Growing up in a Mennonite church near Leamington, Ont., Andrew Penner said he was always surrounded by music – from gospel to heavy metal.
“[The genre] has nothing to do with me . . . it just happens,” said Penner, the lead singer of Sunparlour Players. “All you do is get the emotion you want to get across, just serve the song as best you can.”
Drawn to heavy metal for its energy along with Motown and rock ‘n’ roll, Penner said these styles led him to experiment with different kinds of instruments and musical techniques.
Although gospel wasn’t a main component of his music, Penner said those roots were crucial to creating his musical career as it is today.
“One thing it did for me was that I just sang all the time, and when I’m writing music those options are all still there,” he said.
These roots spring-boarded Penner on the path to his band’s newest album, he said. He said Us Little Devils will bring a unique sound and creative edge.
In Penner’s own music, he said he was never afraid of genre-crossing either, mixing gospel and punk rock.
Us Little Devils’ opening track, “Runner,” was brought to life out of a memory Penner said he had from Detroit.
“It’s restless, always trying to find something.”
The album title also comes from Detroit. On the surface, he said it relates to the “Nain Rouge,” a mythical red devil who was connected to any mischief that happened in the city.
On a personal level, the album’s title resonated with Penner, because it exemplified the diversity of ideas in the album, he said.
“‘If the Creeks Don’t Rise’ travelled far for us, but I didn’t really want to write that song again. We want the audience to build a relationship with us that we’re going to try to surprise them,” Penner said.
“Like an Animal” and “2 Minds Listening” are the most experimental tracks on the new album, Penner said. He said these songs stood out with their developing harmonies and overall orchestration.
Always experimental, Penner said he doesn’t think time and experience has made him more adventurous. Instead, he said it’s helped him focus on his original idea, which contrary to popular belief, isn’t old folk music.
“I like the surprise that happens when they’re expecting old folk and it’s not what they hear,” Penner said. “The energy is quite different.”
With Us Little Devils, Sunparlour Players experimented with electronic sounds more than they did in their previous two albums, Penner said. And there aren’t as many feature artists.
“It was more about trying to make a record that was just ours,” he said. “We wanted to see what happens with the energy of just the three of us, and we were very happy with the result.”
