been eight. We had our first band when I was 10. We got Stuart the first year of high school. So this is a band of brothers.

But brothers that haven’t talked to each other for six years. So walking into that space the first day, I think everyone was a bag of nerves. And trying to keep their cool. We were tinkering with gear and no one was trying to break the ice. So I just said, ‘OK boys, let’s start chronologically.’ The first song we played was The River off our first album. And the moment the band kicked in, it was like an exotic sports car just started up. It was like, ‘Now we remember why we’re doing this.’

Where do you want to take this? What is the goal?

I want to take it back to where I feel the band left off at its height of creative powers. I guess that would be somewhere between (1995’s) The Edges of Twilight and (1997’s) Transmission. That was the period where we weren’t succumbing to outside pressure. It was just us, for better or worse. The thing that The Tea Party was known for, the thing fans looked to us for, was that mix of the exotic Middle Eastern influences against the hard rock. That’s what we love to do and we want to explore that again. In January, once this tour is done, I plan on going to Morocco for a couple of weeks and starting to write again.

And I’ll be bringing that influence to the table when the three of us reconvene.

Will your writing be different for the band than it would be for a solo project?

It’s possible. I know the high expectations that are out there. That was some pretty big music we made. And I’m up to the challenge of satisfying those expectations. That’s the ultimate goal for any artist; no matter what medium you work in, you’re always trying to better yourself. And I feel I’m at the top of my game.

The Tea Party Canadian tour dates:

Nov. 15 & 16 | Vancouver | Commodore Ballroom

Nov. 18 | Edmonton | Event Centre

Nov. 19 | Calgary | Flames Central

Nov. 23 | Winnipeg | Burton Cummings Theatre

Nov. 24 | Thunder Bay | Roxy's

Nov. 28 | Kitchener | Elements

Nov. 29 | London | Cowboys Ranch

Dec 1 | Toronto | Sound Academy

Dec 3 | Hamilton | Hamilton Place

darryl.sterdan@sunmedia.ca

@darryl_sterdan

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